Customer Reviews

Dragon's Kiss

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This instrumental thrash metal album was the first solo album by guitar wizard Marty Friedman and is one of the better albums of the genre.

Despite being recorded in 1988 it sounds as fresh today as it did then and perfectly showcases the talents that led him to become the lead guitarist for Megadeth.

Throughtout the album the compositions are strong and feature many dark and exotic melodies combined to good effect with fast and heavy riffs. The lead guitar playing is flawless and features plenty of Marty's distinctive 'exotic metal' solos, which blend fluid licks and fast arpeggios with unusual melodies and harmonies.

The only criticism that could be levelled is that the album is very short. But at a time when every other guitarist was attempting to emulate either Vai or Malmsteen, he can almost be forgiven for this!

Incidentally I remember Marty giving his thoughts on this album a few years ago, and said he was 90% happy with it. With the benefit of hindsight he seemed to regret the amount of distortion on the final song (Thunder March) which he thought made the song sound a little too murky and detracted from the thematic melody (and as his fans will know the melody resurfaced on his 'Scenes' album in a quiter context). For the benefit of any potential purchasers it should be reassuring to know that Marty - quite rightly - does not regard this album as 'a skeleton in his closet!'

Being a drummer by trade/birth, I was drawn to this album because of Deen Castronova. I also thought Marty was just "another guitar player in the long line of shredders"...boy was I wrong. The songs on this disc are awesome, the guitar playing covers all of the riffs, phrases, etc. that a guitar hero MUST possess. This is truly a guitar clinic on tape and for drummers, Deen does not disappoint. The drumming is over the top (to match the guitar playing) and his double bass skills are peerless. If you want an album that will help you determine the true "state of art" for your instrument, look no further. It is a "must have" for virtuosos worldwide!

This is one of the best records put out on shrapnel records and is an instant classic Dragon's Kiss is a very well rounded "shred" album its very melodic and progressive if you've heard Martys work you know he loves to layer his guitars he does it perfectly in this album the songs are powerful and moody they go from heavy to soft without any bumps in the road of course all the songs are flavored with Martys' unique guitar scales and passages which make the songs even more memorable the album opens up with "saturation point" a fast opener feat. Jason Becker to set this album off "Jewel" is another track which has Jason on it it's great guitar piece "Forbidden City " and "Thunder March " are to of my favorite guitar pieces ever ..This album has alot more depth and substance to it then most 80's shred records it has many goosebump moments pick this one up even if you're not a guitar wanker or if you've only heard Martys' Megadeth work . This is Martys' first solo record recorded before Rust in Peace and happens to be my favorite from Marty

This is probably one of my favorite albums of his. The guitar playing done by Marty and Jason is unbelievable. There use of arpeggios is increbible. The guitar on this highly technical, and if you wanna hear Marty at full shredding speed get this. This is a cd that never gets old. I listen to it everyday and it never gets boring. Each song seems to have a story which you can picture in your mind. That is a real guitarist for you.

Marty Friedman's composition and arranging are very unique and inspiring to the heart of music. Anybody that has an ear for speed metal, melodic, and a heavy metal style of guitar playing will enjoy this selection. Take a few minutes and listen to the samples, even though they don't do the album any justice, it just might enlighten and intrigue you.

Another great Freidman album. If the ancient Greeks had a God for shreing it would have been Marticus Freidman.

Its 1988, hair metal is at its peak, Cacophony is still going strong, and Marty Friedman releases an amazing debut solo album, Dragon's Kiss. Displaying Marty's great usage of exotic note selections, his unique phrasing style, and an assortment of great chops, this is no "shred to death" album that may get boring after 5 minutes. Every song is different from the great lead lines of "Saturation Point", to the beauty of "Jewel", and the epic style of "Forbidden". I highly suggest this album to any fan of metal or shred-rock, as it is a sure classic.

Very good cd.You can buy any Marty's cds they are all different,but all good.And Dragon's Kiss is the first cd.
I listen to it every day.

This CD is a must own if you are into the high tech shred guitar instrumental cds. Marty is also a great songwriting. The songs are melodic, and well written. Also check out these cds : CACOPHONY -- JASON BECKER -- MEGADETH -- RACER X -- YNGWIE -- GREG HOWE -- JOEY TAFOLLA -- TONY MACALPINE -- VINNIE MOORE -- RUSTY COOLEY -- ROB JOHNSON -- STEVE VAI -- JEFF LOOMIS -- JOE SATRIANI

Marty is a brilliant musician, and it shows on his solo debut. This album is good from the the first note to the last and has a few solos by Jason Becker (he also let Marty play a few solos on his debut album). This album isn't just a bunch of meedley meedley note cramming garbage that guitar players do to show off. Marty filled this album with awesome riffs and strong melodies sure to please any metal fan who can enjoy music without words.