CACOPHONY // RACER X

Please, don´t you never say again that Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are best twin guitar bands in the world because here comes the real stuff:

Well, I just heard this amazing band a few days ago and they blowed my mind.

Cacophony (Jason Becker & Marty Friedman) is a suggestion to evry player who is in shred/progressive music because they have some crazy rythms and speed is absolutly at highest level. The most jaw dropping thing is when they play som crazy scales together harmonized. It sound amazing. However songs are maby not best in the world but who cares, if you love shred guitar and progressive stuff, you´ll love ´em.

If´you would find Cacophonys songs not good enough and want somthing more of mainstream, listen than to Paul Gilberts first band Racer X. Songs are more normal (no crazy rythms) but guitar playng is pretty same and lots of cool harmonies here as well

PS. Think about that Jason Becker was only 18 yrs old. And Gilbert wasn´t much older.

Can you recommend some particular Cacophony recordings for me to try? I've never heard Jason becker and only know about him from tabs posted here but I gather he's an amazing sweep picker. i have Marti Friedman's True Obsessions, some of it sucks a bit but there's some brilliant and original stuff there too and I'm keen to buy some more of his stuff if it's as good, do you know if Dragon's kiss is any good? I dig eastern scales in a metal context, with the limitations in chordal complexity that serious distortion makes necesary I find that it's hard to make original metal otherwise.

I've just noticed that you don't rate Judas Priest, I've never heard any but I have heard Glenn Tipton's solo album Baptism of Fire and rate the self-titled track as one of the best instrumental rock shreds I've ever heard - it's losely based on Holst's tune from "Mars" from "The planets" and contains tons of massive sweeps, screaming pinch harmonics, possibly the fastest tremolo picking I've ever heard, some very soulful melodies and very fittingly a creepy organ solo. If that ain't enough Billy Sheehan (one of the greatest bassists in the world) plays some serious shredding that puts most guitarists to shame. Unfortunatley the rest of the album ain't nearly so hot but personally I do rate Tipton very highly.

Well, unfortunatly, Cacaphony have only two albums. The first Speed Metal Symphony and the second Go Off. Both are very good and there´s some amazing guitar art. Lot of their music reminds me of Japanese traditional music wich sound awsome. If you like odd metal, you´ll definitly like these albums. I never heard Dragans Kiss so I don´t know.

Another thing that´s highly recomended is Jason Becker´s Perpetual Burn album. This one is amazing. I really adore the classic tone called Air and the last song on the album called Opus Pocus.

Sadly, Jason can´t play any guitar today. He got ASL and can only move his eyes. It´s a sad thing because he had to quit guitar when he was 21-22 yrs old. Just imagine how famous he would be today if he could keep on playn´. I´m mean he´s already a legend but I think if he didn´t have ALS word virtousu wouldn´t be enough to describe him.