Facing the Animal

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Yngwie Malmsteen's public profile never quite recovered from the grunge fallout, but that didn't mean that his music declined with his popularity. Granted, Magnum Opus and Inspiration were a little weak, but Seventh Sign showed signs of life. That record found Malmsteen exploring the blues, but Facing the Animal occasionally finds him capturing that energy in his familiar neoclassical metal style. Everything on the record is predictable, from the rockers to the power ballads, and while a few cuts sound a little tired, much of the record is stronger than anything Malmsteen has recorded in years -- and for dedicated fans, that's good news.