Mark Boals

As an on-and-off vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen's band, Mark Boals has made quite a mark (pun intended) on the Neo-classical Hard Rock Genre. His high, operatic range is astonishing and he is one of those singers that, when you first hear their voice, you are taken aback. Even though he is currently touring with Yngwie again, Mark has a new project called Ring of Fire, which will be his main focus. We recently had a chance to sit down with Mark Boals to discuss a few things that were on his mind.

(Editor's Note: This interview took place before Mark Boals rejoined Yngwie Malmsteen on the War To End All Wars World Tour).

House of Shred: Who are your main influences?
Mark Boals: As far as music, of course I have worked with some incredible people, and they have influenced me, but I really love to listen to all the great old masters of classical music. As far as singers, I have always loved guys like Ian Gillan, Ronnie James Dio, Glenn Hughes, and even Lou Gramm, and Alice Cooper! Of course my favorite classical singer is Pavarotti!

HoS: Are you a classically trained singer? If so, how long did you take vocal lessons?
MB: I have never taken any vocal training or lessons.

HoS: How does a singer develop that kind of range? Any tips?
MB: A lot of it is God-given, but you can increase whatever ability that you have by singing properly using the right breathing and projection, and keeping in generally good physical condition. Serious singing is really like an extreme sport!

HoS: What happened with the Yngwie tour? Are you happy with the outcome?
MB: I don't really know what happened. It was very strange. We didn't even have a fight. One day, I was packed and ready to go to the rehearsals, and the next, his manager contacted me saying he had made other arrangements.

HoS: Are you pleased with your performance on Yngwie's War To End All Wars?
MB: I am pleased with it for the most part, but I am not pleased with how it came out on the record. I have demos of the songs that sound completely different! I think he ruined my performance with the way it was EQ'd.

HoS: Personally, I thought your vocals were kind of low in the mix, any thoughts on that?
MB: I was shocked when Yngwie sent me the album. I didn't know what to say when he asked me what I thought of it. I was absolutely speechless! Of course the vocal is too low in the mix in my opinion also, and as I said above, it is mainly because of the way it is EQ'd. It sounds very dull, with no brightness to it!

HoS: What is your favorite song to sing?
MB: That question is too hard to answer! It really depends on my mood at the time. Singing is so emotional, so my favorite song changes all the time!

HoS: Tell me about your new record, Ring of Fire.
MB: It's a great new record that I really had a load of fun making. It's really focused in the neoclassic style, with a lot of the lyrics in the fantasy/legend category.

HoS: What made you decide to work with the musicians on Ring of Fire?
MB: I wanted to work with virtuosos that I hadn't worked with yet. They were all people that I had thought about calling, so I just decided to go ahead and ring them up and see what they were doing. They were all raring to go, just like myself, so it all fell into place very easily.

HoS: What's your favorite track on Ring of Fire? Why?
MB: That also changes, but I think I can safely say that Atlantis is really a standout, because it has so many cool parts!

HoS: Will the same band on Ring of Fire be on the tour as well? In other words, is this a new "band" or a Mark Boals project?
MB: Due to the sequence of recent events, it is now becoming a new band. I always intended to go on tour with the same line-up, but now I need to make a permanent band that can really go for it. So, everyone wanted to do it, but for now Tony MacAlpine has had too many other commitments. I do hope to work with him again, though. George Bellas is going to do the guitars, and for those of you that haven't heard him yet, you're in for a real treat!

HoS: Will Ring of Fire be released in the U.S.? When?
MB: Yes, but the date is not sure yet.

HoS: Nessun Dorma is the japanese bonus track. What inspired you to record this song?
MB: The reason I put it on the album as a bonus song for Japan was that I did perform the song live on the last Yngwie tour that I did there, and the fans really loved it! I got so many requests for it, so I finally said OK! Then, before I could ask, the record company said "Why don't you do an opera aria for us as a bonus track? So, I thought, GREAT!!!

HoS: Besides Japan, will it be made available to other countries eventually?
MB: It won't be available to the other countries until after a 1 year period, which is the usual policy for Japan bonus songs. But don't worry, I'm already thinking of doing an entire album of Classical Arias, which I could do right after I finish the Band album I'm starting to work on now!

HoS: As a singer and songwriter, what inspires you?
MB: Great stories, love, hate, all the strong emotions of life, great art, beautiful places, etc. Sometimes I can just travel to a new city, and it will have such a strong vibe in the air, that it really inspires me.

HoS: What do you think of the current U.S. music scene?
MB: I think some improvement is long overdue, but I think it finally starting to get better! I see a lot of stations sneaking some metal tracks in their playlists, and I think a lot of young kids are getting turned on to metal and digging it for the first time.

HoS: If we were to look in your CD player right now, what would we find? What are you listening to these days?
MB: I really have eclectic tastes. I listen to old blues, classical, opera, old rock, and a lot of new artists. I get really jazzed to hear a great new musician or band! It renews my faith in the music!

HoS: Yngwie is a main target of Bootleggers and many of the bootlegs have you as the vocalist, how do you feel about bootlegs? Let's say a fan comes up to you and hands you a bootleg CD of one of your shows, what do you do?
MB: Bootlegs are illegal, so I can't say it's good (or right). But probably, well-recorded bootlegs can tell what the band really sounded like, instead of a "live" record, where everything has been re-recorded except the audience sounds. I would hope more good "real" official live records will be released.

HoS: If you could have a "Dream Band" who would the members be? Why?
MB: I feel very lucky, because my new band right now IS a "dream band!"

HoS: What lies ahead for Mark Boals?
MB: I'm working on a "band" album right now, and preparing for the new year, which will bring a USA release, a world tour, and new album, plus I hope to do a classical album if there's time!

HoS: Thanks again for the interview!
MB: Sure, I'm glad to do it!

Mark is currently on tour with Yngwie Malmsteen. Check out Yngwie's Official Website for tour dates. Also, be sure to check out Mark Boals' website, and his new project, Ring of Fire.