MALMSTEEN: MORE HEAT THAN LIGHT

During one of his many solos at his Long Beach Arena concert on Sunday night, heavy-metal guitar virtuoso Yngwie J. Malmsteen launched into an abridged version of the “Star Spangled Banner,” in the same torrid fashion that Jimi Hendrix performed it at Woodstock. That wasn’t the only Hendrix trick the young Swede pulled: He played behind his back, on his knees, with his teeth . . . and he played mostly with mind-boggling speed.

But for all the pyrotechnics, Malmsteen is a one-dimensional artist. With few exceptions, his songs are flimsy excuses for more guitar rave-ups. And though he’s clearly a talented instrumentalist, he has yet to demonstrate a revolutionary guitar style that would put him in the same elite class as Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen or even Stevie Ray Vaughan. Malmsteen’s four piece back-up band played adequately and unobtrusively.

England’s Saxon opened up for Malmsteen and turned in a surprisingly competent show. Its use of recycled Judas Priest riffs translated into several impressive, head-banging tunes.