Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen is paying tribute to some of his rock and blues heroes on his new album, Blue Lightning, due out March 29 via Mascot Label Group.
In advance of the album, the shredder known for his "more is more" philosophy has released his version of George Harrison's beloved Beatles classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." It has all the fretboard theatrics you would expect from Malmsteen and none of the restraint that would surprise you.
Malmsteen, who also performs lead vocals on the track, revealed in a press released that he wasn't sure if he could faithfully rearrange the song for his distinctive sound. But he's proud of the final result, which you can listen to on iHeartRadio here or via the player above.
"There were songs that were immediately clear I wanted to do..." Malmsteen explains. "But then I also went for something like 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps,' which I wasn't sure I could do."
The Swede says he tried the Beatles classic a few different ways before settling on something that worked.
"In this case, it was about trial and error. I am delighted that I was able to do justice to the original."
Paying tribute to his heroes is nothing new for Malmsteen. He has long included the occasional cover in his live sets, and even put out a covers album called Inspiration in 1996.
This past fall, while on Steve Vai's Generation Axe tour, Malmsteen participated in a five-guitar instrumental cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Malmsteen will be back on tour this April. Get all of his tour dates here.
Photos: Getty Images