The Maestro is back, and he's back with a vengeance! And he's brought the reformed Rising Force! And most importantly, he brought his guitar!!!! Alchemy marks Yngwie's return to a more neo-classical, medieval thematic musical scheme, only it's heavier. Ask any Yngwie fan why they listen to Yngwie, and they'll say, "because he wails on the guitar!" From a shred point-of-view, Alchemy is an Yngwie fan's dream. From the opening lick down to the very end, Yngwie does not stop shredding ass, and that's the best part of this disc. That, and the awesome operatic vocals of Mark Boals, who returns to the band after 1985's Trilogy and 1996's Inspiration. This man has quite a set of pipes. His vocals fit the music on Alchemy to a T. The drums are being handled by former TNT drummer John Macaluso who powers away yet doesn't really shine like he could. And Barry Dunaway does an amazing job on the bass. Back again on the keys is the everlasting Mats "Thailand" Olausson and he also does quite a terrific job.

One thing that suffered though, is the quality of the songs. I thought that with Facing The Animal, Yngwie had broken new ground with a really fresh record, and great songs. Meanwhile, Alchemy is a record with good (not great) songs and awesome guitar work. Which is better? Depends on your taste. You decide…

Here's the track by track review:
1. Blitzkrieg - The title says it all. Shred onslaught!!!
2. Leonardo - Very medieval sounding track with eclectic vocals.
3. Playing With Fire - Heavy, heavy riff with Mark Boals at his best.
4. The Stand (MetalGod's Pick) - A heavy epic with a great guitar groove. Oh and the solo…
5. Wield My Sword - This one's reminiscent of "Never Die" of the 7th Sign CD. Very cool.
6. Blue - Once again, the title says it all. A bluesy instrumental.
7. Legion Of The Damned - Very catchy chorus.
8. Demon Dance (7,405,926) - And that's the amount of licks he plays.
9. Hangar 18, Area 51 - UFO themed song, it rocks.
10. Voodoo Nights - Another really heavy track.
11/12/13. Asylum - An Instrumental Opus that ends the album, it consists of three acts, Asylum, Sky Euphoria, & Quantum Leap. This is the most inventive thing on the album. Worth the admission price alone.
14. God Is God - This is a really weird tune, features Yngwie's Demonic voice. The fun part will be trying to figure out what the hell he's saying. (Japanese Bonus Track)

While not as good as the masterful Facing The Animal (at least in this reviewer's opinion), Alchemy has many bright spots and Yngwie shreds away from beginning to end like there's no tomorrow. Nobody in the world can play a solo like The Maestro, and that's a fact. If you're a fan of Axe-Wizardry, then Alchemy is a must for you.

-MetalGod

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