This reissue has been out of print in Europe for over ten years and is being offered for the first time as a limited edition Digipack.

Average Customer Review: ( 27 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Despite being recorded in 1988 it sounds as fresh today as it did then and perfectly showcases the talents that led him to become the lead guitarist for Megadeth.

Throughtout the album the compositions are strong and feature many dark and exotic melodies combined to good effect with fast and heavy riffs. The lead guitar playing is flawless and features plenty of Marty's distinctive 'exotic metal' solos, which blend fluid licks and fast arpeggios with unusual melodies and harmonies.

The only criticism that could be levelled is that the album is very short. But at a time when every other guitarist was attempting to emulate either Vai or Malmsteen, he can almost be forgiven for this!

Incidentally I remember Marty giving his thoughts on this album a few years ago, and said he was 90% happy with it. With the benefit of hindsight he seemed to regret the amount of distortion on the final song (Thunder March) which he thought made the song sound a little too murky and detracted from the thematic melody (and as his fans will know the melody resurfaced on his 'Scenes' album in a quiter context). For the benefit of any potential purchasers it should be reassuring to know that Marty - quite rightly - does not regard this album as 'a skeleton in his closet!'

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Guitar Clinic caught on TapeFeb 24, 2004
By Fusion Lord
Being a drummer by trade/birth, I was drawn to this album because of Deen Castronova. I also thought Marty was just "another guitar player in the long line of shredders"...boy was I wrong. The songs on this disc are awesome, the guitar playing covers all of the riffs, phrases, etc. that a guitar hero MUST possess. This is truly a guitar clinic on tape and for drummers, Deen does not disappoint. The drumming is over the top (to match the guitar playing) and his double bass skills are peerless. If you want an album that will help you determine the true "state of art" for your instrument, look no further. It is a "must have" for virtuosos worldwide!

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

overlooked classicAug 23, 2007
By Tom
This is one of the best records put out on shrapnel records and is an instant classic Dragon's Kiss is a very well rounded "shred" album its very melodic and progressive if you've heard Martys work you know he loves to layer his guitars he does it perfectly in this album the songs are powerful and moody they go from heavy to soft without any bumps in the road of course all the songs are flavored with Martys' unique guitar scales and passages which make the songs even more memorable the album opens up with "saturation point" a fast opener feat. Jason Becker to set this album off "Jewel" is another track which has Jason on it it's great guitar piece "Forbidden City " and "Thunder March " are to of my favorite guitar pieces ever ..This album has alot more depth and substance to it then most 80's shred records it has many goosebump moments pick this one up even if you're not a guitar wanker or if you've only heard Martys' Megadeth work . This is Martys' first solo record recorded before Rust in Peace and happens to be my favorite from Marty

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Perhaps Marty's bestMay 16, 2001
By Gerbil
This is probably one of my favorite albums of his. The guitar playing done by Marty and Jason is unbelievable. There use of arpeggios is increbible. The guitar on this highly technical, and if you wanna hear Marty at full shredding speed get this. This is a cd that never gets old. I listen to it everyday and it never gets boring. Each song seems to have a story which you can picture in your mind. That is a real guitarist for you.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Dragon's KissJan 23, 2000
By a guitar player and music lover
Marty Friedman's composition and arranging are very unique and inspiring to the heart of music. Anybody that has an ear for speed metal, melodic, and a heavy metal style of guitar playing will enjoy this selection. Take a few minutes and listen to the samples, even though they don't do the album any justice, it just might enlighten and intrigue you.

See all 27 customer reviews on Amazon.com