Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen has issued a scorching rebuke against several of the vocalists from his past, accusing them of exploiting his name and legacy to further their own careers.
The 62-year-old Swedish shredder, whose extensive discography features contributions from renowned singers like Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner, and Tim “Ripper” Owens, took to social media on Thursday, December 18, to vent his frustrations. In a fiery post, Malmsteen dismissed the creative contributions of his former collaborators, characterizing them as mere employees rather than partners.
Malmsteen wrote:
“So it has come to my attention that these hired and paid singers that I hired for my solo records are all trying to capitalize from my brand!
“Let’s be clear: performing on MY SOLO records does not equal ownership, authorship, or legacy. Writing a line here and there doesn’t make someone a songwriter, and singing my material doesn’t make it theirs. They were merely given a salary (work for hire) to put down MY written parts, just like the keyboard player, bassist, drummer etc.
“If the only way you can tour or get attention is by leaning on my brand and using my name and album titles and my SOLO catalog, then you’ve already answered the question of who actually built something. And -What have they recorded/created the last 30,40 years?”
While Malmsteen did not name names, the timing of the outburst appears to coincide with recent activity by vocalist Mats Levén, who fronted Malmsteen‘s band for the 1997 album Facing The Animal. Levén recently announced plans for two concerts in Japan in May 2026, which are expected to feature a setlist heavily drawn from that specific record.
Additionally, Levén engaged with fans earlier this month regarding his songwriting credits on the album, claiming a significant role in the creative process—a narrative that directly contradicts Malmsteen‘s “work for hire” assertion.
“Yngwie was quite open to letting me contribute. I wrote 30-35% of the Facing The Animal album,” Levén stated recently when asked about his input. He cited specific tracks like “Braveheart,” “Enemy,” and the title track as songs where he wrote lyrics and melodies. He even noted that the track “Alone In Paradise” still contained backing vocals from Joe Lynn Turner when they recorded it.
Malmsteen has long had a volatile relationship with his frontmen. In recent years, he has opted to handle many lead vocal duties himself, supported by keyboardist Nick Marino. His most recent studio effort, 2021’s Parabellum (Latin for “Prepare For War”), featured vocals on only four tracks.
