Cacophony (band)

Cacophony is a US thrash metal band formed in 1986 by guitarists Marty Friedman and Jason Becker. The band also featured Atma Anur on drums and Peter Marrino on vocals, although the main focus of their music were the guitars.

In 1987 they released their first album, the predominantly instrumental Speed Metal Symphony, which fused classical and hard rock styles and Friedman's preference towards exotic scales (especially obvious in the song The Ninja). It featured exceptionally fast, melodic and technical music that still hasn't been equalled so far.

In 1989 they released their second album Go Off!!, which, besides Becker, Friedman and Marrino, featured a bassist and a new drummer. The album was a commercial failure and Cacophony broke up, after only two albums, with Jason Becker joining David Lee Roth and Marty Friedman joining Megadeth.

Becker and Friedman have since left Megadeth and David Lee Roth's band (in Becker's case due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis); both released several solo albums. These include a wide variety of music, but in particular Jason Becker's album Perpetual Burn is considered one of the greatest neo-classical shred albums of all time.