Facing the Animal


Facing the Animal is the tenth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in 1997 through Pony Canyon and Mercury Records. The album reached No. 20 on the Finnish albums chart and No. 39 on the Swedish albums chart.
Although credited to Malmsteen, "Air on a Theme" is an arrangement of the second movement of Antonio Vivaldi's "Piccolo Concerto in C Major ", whilst "Braveheart" contains a riff from Gary Moore's "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "Poison in your veins" begins with Riot's Road Racin. Facing the Animal features one of drummer Cozy Powell's last performances before his death in April 1998.

Critical reception

gave Facing the Animal three stars out of five, saying that "much of the record is stronger than anything Malmsteen has recorded in years" but also calling it "predictable, from the rockers to the power ballads".

Track listing

Personnel