Relentless: The Memoir - Paperback

by Yngwie J. Malmsteen (Author)

The rock-and-roll memoir of one of the world's greatest guitarists

Yngwie Malmsteen's revolutionary guitar style--combining elements of classical music with the speed and volume of heavy metal--made him a staple of the 80s rock scene. Decades later, he's still a legend among guitarists, having sold 11 million albums and influenced generations of rockers since. In Relentless, Malmsteen shares his personal story, from the moment he burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere in the early 80s to become a household name in the annals of heavy metal. Along the way, he talks about his first bands, going solo, his songwriting and recording process, and the seedy side of the rock business.

• Malmsteen was named one of Time magazine's ten greatest electric guitar players
• The author's most recent album, Spellbound, was released in December 2012
• Ideal for guitar players, heavy metal fans, and those who enjoy rock memoirs

Front Jacket

How does a kid from Sweden make his way to America at the tender age of eighteen and, within a month, have people lining up to hear him play guitar? Where did he get those chops? How did he develop his singular style of playing? And what happened next?

In "Relentless," world-renowned guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen relives the greatest and worst moments of his storied career as one of the most admired, talked about, and emulated guitarists in the world--from how he managed to buy his first Strat and assemble his first wall of Marshall amps to the truth behind the title of his 2005 "Unleash the Fury "album and beyond.

At the center of Yngwie's story is his lifelong rebellion against the conventions and restrictions of the Sweden in which he was raised. "Don't stand out," he was told when he dreamed of being a professional musician. "That won't work," he was warned when he wanted to play loud or little-known songs. His entire musical career has been a proclamation that he "will" stand out, and it "will "work.

That determination drove the fourteen-year-old Yngwie to make his now legendary Demo Powerhouse tape, the recording that later caught the ear of Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, who brought Yngwie to America in 1982. It drove Yngwie to become the de facto leader of two already existing bands before launching a solo career just "eighteen months" later. It also drove him to act out in sometimes bizarre ways and develop a reputation as a mercurial, perhaps unstable, personality.

Yngwie recounts these incidents with neither pride nor apology, but with a great deal of color. And he gets into the seedy and unscrupulous side of rock and roll, revealing how managers, record companies, and others ripped him off, before his wife, April, rescued both him and his business.

Musicians will be drawn to Yngwie's descriptions of how he composed his greatest songs and his overall approach to composition and to band dynamics. He writes with admiration about musicians, from Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore to nineteenth-century violinist and composer Niccolo Paganini, who influenced his playing and the development of his unique neoclassical-metal style.

Whether you're a total metal freak, an aspiring musician, or someone who just loves a pull-out-all-the-stops rock-and-roll biography, you will read "Relentless" relentlessly from first page to last.

Back Jacket

Slash
"Yngwie literally blew my mind when he came on the L.A. music scene in the early 1980s. The fastest & most articulate, fluid, melodic, classical-based rock guitarist I'd ever heard. Still the best at what he does all these years later."

Steve Vai
"When Yngwie Malmsteen hit the scene in the early 1980s, it was as though a monolith appeared. He was playing electric rock guitar in a way that seemed completely unearthly and had to be seen to be believed. His tone was pristine and powerful; his vibrato, intonation, and control were stunning; His harmonic and melodic sensibilities were unique; his emotional investment in his melodies was captivating; and his sheer speed and technical command of the instrument were utterly breathtaking, to the point of frightening for some. Yngwie absolutely set a standard of virtuosity on the instrument that has yet to be matched."

Joe Satriani
"Yngwie is an amazing guitarist, and there is only one Yngwie Malmsteen. Let's face it, every guitarist wishes they could do what Yngwie does with those six strings and a pick, but what he does is not only superhuman, it is undeniably unique and original, too. There are imitators, some with equal proficiency, but none who can match the heart and the confidence behind his virtuosity."

Zakk Wylde
"You have "Good" Guitar Players. You have "Great "Guitar Players. Then you have The Ones that CHANGE THE GAME. . . . It's not Just his Sheer & Uter Mastery & Command of the Instrument that make him Amazing. The Phrasing, The Vibrato, The Tone, and His FEEL & PASSION, along with the Overall Musicality that he brings to the table, are what make him so Special & Unique. . . . while other guitar players play fast and say Nothing, Yngwie Speaks."

Author Biography

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN is one of rock's virtuoso guitarists. "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force," his 1984 Grammy-nominated album, established the style now referred to as neoclassical melodic rock. He has recorded more than two dozen solo albums and a dozen more with other bands, as well as fifteen live performance DVDs. In 2013, Yngwie created the online website RelentlessShred.com, which is considered the most authoritative source for how to play his challenging neoclassical style, covering everything from harmonic minor scales and diminished chords to advanced arpeggios. With an international fan base, Yngwie continues to record and tour around the world.