Search - Cacophony :: Go Off!

Fantastic guitar melodies

DeuteronomY | 02/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think Cacophony should have admitted right from the start that their music was all about great solos, and the vocals were mere filler. I hear this album, and its predecessor 'Speed Metal Symphony,' and I tend to fast-forward to the solos. After seeing a bootleg clip of Cacophony, I appreciate the vocals so much less, especially since the vocalist seems to be under the impression that he was an Axl Rose or a Sebastian Bach, as he screeched like Samwise Gamgee would if butchered in a slaughterhouse.

To be fair, 'Go Off!' has decent 'real' songs, 'Stranger' and 'Sword of the Warrior.' And although I think 'Speed Metal Symphony' had better instrumentals, the tracks here with vocals in them have better-crafted solos that seem to actually fit, rather than just serve as 'showcase time.'

Highlights to me are the title track, the aforementioned 'real' songs, and the solos especially in 'Black Cat' and 'Floating World.'

I love the oriental textures prevalent everywhere, and the tasteful melodic sense makes this not just a 'shred' album that only guitarists can listen to. Well, at least, it's something for guitarists to listen to when looking for melody, unconcerned with the technical aspects of guitar.

In short, 'Go Off!' is more musically mature than 'Speed Metal Symphony' but you'll still have to tolerate the singing."

Less Talk, More Bach!

Eric B | Canada | 01/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album is the follow up record to the quintessential "Speed Metal Symphony" debut. "Go Off" is very similar in both sound and style, with noticeable improvements in the focus and production of the album.



There are, as in the first release, two instrumental tracks on this record, albeit not as extended, which comes as a bit of a letdown to me, as I always liked Cacophony for their intrumental movements."