Steeler, Yngwie Malmsteen/Steeler Album Demos 1982 & more

STEELER is a legendary band that announced to the world that “Revolutionary Yngwie Malmsteen is here!” ahead of ALCATRAZZ. A masterpiece compiled from these valuable sound sources has been decided to be released. There are two types of sound sources included in this work. This is the audience recording of the “1982 Demo” produced before Yngwie joined, and the live performance “San Francisco performance on April 11, 1983” after Yngwie joined. In the first place, Yngwie Malmsteen moved to America, the home of rock music, in February 1983. At the invitation of Mike Varney of SHRAPNEL, which later became famous as a label that discovered guitar heroes, I landed in L.A. with a bag and a Stratocaster in hand. Yngwie had a strong solo preference from the beginning, but Varney persuaded him that this was the “first step” and he joined Steeler, led by Ron Keel. This work is a valuable sound source set before and after joining Yngwie, and it is a piece that vividly highlights how shocking the revolutionary child of Yuiga Doson was. Now, let’s introduce each sound source individually. [First half: Studio demo before joining Yngwie (10 songs)] The first thing that appears is a demo for the debut album recorded in 1982. The lineup consists of Ron Keel, Michael Dunnigan (guitar), Tim Morrison (bass), and Bobby Eva (drums). They released the single “Cold Day In Hell” before the album, and this demo was recorded with the single lineup. Since the official album is actually known, it cannot be said to be “completely official level”, but it is excellent as a demo. Although it’s a little light, it has a Shrapnel-like echo, which is typical of 80’s B-grade metal, and will tickle the nostrils of enthusiasts. This demo has a total of 10 songs, and the main ones are early versions of the songs from their debut album “STEELER”, but there’s more to it. Let’s organize the contents here. “STEELER” numbers (6 songs) ・Cold Day In Hell/Serenade/On The Rox/Down To The Wire/Backseat Driver/Hot on Your Heels Others (4 songs) ・Make Up Your Mind/Out To Get You/American Metal/Ready To Explode…and it looks like this. The songs not included in the album are interesting, but the songs on the album are also strikingly different from the finished version. The debut work “STEELER” featured Yngwie’s innovative fast playing, and the world that would lead to later ALCATRAZZ and Yngwie’s solos was already budding, but this demo is a simple and authentic L.A. metal classic. To put it bluntly, it’s “normal”. For example, “Hot On Your Heels.” In the first half of the album, Yngwie was playing rapid-fire solos, but in the demo, a solid riff song suddenly started. It takes just over 3 minutes in total. Of course, this work is the original form of the song, but when you listen to such an ordinary song, why do you think to include that solo?… After all, Kakumeiji’s idea itself is different. Also, even with other takes, the song is basically the same as the final version, but it has a completely different image. You can feel for yourself just how powerful Yngwie’s presence was. [Second half: April 11, 1983 San Francisco performance (10 songs)] The second half following such a demo is a live performance after Yngwie actually joined. This is a valuable record of a live stage performance that was only performed about 10 times. The cheering at the scene is also a vivid audience recording, which accurately conveys the scene where the revolutionary child appeared. From the beginning, the fans’ calls of “Yngwie!” jump out, and as soon as he gets to the solo, the voltage suddenly rises, and the cheers of “Hey! Yngwie!” fly in the air. Although the album had not been released at that time, he was already the main character and had become a big sensation. Furthermore, what you must listen to is the guitar solo time that continues from the single song “Cold Day In Hell”. This lasts about 5 minutes and is exactly what we already know about Yngwie. While scattering classical passages at the speed of light, their precision, variety of phrases, and ferocious passion are all at a sudden peak. The guitar in the last number “Excited” can only be described as “frenzy”, and the audience shouted “Yngwie is god!”. It is exactly the scene of “Revolutionary Yngwie appears!” This is a treasure collection of 10 demo songs and 10 live songs. Yngwie was enrolled in STEELER “from February to May 1983.” He had already joined ALCATRAZZ in June when the album “STEELER” was released. If you think about it, Eddie Van Halen was the fastest man at the time. You will be surprised to see Yngwie perform a career-high solo. This is a testimonial album of the times that conveys the impact more eloquently than a thousand words. “Steeler” Album Demos 1982 & Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA, USA 11th April 1983 (78:43) “Steeler” Album Demos 1982 1. Make Up Your Mind 2. Cold Day In Hell 3. Out To Get You 4. Serenade 5. American Metal 6. On The Rox 7. Down To The Wire 8. Ready To Explode 9. Backseat Driver 10. Hot on Your Hells Live at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA, USA 11th April 1983 11. Intro 12. On The Rox 13. Backseat Driver 14. Born To Rock 15. Down To The Wire 16. Hot on Your Heels 17. Cold Day In Hell 18. Yngwie Solo 19. Member Introduction 20. Excited Ron Keel – vocals Yngwie Malmsteen – lead guitar Rik Fox – bass Mark Edwards – drums