I like the phrase you use to describe Tolkki - Malmsteen disciple. I still think TT is influenced by Yngwie as opposed to ripping his style off. As you say so many players are influenced by Yngwie and sometimes that influence is easier to spot than others. Just because a guitarist plays fast arpeggios does not mean he is a Malmsteen clone. Yngwie´s style is so much more than that and many guitarists just don´t get it. Having said that, many have taken that element and done something new or different with it. Paul Gilbert, Patrick Rondat, George Bellas, Steve Vai, Rob Johnson.... and even a few of the more obvious "disciples" (most of whom don´t admit it!) have something to offer. Impelliteri are a great band, Chris is a great player, but I wouldn´t say they or he were really groundbreaking. This is a bit off topic, but I do think the whole shred scene is rather maligned. Yngwie gets a lot of flak for "creating" the shred style. What amazes me is how few people now say the same thing about Eddie VH´s style. Can you remember how many metal guitarists suddenly became tapping experts overnight after VH1 came out?!

But I digress. The core of this post is something that has been debated for a long time and will continue to be debated for time to come. Nobody likes a blatant copyist, but what if a band takes "key" elements from2-3 other bands,mixes them up and then goes out and struts their stuff? Doesn´t that really sum up 98% of the entire metal/hard rock scene? And as long as the quality is generally good, how many of us really care? How much originality can we stand anyhow? I personally walk a very fine line in musical taste. I don´t like blatent copyists but at the same time I want big choruses, widdly guitars and thunderous drums. Stray from that and I don´t buy. So I want original stuff that sounds the same! A difficult balance!

I guess I´m not the only one out there with that attitude. Hence, bands like Warrant, Trixter, Britney Fox, Helloween...they never did anything for me because there were a million other bands doing the same thing - but some of them did it better. So why bother with the less good ones?