''Go Off!'' is the second and final studio album by heavy metal band

Cacophony Phonaesthetics (also spelled phonesthetics in North America) is the study of the beauty and pleasantness associated with the sounds of certain words or parts of words. The term was first used in this sense, perhaps by during the mid-20th century ...

, 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 Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...

. The album was re-released on CD in 1991.

Critical reception

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." Andy Hinds at

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 ...

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". 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."

Track listing

Personnel

Cacophony *Peter Marrino – vocals * Marty Friedman – guitar, producer * Jason Becker – guitar, producer *Jimmy O'Shea – bass *Kenny Stavropoulos – drums (credited but does not play on the album) * Deen Castronovo – drums Production *Steve Fontano – producer,

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*Joe Marquez, Scott Tatter, Michael Rosen – engineers *Dino Alden, Marc Reyburn – assistant engineers *George Horn – mastering at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California * Mike Varney – executive producer

References

External links

Story Behind The Song - Cacophony's Go Off!
at martyfriedman.com

at Guitar Nine Records {{Authority control Cacophony (band) albums Jason Becker albums Marty Friedman albums 1988 albums Shrapnel Records albums Albums produced by Mike Varney