Kat Dibbits of The Bolton News recently conducted an interview with legendary
Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.

On being the sole composer and the main focal point of his band's live shows:

"It's been the whole situation that I've created for myself. In that I am the
songwriter and I produce the records, and once I go on the road I always bring
the best guys that I can have. I let them have all the freedom they can have,
all the attention they can get. On stage we do a lot of the songs that people
know, there's a solo spot and I do some improvisations, it's not like a one-man
show. It's just that when it comes to making the records, I basically do all of
it."

On the accusation that he doesn't listen to any contemporary music:

"That's actually true, and that would actually include everything that's
contemporary now and the last 25 years as well. Basically what it comes down to
is that when you're that involved with creating music it's not something that
you do for recreation. I have other hobbies. You only have that many hours in
the day and I have a family, I like to do lots of other things. I work on cars
and I drive race cars and I play tennis and lots of other things. It's not like
I'm saying there's nothing good out there, it's just that if you get so consumed
with creating something and you write a song and you write the lyrics and you're
producing and arranging and touring, I don't have any interest in it. Plus when
I was very very very young, the style that I decided on was formed then and it
crystalised then, and I have no intention to go anywhere else with it. I found
my way, my vision, and that's where I'm going. I think one of the reasons I'm
still doing what I'm
doing is because that's what I do. I don't follow trends and I don't mind what
other people do. Having said that, I'm not saying it in an arrogant way, I don't
mean it that way at all. It's not because I'm on some sort of high horse
thinking that everything else is not good. But when I don't work on music then
other things take my time."

On the new Malmsteen album, which is due out around September:

"[It is] in the same vein I guess, but much more, you know? Much more powerful
and much more faster and much more heavier. It's pretty extreme, so I'm excited
about it."