The Great Kat – Beethoven Shreds – 6 years on

12th August 2017 0 By John Deaux

It’s been 6 years since The Great Kat released her groundbreaking 7 minute Beethoven Shreds CD, and It’s still regarded as one of the greatest extreme shred albums of all time.

The Great Kat herself is listed as one of the fastest shredders of all time and this is expressed on the 1st track on this album with a 42 second, 300BPM version of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovs Flight Of The Bumble Bee. Not only is this track stupidly difficult to play on the violin due to its use of chromatic sixteenth notes, to attempt this on guitar, at speed and execute it well, takes incredible talent and fingering precision. Kat does so, and this is probably due to her multi instrument virtuosity and her knowledge of classical music in general.

Originally recorded on her 1990 record, Beethoven on Speed, Beethoven’s 5th gets another Great Kat treatment. Clocking in at just over a minute, this mend bending version will melt your ears.

Torture Techniques is the 1st track on this particular album to feature Kats vocals. She spits the lyrics just like a camel spits at a human whilst her guitar wails like a banshee in heat.

Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #3 features intense violins which shred along with the guitars. Kats virtuosity knows no bounds and this is in part to her graduating from Julliard

Islamofacists is another original number. Running at just 50 seconds it’s as politically incorrect as you can get.

Another Bach interpretation in the form of The Art Of The Fugue has Kat attacking a harpsichord with as much vim and vigor as every track on this record.

The musical genius of Paganini’s Caprice #24 once again features Kats multi faceted talents on violin and guitar.

6 years on and this is still a great example of how to shred, quickly without losing the essence and identity of the original composition.

There are many guitarists and musicians who could learn a lot from this woman and her shredding technique. In-fact Beethoven Shreds is also available on DVD which shows Kat at speed so you can try to study what she does and how she does it (if your DVD player has slo-mo, you’re going to need it!) It’s fascinating viewing.

Track List
1 “The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee” For Guitar, Violin, Symphony Orchestra & Band
2 Beethoven’s “5th Symphony” For Symphony Orchestra & Band
3 “Torture Techniques”
4 Bach’s “Brandeburg Concerto #3” For 6 Guitars, 3 Violins, Harpsichord, Chamber Orchestra & Band
5 “IslamoFascists”
6 Bach’s “The Art Of The Fugue” For 2 Harpsichords & Band
7 Paganini’s “Caprice #24” For Guitar, Violin & Band