In the August 1994 issue of Guitar World magazine, Guitar World asked Yngwie Malmsteem to perform a blind critique of his peers. It’s interesting to read Malmsteem’s reactions to some of the tracks that Guitar World played, such as this response to hearing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” from their Live Sh*t: Binge & Purge album:
Overall, the band has a great sound. But I think the lead guitar player [Kirk Hammett] is not very good. He can play fast, and is pretty good at it. But his choice of notes and sense of pitch are very bad. I don’t think that he plays with musicality, or plays in tune. Rather than lifting the song, his solo seems to be an anticlimax.
He also offers critiques of tracks by Joe Satriani, the Cure, Jeff Beck, Primus, Pearl Jam, and others. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t like Pearl Jam. Check out Malmsteem’s critiques on the Guitar World site.
I can appreciate Malmsteen’s incredible ability on guitar but unlike some of the musicians he critiques in this interview, his playing lacks soul. For me, he focuses too much on acrobatics and consequesntly, his music is sterile. That said, I think his new signature Marshall amp has all the right elements.
I agree, Ed. I have a hard time listening to Malmsteem’s music, but it’s interesting to hear a professional musician critique his peers.