Calling Yngwie Malmsteen

It's now official: listening to heavy metal music entitles you to a disability income supplement. In Sweden, anyway:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for those reason readers who compulsively listen to Stryper and/or Keel, you might consider consulting a doctor. And if you happen to live in Sweden, you might want to locate the closest welfare office. The Local explains:

A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits. [. . .]

In a country where heavy metal never really went away, this is indeed a dangerous precedent.

Yngwie Malmsteen could not be reached for comment at press time.

I sent a link to this article to my friend (and former editor) Anne. She is the website manager for Yngwie. I'm hoping she'll find this both amusing and worth mentioning to Yngwie himself. (Which reminds me that I haven't listened to Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar And Orchestra In E Flat Minor Op.1 for a while . . .)