Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force Turns 41: Why It Still Matters

Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force Turns 41: Why It Still Matters

Author: Beyond the hits—exploring the albums, bands, and moments that shaped the heavy 70s & 80s metal July 21, 2026 Duration: 1:03:56

A nineteen year old singer, a guitarist who barely wanted him there, and a record that split guitar playing into two schools for the rest of the decade. This week our 90s specialist Jeremy Amend crosses into 80s metal for his first time, bringing us Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, the 1984 debut that crystallized neoclassical shred into an actual genre. We dig into the mystery of the "J" in his name, Jeff Scott Soto's wild resume, why this album opened the door for Shrapnel Records and guys like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, and whether the two vocal tracks help or hurt the record. If you love Deep Purple, early Van Halen, or neoclassical metal, this episode is for you.

Highlights:

00:02: Jeremy's first 80s pick after years of 90s deep cuts

04:11: The real story behind Yngwie's name change

30:14: Is this the first neoclassical solo guitar album in rock history

35:38: What doesn't work on the record

52:15: Final ratings and poll results

Subscribe to Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com | Join the community at dmounion.com Have a lost or forgotten album that deserves the spotlight? Suggest it here.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe

There's a whole world of heavy music beyond the radio staples, and that's exactly where Dig Me Out: 70s & 80s Metal lives. Hosts J, Chip, and Tim are your guides, moving past the greatest hits to explore the full albums, influential bands, and pivotal moments that built the sound of an era. Each episode focuses on a single record, digging into the riffs, the production, and the cultural context that makes it matter. You'll hear about the giants like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, of course, but the conversation also celebrates the unsung heroes and delves into the glam and excess of acts like Mötley Crüe. This isn't just a track-by-track review; it's a deep, engaging commentary on the stories behind the music. The podcast thrives on the hosts' shared passion and knowledge, making each discussion feel like a conversation among friends who genuinely love turning over every stone in metal's formative decades. If you've ever wondered about the album that came before a band's big breakthrough or wanted to understand the scene that made a particular sound possible, you'll find a home here. It's a dedicated, thoughtful excavation of the hard rock and metal that defined the 70s and 80s, designed for listeners who believe the deep cuts are often where the real magic lies.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dig Me Out: 70s & 80s Metal
Podcast Episodes
Hawkwind Made Proto-Stoner Rock Before Anyone Had a Name for It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:48
A Swedish band nobody outside Scandinavia ever heard live sounds like it was mixed by people who actually understood 80s post-punk instead of just imitating it. This episode, guest Darren Leach brings his first pick from…
Tora Tora Sounds Like Judas Priest Fighting Aerosmith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:37
Tora Tora beat Metallica in a poll. That alone should tell you something about how this show works.This 80s Metal episode covers Tora Tora's 1989 debut Surprise Attack, the surprise winner of a four-way Patreon poll agai…
The 1970 Billy Joel Metal Album That Time Forgot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:00
Billy Joel in a metal band sounds like a late night joke, but Attila’s lone 1970 album is a lot stranger and heavier than the punchlines suggest. In this episode, we dig into the self titled organ driven proto metal reco…
1976: The Year Guitar Rock Split In Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:15
1976 was supposed to belong to disco, soft rock, and singer‑songwriters. Yet in the shadows of “Disco Lady,” “A Fifth of Beethoven,” and “Silly Love Songs,” guitar bands were quietly rebuilding what hard rock and metal c…
1986: The Year Glam and Thrash Both Peaked at the Same Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:10
On daytime MTV, Bon Jovi was becoming the biggest pop-rock act on the planet. Poison was setting the blueprint for everything pop culture now calls hair metal. At the same time, Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth: were buil…
Gang of Four’s Entertainment!: Punk, Funk, and the Politics of Rhythm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:05
Gang of Four’s Entertainment! is the moment post‑punk stopped being a scene and started sounding like a threat. This 1979 debut didn’t just tweak punk’s formula—it rewired it, turning guitars into percussion, bass into a…
The Hummingbirds Gave the Lemonheads Their Biggest Hit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:51
Returning Dig Me Out Union patron Josh Page is back from Australia with his second pick, and this one is geo-locked to his home country for most of the world. The Hummingbirdsformed in Sydney in 1986, signed to rooArt Re…
Stevie Wright's Hard Road Is the AC/DC Prequel Nobody Told You About [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:07
The name Stevie Wright probably doesn't ring a bell. It should. Wright was the lead singer of The Easybeats, Australia's first international rock act and the band that gave the world "Friday on My Mind" in 1965. Then he…