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Shred guitar is undoubtedly a love it or leave genre in the metal world. Some people enjoy the fretboard wizardry of these gifted musicians, but many, myself included, just don't get the appeal. Strange considering the guitar was the reason I gravitated towards Heavy Metal in the first place. Anyway, Genocide is the 2nd full length release from Brazil's Carlos Lichman. It is full of Carlos' high speed histrionics with the guitar. The man clearly knows his way around the instrument.

While not unlike 80s guitar masters Marty Friedman, Jason Becker and Vinnie Moore in sound and style, but with a more modern production, Lichman also falls into the same patterns that made many of those early efforts so limited in their appeal. The songs, such as they are, are mostly little more than vehicles for Lichman to display his unquestioned skill. Beyond his playing, there isn't much to hold the attention of a casual Heavy Metal fan. And, unless you worship the sound of the guitar, the constant noodling and runs up and down the neck get old rather quickly.

Shred fans should eat this up, but the rest of us aren't likely to find any replay value. Lichman is talented as a musician, but as a songwriter, he hasn't cracked the mass appeal code yet.