Guitar God Yngwie J. Malmsteen, the master of all things shred, returns with his lates opus, War To End All Wars, which in itself is a collection of some of the most aggressive material to ever come out of the Maestro's musical mastermind. Unlike his previous release Alchemy, War To End All Wars shows a heavier, more focused overall sound. The songs are well-written, catchy and borderline brilliant. "Crucify" is the best thing Yngwie's done in years! Other highlights are the evil "Prophet Of Doom,", the catchy "Bad Reputation," and the heartfelt "Miracle Of Life." You also get a couple of instrumentals ("Molto Arpeggiosa" & "Preludium") that belong in the world encyclopedia of shred plus an unexpected surprise in "Black Sheep Of The Family."

First, let's talk about the good: War To End All Wars features Yngwie shredding on both guitar and bass, as well as playing sitar and doing some backing vocals. Drummer John Macaluso really shines on this album. His drumming is not only phenomenal, but also inventive and progressive at times, like a modern-day Cozy Powell (R.I.P.). Mats Olausson is his usual keyboard wizard self.

Now, the not so good: While Marc Boals is a great vocalist, his operatic range is sometimes out of place in these heavier, more aggressive songs. I think War To End All Wars could have benefitted from a vocalist with a better low range (*cough* Mats Leven *cough*). Also, the production has its ups and downs. The guitar, drums, and bass sound really good, but the production itself is lackluster at times with the vocals mixed a little low for my taste. There's something to be said about making a record sound heavy, and "Raw," but I still wonder if Yngwie is really missing Chris Tsangarides' or Jeff Glixman's magic touch. That being said, I have really enjoyed listening to War To End All Wars and it grows on you like an evil shred infection.

Full of rippin' leads and infectious grooves, War To End All Wars is a terrific "U.S. comeback" album for Yngwie Malmsteen. I, for one, look forward to more Yngwie for the new millenium.

Shred Pick - "Crucify" (6:44)

Reviewed by Henry Bocanegra

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