A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

I always been a huge Cacophony fan but never been able to play a single tune by them. Jason and Marty were unreal during those amazing jewels from the Shrapnel age.

Here is me having a little fun a la Cacophony.

Ooph.

Nice playing but too much going on for me.

If I tried to play like Cacophony, I would end up in a sarcophagi

A brilliant musical composition expertly executed.

Yes, I am, or at least I was, a Cacophony fan. I haven't listened to those two albums in years. I remember seeing Shrapnel Records ads for the band's album alongside their label mates like Racer X and Tony MacAlpine. It's not that I don't like or appreciate them anymore, but rather because I'm into a different kind of guitar playing right now, and also because Cacophony is too stimulating and challenging. I'll expand on this latter point in a moment.

Around 1988-89 I saw Cacophony perform at a club in Rochester NY called the Penny Arcade. The band I played in while I was still in high school had a couple gigs at that venue around that same time. While it was exhilarating to see Marty and Jason perform in person, it almost made me want to quit guitar. On the way home I felt like I was riding the short bus. It was a real kick in the nads, by which I mean my ego . . . which was actually good for me. God knows how many more thousands of hours I practiced after that show because Marty and Jason, these "kids" who were the same age as me, melted my face off while standing five feet in front of me.

I like to think of you, @Narsh, as that guy on AGF who serves a similar valuable function. You are most certainly stimulating and challenging. To be blunt and honest about it, if I may presume to speak for the group, you're that guy that makes the rest of us feel like retards with five thumbs. Your playing poses a serious question to those of us who strive for technical mastery: Should I just quit, or should I use this example of what is possible on the instrument as a stimulus?

Hmmm I get it, definitely a lot going on and not typically something g you can dance to but it served as that “avante garde” thing or the complicated jazz piece that was so abstract and smart it would put you off. This was a mental exercise and a physical challenge for me. However, I love the waves of arpeggios and speed lines sitting on top of each other and working together. It’s beautiful chaos.

As for being that guy, hopefully I come across as inspiring rather than a reason to give up. Each of us has special talents and voices on the instrument so if anything take what you can, learn from it and make it yours.

Most of the time I’m just doing trial and error layering things or playing with ideas that sound interesting to me. Hopefully it sparks something positive.