The following CD review also includes a review of The Great Kat's latest DVD "Extreme Guitar Shred".

. DVD Rating:

Can you imagine at the age of 15 being accepted to Julliard School in New York City on a scholarship for violin and then taking the name The Great Kat in your music career? Well British born Katherine Thomas did just that. In the late 80’s The Great Kat set the music world on fire with her new genre of classical music shredder. She is a phenom in the music world bringing shredding violin with unbelievably extreme ripping guitar playing. Yes, a woman from Julliard.

We need her lastest CD release “Wagner’s War” as a defensive tactic. This CD explodes the memories of the traditional shredder. Be it man or woman The Great Kat is a unique individual that will be burnt in the minds of all music fans. I heard the name The Great Kat back when I worked with ‘Metal Forces’ magazine. Yeah she is still around and to tell you the truth, she never faded away. She is a true patriot and pioneer in shredding guitar. “Wagner’s War” will turn heads how masterful the arrangements are. From start to finish she will amaze you with just how fine-tuned her playing is. You would think that classical training is a downfall in metal…but you would be totally wrong. You take the best shredder in the business and put Wendy O. Williams and a Stradivarius in a blender and you’ve just made The Great Kat.

Just check out some of the tunes like “Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries” which could have been the theme song for ‘Apocalypse Now’ as we march on to victory. “Terror”, which is the best track on the CD, will be a nightmare for a novice guitarist making him consider giving up guitar because he will never, never be able to play like that. The Great Kat also won the ‘Guitar One’ magazine’s “Top 10 fastest shredders of all time” award. How can you beat that!!!

Kat has just released a new DVD in 2005 called “Extreme Guitar Shred”. This is a fantastic introduction to The Great Kat if you have never heard of her. It has all the great videos Zapateado, Torture Chamber, Castration, Live In Chicago, Dominatrix and War. Plus it has special bonus tracks and some great photographs of Kat. The DVD is a five star attraction which gives you the inner most thoughts of The Great Kat. In fifteen plus years in the music business she has not lost her edge. The videos give you the insight of a raw infection in the mind of a master maniac in the vein of the movie ‘Saw’ giving edge to some bondage and S&M. Kat wants you to submit to her vows and dominate your body. Even some of the scenes remind me of the videos “Faces of Death”. This is not a DVD that the young ones should watch. But it does give you the memory of the underground scene and fantasy. Great DVD!!!