Go Off! | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1988 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 40:13 | |||
Label | Shrapnel | |||
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Cacophony chronology | ||||
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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. [1] Also two years later, guitarist Marty Friedman joined the band Megadeth. [2] The album was re-released on CD in 1991. [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10 [5] |
Rock Hard | 7.5/10 [6] |
In a contemporary review, Wolfgang Schäfer of Rock Hard was not overly impressed by the album but remarked how Friedman and Becker refrained "from superfluous solo escapades", making the music more accessible and fueling the suspicion that Mike Varney wanted "to repeat the success of the dissolved Racer X with this band." [6]
Andy Hinds at AllMusic found Go Off! an improvement on their 1987 debut album Speed Metal Symphony and compared the "slightly more song-oriented approach" to contemporaries Racer X. He praised Friedman and Becker's technical craft as "a very interesting listen at times" and that "there are even some beautiful moments, like the outro of the title track", while also noting an element of restraint in their playing compared to Speed Metal Symphony. However, much criticism was directed at singer Peter Marrino, with Hinds lambasting his vocals as "annoying" and the lyrics "ridiculous". [4]
Martin Popoff reviewed positively the album and considered it "too crazy, professional and intense for its day", becoming "a cult classic" and "a mid-years progressive metal cornerstone." He was also critical of Marrino's vocals, but praised Deen Castronovo's performance as "possibly his chopsiest of a long career." [5]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "X-Ray Eyes" | Marty Friedman, Jason Becker | 5:10 |
2. | "E.S.P" | Friedman | 6:06 |
3. | "Stranger" | Becker, Steve Fontano | 3:24 |
4. | "Go Off!" | Friedman, Becker | 3:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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5. | "Black Cat" | Friedman, Becker | 7:45 |
6. | "Sword of the Warrior" | Friedman, Fontano | 5:09 |
7. | "Floating World" | Friedman | 5:10 |
8. | "Images" | Becker | 3:43 |
Total length: | 40:13 |
Cacophony
Production
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.
Martin Adam Friedman is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until 1989, as well as his 13 solo albums and tours. Friedman has resided in Tokyo, Japan since 2003, where he has appeared on over 700 Japanese television programs such as Rock Fujiyama, Hebimeta-san, Kōhaku Uta Gassen and Jukebox English. He has released albums with several record labels, including Avex Trax, Universal, EMI, Prosthetic, and Shrapnel Records.
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.
Mike Varney is an American record producer and music publisher. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records, and Blues Bureau International. He also owns 50% of Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label. Varney is often credited for popularizing the mid-1980s shred guitar boom, and has continuously specialized in producing musicians within the genres of instrumental rock, hard rock, jazz, jazz fusion, blues, blues-rock, progressive metal, and speed metal.
Jason Eli Becker is an American composer and former virtuoso guitarist. At the age of 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman, and they released two albums, Speed Metal Symphony (1987) and Go Off! (1988). Since the dissolution of Cacophony in 1989, Becker has undertaken a solo career, releasing seven albums since his 1988 debut Perpetual Burn. He later joined David Lee Roth's solo band and recorded one album with him, A Little Ain't Enough.
Deen J. Castronovo is an American drummer, singer, and songwriter best known for being a member of classic rock band Journey and hard rock acts Bad English and Hardline. He currently plays drums and shares lead vocals for the bands Journey, Generation Radio, and Revolution Saints. He has been a touring and studio player for Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Vai, Paul Rodgers, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's GZR.
Dragon's Kiss is the first studio album by guitarist Marty Friedman, released on August 8, 1988 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records (Europe).
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.
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.
One Nation Underground is the title of the first studio album released by Hawaii, a speed metal band from the United States.
Loud, Wild and Heavy is the sophomore release by the United States speed metal band Hawaii.
The Natives Are Restless is the third and last studio release by the American speed metal band Hawaii and the only one to feature guitarist Tom Azevedo, formerly of Honolulu band Rat Attack.
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.
Collection is an album by Jason Becker released by Shrapnel Records on November 4, 2008. The album includes three new songs in addition to some older recordings. It includes many musicians and features guitarists such as Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Joe Satriani, Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Vai, and Steve Hunter.
Speed of Sound is the ninth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1999.
Revolution Saints is an American supergroup conceptualized by Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino, and formed by Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades; Deen Castronovo of Journey and formerly of Wild Dogs, Cacophony, Marty Friedman, Joey Tafolla, The Dead Daisies, Ozzy Osbourne, Bad English and Hardline; and Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake, Dio, Hurricane, Lion, Bad Moon Rising, Burning Rain, House of Lords and The Dead Daisies.
The Manhattan Blues Project is the fifth studio album by guitarist Steve Hunter. Released in 2013, the blues guitar album features instrumental interpretations of New York City. It is particularly notable for its all-star lineup of guest musicians: Phil Aaberg, 2Cellos, actor/musician Johnny Depp, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Tommy Henriksen, Tony Levin, Joe Perry, and Joe Satriani. The album also includes a composition by Jason Becker, co-founder of Cacophony.