Facing the Animal
Facing the Animal is the tenth studio album by Swedish 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 ". Facing the Animal features one of drummer Cozy Powell's last performances before his death in April 1998.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine 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".Personnel
- Yngwie Malmsteen – guitar, bass, background vocals, arrangement, production
- Mats Levén – lead vocals
- Mats Olausson – keyboards
- Cozy Powell – drums
- Barry Dunaway – bass
- Chris Tsangarides – engineering, mixing, production
- Keith Rose – engineering assistance
- Rod Fuller – mastering