A few years back when I was still in my shred-fandom stages of playing the guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen was untouchable. Although my adoration towards the Swedish über-virtuoso has weakened considerably, every now and then I return to these poodle-permed slices of classical metal.

The one album I most often find myself grabbing from the shelves is Inspiration, a cover album where Malmsteen pays homage to his roots and influences by showcasing a changing crew of musicians from his past backing line-ups. Knowing Yngwies Ritchie Blackmore-worship, it is no wonder that Deep Purple is the most heavily represented band here, with Rainbow also getting a nod with a scorching version of Gates Of Babylon. Manic Depression, a live mainstay for the man of unleashed fury, gets the studio treatment with Malmsteen himself on vocals. I must say he does a pretty good job channelling Hendrix, all the way to the voice. Yngwies playing and of course, most notably the soloing is as over the top and dazzling as on his own material. Love it or hate it, it is consistent.

The vocal bits are also consistent throughout the record, with certain high spots. Jeff Scott Soto does a frighteningly accurate and deep interpretation of David Coverdale on Mistreated and Mark Boals screams his lungs out appropriately on Child In Time. My favourite cuts however are none of the aforementioned. The opening rendition of Kansas’ Carry On Wayward Son is magnificent all the way to the spot-on harmony vocals. The eastern-tinged mysticisms of The Sails Of Charon (early Scorpions) have great atmosphere while Demons Eye grooves almost as well as Purple at their best. Well, emphasis on the almost. A more surprising choice for covering is Anthem by Rush, but it works brilliantly as a heavy-hitting power rocker.

All in all, every song is pretty much a definite tribute, without much fooling around with the original compositions (well of course despite the solos, which Malmsteen flings out with his Bach-drenched widdling-style). I’d say only Child In Time is made that much heavier that you could mention it as change. The production values and overall musicianship are solid as granite. With guys like Jens and Anders Johansson you really can’t go wrong on the technical side. For casual metal fans this album may be a curiosity, but I find it quite enjoyable. A definite choice for people who want to hear the often perceived-as-deadly-serious Yngwie letting the perm down and just rocking out.