Facing the Animal
1997 studio album by Yngwie Malmsteen
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Facing the Animal is the tenth studio album by Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in 1997 through Pony Canyon (Japan) and Mercury Records (United States). The album reached No. 20 on the Finnish albums chart and No. 39 on the Swedish albums chart.[1]
| Facing the Animal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 3rd 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Studio 308 and Criteria Studios in Miami | |||
| Genres | Neoclassical metal, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 59:33 | |||
| Label | Pony Canyon | |||
| Producers | Yngwie Malmsteen, Chris Tsangarides | |||
| Yngwie Malmsteen chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 United States edition | ||||
Although credited to Malmsteen, "Air on a Theme" is an arrangement of the second movement (Largo) of Antonio Vivaldi's "Piccolo Concerto in C Major (RV443)". 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".[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Yngwie Malmsteen and Mats Levén, except tracks 5 and 13 (Malmsteen).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Braveheart" | 5:19 |
| 2. | "Facing the Animal" | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Enemy" | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Sacrifice" | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Like an Angel – For April" | 5:47 |
| 6. | "My Resurrection" | 4:48 |
| 7. | "Another Time" | 5:03 |
| 8. | "Heathens from the North" | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Alone in Paradise" | 4:33 |
| 10. | "End of My Rope" | 4:24 |
| 11. | "Only the Strong" | 6:05 |
| 12. | "Poison in Your Veins" | 4:23 |
| 13. | "Air on a Theme" | 1:43 |
| Total length: | 59:33 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Casting Pearls Before the Swine" | 3:57 |
Personnel
- Yngwie Malmsteen – guitar, bass (tracks 1, 4, 6, 12), background vocals, arrangement, production
- Mats Levén – lead vocals (except track 13)
- Mats Olausson – keyboards
- Cozy Powell – drums (except track 13)
- Barry Dunaway – bass (except tracks 1, 4, 6, 12, 13)
- Chris Tsangarides – engineering, mixing, production
- Keith Rose – engineering assistance
- Rod Fuller – mastering
Chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Finnish albums chart | 20[1] |
| Swedish albums chart | 39[1] |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[3] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||