Fire & Ice

The success of Nirvana's Nevermind in late 1991 left many '80s metal guitarists out in the cold, and Yngwie Malmsteen was no exception. After leaving Polydor, he signed to Elektra and released the one-hour-plus Fire and Ice. The record is most successful when Malmsteen returns to the heavy baroque influence of his early work, and there are some fine longer compositions here that will please hardcore Yngwie fans. "Cry No More," in particular, contains an arrangement of Bach's "Badinerie." However, the record also contains flawed stabs at radio rock, such as the single "Teaser," which basically sounds like a generic, clichéd hair metal song with Malmsteen on guitar. Playing for a radio audience was not Malmsteen's strength, and with the winds of alternative rock change blowing, Elektra dropped him after only one release.