| Dragon's Kiss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1988 | |||
| Studio | Prairie Sun Recording Studios, Cotati, California | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock, neoclassical metal | |||
| Length | 36:06 | |||
| Label | Shrapnel | |||
| Producer | Marty Friedman | |||
| Marty Friedman chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dragon's Kiss is the first studio album by guitarist Marty Friedman, released on August 8, 1988, through Shrapnel Records (United States) [1] and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The album was reissued on CD in 1991. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10 [4] |
| Rock Hard | 8.0/10 [5] |
In a contemporary review, Holger Stratmann of Rock Hard did not recommend the album, but considered it as "quite good" in mixing "speed and folkloric influences from his old days in Hawaii" with "the typical and probably indispensable nature of the Shrapnel horde." [5]
Andy Hinds of AllMusic considered Dragon's Kiss an excellent album, and wrote that it "may be the most definitive sampling of Friedman's talents available." [3] Martin Popoff in his Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal described Dragon's Kiss as "a structured album of artful instrumental rock that kills all that came before" and "ushered in a new classy, mature era in shred records." [4]
All music is composed by Marty Friedman, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saturation Point" (Friedman, Jason Becker) | 4:53 |
| 2. | "Dragon Mistress" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Evil Thrill" | 5:31 |
| 4. | "Namida (Tears)" | 2:47 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Anvils" | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Jewel" (Friedman, Becker) | 4:05 |
| 7. | "Forbidden City" | 8:18 |
| 8. | "Thunder March" | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 36:06 | |
Greg Howe is the first studio album by guitarist Greg Howe, released in 1988 by Shrapnel Records. Prior to its recording, Howe had sent a demo tape to Shrapnel founder Mike Varney in 1987, after which he was signed to the label.
Cacophony was an American heavy metal band formed in 1986 by guitarists Marty Friedman and Jason Becker, and signed to Shrapnel Records. They released two studio albums and remained active until 1989, after which both guitarists forged their own solo careers and joined other bands.
High Gear is the first studio album by the American hard rock band Howe II, released in 1989 through Shrapnel Records. Howe II was a short-lived group fronted by guitarist Greg Howe and his brother Albert Howe on vocals.
Speed Metal Symphony is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Cacophony, released in 1987 through Shrapnel Records.
Endless Pain is the debut studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in October 1985 by Noise Records.
Killing Technology is the third studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released in 1987 on Noise Records and was the first to combine elements of progressive rock in the band's thrash metal sound. According to interviews contemporary to the release of Killing Technology, by 1986 Voivod were more influenced by hardcore punk and crossover bands than by other metal bands, with only Kreator and Motörhead still appreciated by all band members. Estimated sales are more than 60,000 copies worldwide.
Negatron is the eighth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released on November 21, 1995 through Hypnotic Records worldwide and Mausoleum Records in the US. It is the first studio album not to feature original singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger, who temporarily left the band in 1994, with bass player Eric Forrest assuming vocal duties for the recording. The album also features Foetus frontman JG Thirlwell as a guest vocalist on the final track "D.N.A. ".
Perpetual Burn is the first studio album by the American guitarist Jason Becker, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The album was released at around the same time as Dragon's Kiss, the first album by the fellow Cacophony guitarist Marty Friedman, who also co-produced and performed on Perpetual Burn. This is the only solo album Becker released before his diagnosis with ALS in 1989.
Go Off! is the second and final studio album by heavy metal band Cacophony, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records. About two years after the album's release, guitarist Jason Becker was diagnosed with ALS, which eventually led to his near-total paralysis. Also two years later, guitarist Marty Friedman joined the band Megadeth. The album was re-released on CD in 1991.
Renewal is the sixth album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in 1992. It's their first "experimental" album, as in this release Kreator incorporated industrial music influences in their songwriting, as well as featuring a groove metal sound. It is also the last album to feature original bassist Rob Fioretti. The song "Karmic Wheel" contains audio samples from the suicide of R. Budd Dwyer.
Street Lethal is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Racer X, released on January 1, 1986 through Shrapnel Records. The instrumental track "Y.R.O." stands for "Yngwie Rip-Off", as it bears similarities to "Black Star" by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, with an almost identical bassline. It later appeared in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.
Second Heat is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Racer X, was released on February 11, 1987, through Shrapnel Records.
Extreme Volume II Live is the second live album by Racer X, released by Shrapnel Records. Although it succeeds the release of Extreme Volume Live by four years, the songs on the album were actually recorded at the same time. At the time of the album's release, Racer X was on hiatus.
Pound for Pound is the fifth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1988.
One Nation Underground is the title of the first studio album released by Hawaii, a speed metal band from the United States.
Edge of Insanity is the first studio album by guitarist Tony MacAlpine, released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records. In 2014, nearly thirty years after its release, MacAlpine performed the album in full during a series of shows in California and Baja California.
Project: Driver is a studio album by the heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The band's name is made up of the initial of each musician's last name: guitarist Tony MacAlpine, drummer Tommy Aldridge, singer Rob Rock, and bassist Rudy Sarzo. Craig Goldy was their original guitarist, but he left after joining Dio.
Phantom Blue is the self-titled first studio album by all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue, released in 1989 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records. Guitarist Marty Friedman, at the time a member of the band Cacophony, and later of Megadeth, is credited as a co-producer. According to drummer Linda McDonald, the music video for "Why Call It Love?" was filmed within a maximum security prison in Carson City, Nevada.
Richie Kotzen is the self-titled first studio album by the American guitarist Richie Kotzen, released on August 11, 1989 through Shrapnel Records.
Night of the Blade is the second studio album released by the British heavy metal band Tokyo Blade on Powerstation Records in 1984. It is the first Tokyo Blade album with Vicki James Wright on vocals. He replaced Alan Marsh when the vocal tracks for the album were already completed, forcing him to re-record the lead vocals in a very short time. Marsh's backing vocals remain on the album except on two tracks, which were recorded after he left the band. The original vocal recordings by Alan Marsh were released in 1998 in the album re-issue Night of the Blade... The Night Before.
