Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising force - About the album
Rising Force is the first studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 5 March 1984 through Polydor Records. It reached No. 14 on the Swedish albums chart, No. 60 on the US Billboard 200 and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1986 Grammy Awards. The album is regarded as a landmark release in the shred and neoclassical metal genres.
Rising Force received four out of five stars from AllMusic's Steve Huey, who called it "a revelation upon its release" and "the actual inauguration of the age of the guitar shredder." Malmsteen's technique and "blinding virtuosity" were lauded, as were his "obsessions with Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini," he said.
Black Star" and "Far Beyond the Sun" have endured as two of Malmsteen's most popular songs, as well as being staples of his live setlist. In a 2008 Guitar World interview, Malmsteen said of the two songs: "I'll probably play 'Far Beyond the Sun' and 'Black Star' until the day I die."