Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the '80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love for such classical composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini, Malmsteen's distinctively Baroque, gothic compositional style and lightning-fast arpeggiated... [+] Read More

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the '80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love for such classical composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini, Malmsteen's distinctively Baroque, gothic compositional style and lightning-fast arpeggiated solos rewrote the book on heavy metal guitar. His largely instrumental debut album, Rising Force, immediately upped the ante for aspiring hard rock guitarists and provided the major catalyst for the '80s guitar phenomenon known as "shredding," in which the music's main focus was on impossibly fast, demanding licks rather than songwriting. Malmsteen released a series of albums over the course of the '80s that, aside from slight differences in approach and execution, were strongly similar to Rising Force, and critics charged him with showing little artistic progression. He was also reviled as an egotist whose emphasis on blazing technique ultimately made for boring, mechanical, masturbatory music with no room for subtlety or emotion. Malmsteen responded by insisting that since he was already playing music he loved, he had no desire to develop any further, and that his love did come through in his playing. He also vehemently insisted that it was his imitators, not him, who reduced songwriting and composition to merely generic vehicles to show off the guitar player's amazing technique. Toward the end of the decade, Malmsteen fell out of favor with metal audiences, and even some of his musician fan base seemed to tire of him and the incredible amount of practice it would take for them to emulate him. Following a series of personal setbacks, tragedies, and even injuries, Malmsteen eventually resurfaced on small, independent labels and then recorded at a prolific, rapid pace, continuing to play the music he loved in his patented neo-classical style.

Yngwie (pronounced "ING-vay") Malmsteen was born Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1963, later adopting his mother's maiden name following his parents' divorce. He was an unruly child, and his mother tried without initial success to interest him in music as an outlet. However, when seven-year-old Yngwie saw a television special on the death of Jimi Hendrix featuring live performance footage of Hendrix setting his guitar on fire, he became obsessed with the guitar, learning to play the music of both Hendrix and favorites Deep Purple. Through Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's use of diatonic minor scales over simple blues riffs, Malmsteen was led toward classical music, and his sister exposed him to composers like Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Mozart. He spent hours practicing obsessively until his fingers bled, and by age ten, his mother allowed him to stay home from school to develop his musical talents, particularly since he was considered a behavioral nightmare. Also at age ten, Malmsteen became enamored of the music of 19th century violinist/composer Niccolo Paganini, as well as Paganini's flamboyant style and wild-man image; this would provide the blueprint for Malmsteen's synthesis of classical music and rock. By the time he was 18, Malmsteen was playing around Sweden with various bands attempting to find an audience for his technically staggering instrumental explorations, but most listeners preferred more accessible pop music; frustrated, Malmsteen sent demo tapes to record companies overseas. When Mike Varney, president of Shrapnel Records -- a label synonymous with the term "shredder" -- heard Malmsteen's tape, he invited the guitarist to come to the United States and join the band Steeler in 1981.

Steeler recorded one album with Malmsteen on guitar, but dissatisfied with the band's rather generic style, Malmsteen moved on to the group Alcatrazz, whose Deep Purple and Rainbow influences better suited the guitarist's style. Still not quite satisfied, Malmsteen formed his own band, Rising Force, with longtime friend and keyboardist Jens Johansson. The new band's first album, also called Rising Force, was released in 1984; it was a largely instrumental affair spotlighting Malmsteen's incendiary guitar work and Johansson's nearly equally developed technique. The album was an immediate sensation in guitar circles, winning countless reader's polls in guitar magazines, reaching number 60 on Billboard's album chart (no mean feat for an instrumental album), and receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Malmsteen's subsequent albums, Marching Out and Trilogy, also sold quite well and consolidated his reputation and influence as a composer as well as a soloist. However, on June 22, 1987, a speeding Malmsteen crashed his Jaguar into a tree; in breaking the steering wheel with his head, he received a blood clot in his brain which nearly killed him and extensively damaged the nerves leading to his picking hand. In the course of recovery, he learned that his mother had died and that his manager had swindled him out of his earnings. Undaunted, Malmsteen regained the use of his hand and recorded Odyssey, his most accessible, radio-friendly collection to date; the single "Heaven Tonight" widened his audience beyond a devoted core of guitar fans and helped push the album into Billboard's Top 40. Following a world tour including the then-Soviet Union, the Rising Force unit disbanded, and Malmsteen formed a new band in his native Sweden for 1990's Eclipse. The album was a success in Europe and Japan, but stiffed in the U.S. without much promotion.

An angry Malmsteen left PolyGram and, prior to the release of 1992's Fire and Ice, he was married to and divorced from a Swedish pop singer. Fire and Ice debuted at number one on the Japanese charts, and Malmsteen toured the world again. However, disaster struck frequently over the next two years. Hurricane Andrew destroyed Malmsteen's Miami property; his manager of four years died of a heart attack; Elektra dropped him from their roster; a freak accident left the guitarist with a broken hand, in addition to frequent bouts of tendinitis caused by his lightning technique; and in August 1993, Malmsteen's future mother-in-law, opposed to his engagement to her daughter, had him falsely arrested for holding the woman hostage with a gun. The charges were quickly dropped, and Malmsteen secured a deal with the Japanese label Pony Canyon after his hand had healed completely. He returned to recording with a vengeance, releasing The Seventh Sign in 1994, as well as two mini-albums (Power and Glory and I Can't Wait), and then Magnum Opus in 1995 and the all-covers album Inspiration in 1996. After several years in near obscurity, Malmsteen returned to the headlines in 2002, after a fellow airline passenger threw water on Malmsteen after he allegedly made a slanderous comment about homosexuals. This incensed Malmsteen, who had to be escorted away by security, all the while he screamed to the passenger that she had "unleashed the f***king fury". This stint proved to be so popular in revitalizing his career that his come back album in 2005 appropriated the phrases as its title. While his popularity has largely faded in the U.S. due to a backlash against the excesses of '80s shredders, Malmsteen still finds audiences in Europe and is more popular in Japan and Asia than ever. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, arguably only such acts as Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Marilyn Manson have tied the controversial record of Ozzy Osbourne. The former Black Sabbath frontman has been ridiculed over his career, mostly due to rumors denouncing... [+] Read More

Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, arguably only such acts as Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Marilyn Manson have tied the controversial record of Ozzy Osbourne. The former Black Sabbath frontman has been ridiculed over his career, mostly due to rumors denouncing him as a psychopath and Satanist. Despite his outlandish reputation, however, one cannot deny that Osbourne has had an immeasurable effect on heavy metal. While he doesn't possess a great voice (it's thin and doesn't have much range), he makes up for it with his good ear and dramatic flair. As a showman, his instincts are nearly as impeccable; his live shows have been overwrought spectacles of gore and glitz that have endeared him to adolescents around the world. Indeed, Osbourne has managed to establish himself as an international superstar, capable of selling millions of records with each album and packing arenas across the globe, capturing new fans with each record.


John Michael Osbourne began his professional career in the late '60s, when he teamed up with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward to form Black Sabbath. The band, made unique by their slow, gloomy melodies and themes, released their self-titled album in 1970, and would go on to release classic platinum records such as Paranoid and Master of Reality throughout the rest of the decade. After the 1978 album Never Say Die, Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath, which led him to form his own solo project. With his new manager and wife, Sharon, Osbourne formed his own band, the Blizzard of Ozz, with guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer Lee Kerslake. The group's self-titled first album was released in September 1980 in the U.K. and early 1981 in the U.S. Blizzard of Ozz had some of the same ingredients of Black Sabbath: The lyrics focused on the occult and the guitars were loud and heavy, yet the band was more technically proficient and capable of pulling off variations on standard metal formulas. Featuring the hit singles "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley," Blizzard of Ozz reached number seven on the U.K. charts; it peaked at number 21 in the U.S., continuing to sell for over two years and becoming a huge success. Kerslake and Daisley would be replaced with Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo shortly before the subsequent November release of Diary of a Madman. This album, which included the drug ode "Flying High Again," charted at number 16 in the U.S. and became another huge seller. As the Diary tour went underway, sales for the album continued to improve as those of Black Sabbath waned. Osbourne had no trouble in attaining mass audiences, and his career seemed to have peaked. However, controversy soon erupted when he was accused of animal cruelty: During one performance, a bat was thrown on-stage by a fan and Osbourne bit its head off while supposedly thinking that it was fake. The show was canceled when he had to be rushed to the hospital for a rabies vaccination. Not long afterwards, Rhoads was killed in a bizarre plane accident, bringing the band's success to a screeching halt. Osbourne fell into a massive depression shortly after losing his best friend, and plans for his upcoming live album were soon changed. Instead of material recorded with Rhoads, 1982's Speak of the Devil featured live recordings of classic Black Sabbath material and was recorded with guitarist Brad Gillis. Osbourne was freed from his contract with Jet Records and showed up drunk at an Epic Records meeting with two doves, one of which he freed and the other of which he killed in the same manner as the bat; Osbourne was signed to the label. Jake E. Lee became Osbourne's new guitarist for the 1984 studio effort Bark at the Moon. While it didn't match the consistency of Blizzard of Ozz or Diary of a Madman, the record was equally successful, pushing the singer to embark on a tour with glam metal stalwarts Mötley Crüe. Although Bark at the Moon opened up to rave reviews, 1986's Ultimate Sin received rather harsh criticism. The album, although containing the hit single "Shot in the Dark," would be regarded as Osbourne's worst studio effort by numerous critics, who claimed it was redundant and uninteresting; nonetheless, the album was another smash hit.


Also in 1986, Osbourne was accused of encouraging suicide among listeners via use of subliminal messages in his Blizzard of Ozz song "Suicide Solution," a song that he claimed was written in relation to the effects of alcohol abuse. Although the case was eventually dismissed, Osbourne once again earned a feared reputation. He pulled up his profile in 1987 with Tribute, a live album recorded in 1981 that was dedicated to the memory of Randy Rhoads. Lee soon left the band, and was replaced with Zakk Wylde for No Rest for the Wicked, which would be released in 1988. The record proved to be one of his strongest yet, highlighted by "Miracle Man," in which Osbourne ridiculed evangelist (and longtime foe) Jimmy Swaggart. Just Say Ozzy, a live EP taken from the subsequent tour, was released in 1990. After recording a new studio album in 1991, Osbourne found himself without the usual enthusiasm to perform, due to his increasing age and his desire to spend more time with his family. When No More Tears was released in the fall, it was confirmed that the following tour would be Osbourne's last before retirement. Following the tour, a live double album, Live & Loud, was released in 1993 to commemorate Osbourne's career, and it was now assumed that the singer's glory days were over.


However, the retirement was not to be -- Osbourne resurfaced in 1995 with Ozzmosis, which, despite mixed reviews, would sell three million copies within a year after its release. After the subsequent tour proved to be one of the best-selling of the summer, Osbourne created Ozzfest, a tour package that would feature himself along with many other metal bands. While there were only two performances in 1996, a live album was nonetheless released, simply titled The Ozzfest. 1997's tour package included such metal acts as Pantera, Marilyn Manson, and a Black Sabbath reunion from which only Bill Ward was absent. With the exception of Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair, Ozzfest 1997 was the most successful tour of the year and Osbourne released a compilation album, The Ozzman Cometh, in November. Shortly afterwards, Osbourne united the entire original lineup of Black Sabbath to record the live album Reunion, which was released in 1998. He also found time to duet alongside rapper Busta Rhymes for a re-make of the Sabbath classic "Iron Man," re-titled "This Means War," which was included on Rhymes' 1998 release Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front). Sabbath continued to tour well into 1999, as they again headlined the year's Ozzfest, which was billed as their supposed final tour. The same year, a grisly Ozzy action figure was shipped out to toy stores -- complete with tiny decapitated bats. Osbourne also finally began work on the follow-up to his 1995 lackluster solo release, Ozzmosis, which saw him joined by returning guitarist Wylde, plus former Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin and former Suicidal Tendencies/Infectious Grooves bassist Robert Trujillo. 2001 was greeted with the news that not only was Black Sabbath reuniting once again for the summer's edition of Ozzfest, but that the quartet was going to enter the recording studio in the fall with producer Rick Rubin to work on the original lineup's first all-new album since 1978's Never Say Die. Unfortunately, Epic Records caught word of Osbourne's plans and stopped both a post-Ozzfest tour with Disturbed and the album itself until he finished his solo record. Ozzy fans were given the double-disc Ozzfest: Second Stage Live to tide them over in the meantime -- the collection included tracks from most of the bands that participated in the 2000 festival, as well as tracks from Ozzfest's inaugural 1996 lineup. Finally, the new solo album, Down to Earth, appeared in the fall of 2001, followed by a few successful rock radio singles and a huge Christmas tour with co-headliner Rob Zombie. Meanwhile, inspired by an episode of MTV's Cribs starring his family, Osbourne and the network's producers took a chance on creating a reality show based around the infamous singer. Following his family around the house for several months at the end of 2001, the end result was The Osbournes, one of the most successful shows in the history of the network. The show, which was equal parts documentary and sitcom, reinvented Osbourne as a befuddled father with a razor sharp wit and a loving family. It also proved to also be a critical success, and Osbourne found himself invited to a White House dinner to promote his animal protection activism, something that only came to light after an episode of the show dedicated to the family's numerous pets. ~ Barry Weber & Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Guitar virtuoso the Great Kat was born Katherine Thomas in Swindon, England. After her family moved to Long Island, Thomas began studying music, taking up piano at age seven and violin two years later. Thomas won a scholarship to Juilliard and studied classical music, but upon graduating with honors, she took up heavy metal guitar in addition to... [+] Read More

Guitar virtuoso the Great Kat was born Katherine Thomas in Swindon, England. After her family moved to Long Island, Thomas began studying music, taking up piano at age seven and violin two years later. Thomas won a scholarship to Juilliard and studied classical music, but upon graduating with honors, she took up heavy metal guitar in addition to violin and retooled herself as the Great Kat. Billing herself as the "High Priestess of Shred Guitar" and "the Reincarnation of Beethoven," the Great Kat issued her debut album, Worship Me or Die, in 1987. 1990's Beethoven on Speed continued her approach of blending originals with speed metal arrangements of well-known classical pieces. A spate of similar albums followed over the '90s, including Guitar Goddess and Bloody Vivaldi, and her persona and stage show became increasingly S&M-themed. In 2000, the Great Kat issued a six-and-a-half-minute CD titled Rossini's Rape, which featured a run through the William Tell Overture. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Easton, PA's Greg Howe was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-Yngwie Malmsteen players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein, Howe brought a sense of funk and groove... [+] Read More

Easton, PA's Greg Howe was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-Yngwie Malmsteen players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein, Howe brought a sense of funk and groove to the table that was sorely needed. Howe paid his dues playing the Easton/Allentown club circuit in the '80s with the band Duke, featuring his brother Al on lead vocals. When one of his instrumental demos grabbed the ear of talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner Mike Varney, Howe was signed to the Shrapnel label in 1987.

His all-instrumental debut, Greg Howe, featuring the talents of Billy Sheehan and Atma Anur on bass and drums, respectively, was released in 1988, to considerable acclaim. Howe's second album, High Gear, released under the moniker Howe 2, was less a solo album than a Van Halen-styled band effort, featuring his brother Al Howe on lead vocals. The band broke up after releasing its more commercially minded follow-up, Now Hear This, in 1990 and Greg Howe returned to making all-instrumental albums in his home studio, taking a decidedly more fusion-styled direction.

Howe released Introspection in 1993 and Uncertain Terms in 1994 and has continued to produce albums at a prolific rate since then. Aside from releasing Parallax and Five in 1995 and 1996, respectively, Howe collaborated with fellow Pennsylvania virtuoso and Shrapnel labelmate Richie Kotzen on the Tilt album in 1995 and again on 1997's Richie Kotzen/Greg Howe Project. His last Shrapnel album, Ascend, was released in 1999, followed by his debut on the Tone Center label, Hyperacuity, released in 2000.

Outside of his solo career, Greg Howe is also a sought-after sideman who has toured with the likes of Michael Jackson and N'Sync. ~ Andy Hinds, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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By the time of Eclipse, Yngwie Malmsteen's influence had spread far across the guitar community -- dazzling technique was almost a prerequisite to play lead guitar in a heavy metal band, and places like the Berklee School of Music and GIT (which used such Malmsteen favorites as Beethoven and Paganini to hone technique) were churning out guitar... [+] Read More

By the time of Eclipse, Yngwie Malmsteen's influence had spread far across the guitar community -- dazzling technique was almost a prerequisite to play lead guitar in a heavy metal band, and places like the Berklee School of Music and GIT (which used such Malmsteen favorites as Beethoven and Paganini to hone technique) were churning out guitar virtuosos as if they operated assembly lines. The bottom line was that no matter how innovative Malmsteen had been at the outset of his career, he no longer sounded that way, even though as an originator he still far outstripped his legions of mimics. Thus, Eclipse sounds like a holding pattern -- Malmsteen turns in a competent set of neo-classical rockers that achieve radio-ready status better than much of the material on Odyssey, but there isn't anything that sounds new here. Of course, Malmsteen fans wouldn't have it any other way. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The follow-up to the masterful Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman was rushed into existence by a band desperate to finish its next album before an upcoming tour. As a result, it doesn't feel quite as fully realized -- a couple of the ballads are overly long and slow the momentum, and Randy Rhoads' guide solo on "Little Dolls" was never replaced... [+] Read More

The follow-up to the masterful Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman was rushed into existence by a band desperate to finish its next album before an upcoming tour. As a result, it doesn't feel quite as fully realized -- a couple of the ballads are overly long and slow the momentum, and Randy Rhoads' guide solo on "Little Dolls" was never replaced with a version intended for the public. Yet despite the fact that some songs could have used a longer gestation period, there are numerous moments of brilliance on Diary of a Madman -- at least half of it stands up to anything on Blizzard, and the title track is a jaw-droppingly intricate epic that represents the most classically influenced work of Rhoads' all-too-brief career. But even if parts of the album don't quite live up to the band's previous (and incredibly high) standards, they're by no means bad; moreover, the production is fuller, and the instruments better recorded this time around. It's not uncommon to find fans who prefer Diary to Blizzard, since it sets an even more mystical, eerie mood, and since Rhoads' playing is progressing to an even higher level. One can only wonder what the Osbourne/Rhoads collaboration might have produced in the future, had Rhoads not been killed in a bizarre and sadly avoidable plane crash. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Yngwie Malmsteen's second best album after Rising Force, Trilogy finds him delving wholeheartedly into fantastic, medieval themes and lyrical imagery. Yngwie's compositional skills are at their peak, and of all his albums, the lyrics here contribute the most to the overall feel of the music. The guitar solos, as always, are jaw-droppingly fast... [+] Read More

Yngwie Malmsteen's second best album after Rising Force, Trilogy finds him delving wholeheartedly into fantastic, medieval themes and lyrical imagery. Yngwie's compositional skills are at their peak, and of all his albums, the lyrics here contribute the most to the overall feel of the music. The guitar solos, as always, are jaw-droppingly fast and technically demanding, but Malmsteen is still capable of playing them with force and fire behind them. Highlights include "Dark Ages," "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget," and the epic "Trilogy Suite Op:5." ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Rising Force was a revelation upon its release in 1984; Eddie Van Halen had introduced dazzling speed to the realm of rock guitar technique, and the compositions of Randy Rhoads had begun to fuse heavy metal with neo-classical influences, but no one before Yngwie Malmsteen was able to combine those elements with such blinding virtuosity.... [+] Read More

Rising Force was a revelation upon its release in 1984; Eddie Van Halen had introduced dazzling speed to the realm of rock guitar technique, and the compositions of Randy Rhoads had begun to fuse heavy metal with neo-classical influences, but no one before Yngwie Malmsteen was able to combine those elements with such blinding virtuosity. Malmsteen's innovative guitar style made Rising Force a mandatory primer for '80s metal guitarists, with its classical chord progressions and Malmsteen's use of harmonic minor scales, a wide vibrato imitative of classical violinists, and impossibly fast picking techniques, including the sweep-picked arpeggio (sort of a cross between strumming a chord and picking each note individually). Malmsteen's obsessions with Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini are used in the service of a dark, stately, gothic atmosphere and sent guitar students scurrying to learn their works as well as Malmsteen's own. The true inauguration of the age of the guitar shredder. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide