Jason Becker-Perpetual Burn (1988)

Jason Becker is one of the so-called heroes of 1980s neoclassical guitar. Considered one of the most talented guitarists in a long line of the genre, including Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Tony MacAlpine, and David Chastain, he began his career alongside Marty Friedman in the band Cacophony, recording the albums "Speed ​​Metal Symphony" and "Go Off!". In 1988, Becker released his only solo album, "Perpetual Burn", a massive showcase of his guitar prowess. His dizzying solos and riffs, descending and ascending scales at breakneck speeds, make us wonder if this musician is actually human or an alien. Songs like "Altitudes", "Perpetual Burn", "Mabel's Fatal Fable", and "Air" demonstrate the enormous complexity and astonishing mastery of this guitarist. A year later, he was voted Guitarist of the Year by the readers of Guitar Magazine. Having become a rock superstar, this album opened doors for him, leading to David Lee Roth inviting him to replace Steve Vai on the album "A Little Ain't Enough" (1991). However, shortly before recording the album, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that, over the years, has ravaged his body to the point of complete immobility, preventing him from playing guitar. In the following years, despite being confined to a wheelchair, Becker continued to release a series of albums comprised mainly of demos and rehearsals recorded in the 1980s in his own studio and reinterpreted for the occasion by guitarist Michael Lee Firkins.