Attack!!

Attack!! is a record on which Yngwie Malmsteen sounds Baroque phrasing, fast guitar runs and dramatic harmony on a grand scale. The guitar comes overwhelmingly to the front, yet an arrangement including vocals and keyboards creates the dynamics of the songs, so it never ends as a string of solos. From the aggression of the opener “Razor Eater” and the drive of “Rise Up” to the drama of “Valley of Kings” and “Ship of Fools” and the playful “Baroque & Roll,” sharp riffs and fluent solos cross, letting you fully savor the flair of neoclassical metal, while a quiet miniature like “Air” and the scale of “Valhalla” add color and pacing. It is a dense record suited to listeners who want beauty of form and aggression at once. Preparing many showcases of technique while weaving changes of melody and tempo into each song, it keeps a long running time engaging to the end — a fulfilling record on which early-2000s Yngwie sounds his own style boldly.