''Dragon's Kiss'' is the first studio album by the American heavy metal guitarist

Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist of 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 ...

, released on August 8, 1988, through

Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the ''Shrapnel Records'' record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive ...

(United States) and

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...

(Europe). The album was reissued on CD in 1991.

Critical reception

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." Andy Hinds of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

considered ''Dragon's Kiss'' an excellent album, and wrote that it "may be the most definitive sampling of Friedman's talents available."

Martin Popoff Martin Popoff (born April 28, 1963) is a Canadian music journalist, critic and author. He is mainly known for writing about heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of '' Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles'', he has written over twenty books ...

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."

Track listing

Personnel

;Musicians *

– guitar, bass, keyboard * Jason Becker – additional guitar solos (tracks 1, 3, 6) * Deen Castronovo – drums *Maija – piano (track 1) ;Production *Marty Friedman – producer *Dino Alden –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

, mixing *George Horn – mastering at

Fantasy Studios Fantasy Studios was a music recording studio in Berkeley, California, United States, at the Zaentz Media Center, known for its recording of award-winning albums including Journey (band), Journey's ''Escape (Journey album), Escape'' and Green Day's ...

, Berkeley, California *Dave Stephens Graphics – graphic design *Pat Johnson Studios – photography *Ross Pelton – Deen Castronovo photo * Mike Varney – executive producer

References

External links

In Review: Marty Friedman "Dragon's Kiss"
at Guitar Nine Records {{Authority control Marty Friedman albums 1988 debut albums Shrapnel Records albums Roadrunner Records albums Albums produced by Mike Varney