Jeff Scott Soto recently reflected on his vocal performances on the first two Yngwie Malmsteen albums. He shared candid thoughts about his early career in an interview with Ricardo Batalha.
The veteran vocalist discussed how he views his work from that era. He acknowledged the challenges he faced in finding his own voice while trying to fit into the heavy metal genre.
“Well, I wish I could be as excited as the rest of the world when they tell me that’s the best vocal work I’ve ever done or that was the beginning of where they discovered me. And it’s so classic, it’s so influential. I listen to it and I say, ‘Arrghh.’ I sound like a kid. I don’t sound like I found my voice yet,” Soto said.
He went on to explain his approach to adapting his natural style for heavy metal music.
“And I remember distinctly, especially on the first two songs, on the first album, but even ‘I’ll See The Light Tonight’ and some of the other songs, I remember thinking — I grew up listening to soul music, R&B music — ‘I can’t use that style for heavy metal.’ But I don’t have my style yet, so I’m thinking, ‘Let me borrow some Bruce Dickinson, let me borrow some Rob Halford, let me borrow some Ronnie James Dio. This song I can do this like Bruce, I can do this like Ronnie,'” he continued.
Soto reflected on how this approach affected the authenticity of his performances at the time.
“I was copying others just to get through that so I sound more metal. Now when I listen, it sounds forced. It doesn’t sound like I would sing it today. If I sang it 40 years ago today, I know how to do it now, because I didn’t have this experience yet,” he concluded.
These reflections come from a vocalist whose career has spanned decades. His early work with Malmsteen remains a cornerstone of neo-classical metal history.
Wikipedia documented that Soto’s contributions to Yngwie Malmsteen’s legendary “Rising Force” album in 1984 include vocals on tracks such as “Now Your Ships Are Burned” and “As Above, So Below.” These tracks helped cement the album’s influential status within the neo-classical metal genre. The album marked a pivotal moment in heavy metal history. It introduced Malmsteen’s virtuosic guitar work to a broader audience.
Despite his early struggles with vocal identity that he describes in the interview, Wikipedia noted that Soto’s career has since flourished. His work spans over 50 studio albums and numerous live recordings across various projects. This extensive discography showcases his evolution from the uncertain young vocalist he describes to a seasoned and versatile performer.
The vocalist’s journey from those early Malmsteen recordings demonstrates the natural progression many artists experience in finding their authentic voice. His willingness to openly discuss the challenges of his formative years provides valuable insight into the artistic development process that many musicians face when establishing themselves in competitive genres.
Soto’s candid assessment of his early work also highlights the pressure young artists often feel to conform to established genre conventions rather than developing their unique style. His retrospective view offers a mature perspective on the creative compromises that can occur during the early stages of a musical career.
