After releasing three records with progressive metal band
Apocrypha,
Tony Fredianelli left the group and took some time off from recording and touring. Three years later, the guitarist released his only solo disc,
Breakneck Speed, forcefully demonstrating that the hiatus had served his speed metal riffing well. Fans of
Fredianelli's later work with MOR powerhouse
Third Eye Blind will hardly recognize the musician's staccato guitar flurries and anti-pop deconstructions on this Shrapnel Records release, but shred fans will enjoy the artist's adventurous musical statement. Joining him for this hyper-metallic exercise are Ray Luzier (a Shrapnel regular on drums), Brian Starustka (bass), and rapper
DJ O.D. (scratches, vocals/raps). Unlike most instrumental metal releases of its time, the album has a relatively small amount of guitar soloing, as
Ferdianelli prefers to highlight his outlandish chording abilities, some of which are the fastest that fans of this genre are likely to hear. The exceptionally tight guitar playing is punctuated by Luzier's whirlwind drumming, demonstrating that
Fredianelli isn't afraid of holding back and allowing his supporting staff stretch out. Luzier actually takes a few solos, but just keeping up with the guitarist's twisted, convulsive song arrangements keeps the drummer well exercised. This might not be "perhaps the heaviest progressive guitar instrumental music ever recorded," as Shrapnel Records proclaimed at the time of
Breakneck Speed's 1993 release, but it is hard to imagine anyone out-pummeling
Fredianelli and Luzier. ~ Vincent Jeffries