The Great Kat
Encyclopedia
The Great Kat is the stage name of Katherine Thomas (born June 6, 1966 in Swindon
), an English-born, New York-raised, musician best known for her thrash metal
interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Most feature her using the electric guitar
, but some have her on violin
. Thomas is a classically-trained violinist, graduating from the Juilliard School
and touring for a time playing conventional classical music before crossing over to metal.
Guitar One magazine listed her as one of the "Top Shredder
s of All Time", and many media reviews of her work have praised the speed and clarity of her playing. Her classical background, technical skills and self-promotion are sometimes compared to Yngwie Malmsteen. In an interview in metallian.com she claimed to be the reincarnation of Beethoven.
Kat's public persona, as portrayed in her publicity photos and videos, is mainly that of a dominatrix
, albeit in a somewhat over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek
manner.
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
), an English-born, New York-raised, musician best known for her thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Most feature her using the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, but some have her on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. Thomas is a classically-trained violinist, graduating from the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and touring for a time playing conventional classical music before crossing over to metal.
Guitar One magazine listed her as one of the "Top Shredder
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
s of All Time", and many media reviews of her work have praised the speed and clarity of her playing. Her classical background, technical skills and self-promotion are sometimes compared to Yngwie Malmsteen. In an interview in metallian.com she claimed to be the reincarnation of Beethoven.
Kat's public persona, as portrayed in her publicity photos and videos, is mainly that of a dominatrix
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
, albeit in a somewhat over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
manner.
Discography
- 1986 - Satan Says (DemoDemo (music)A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
) - 1987 - Worship Me or Die!Worship Me or Die!Worship Me or Die! is the debut studio album by American heavy metal guitarist The Great Kat.-Track listing:All songs by The Great Kat# "Metal Messiah" — 2:58# "Kat Possessed" — 2:44# "Death to You" — 2:13...
- 1990 - Beethoven on SpeedBeethoven On Speed-Track listing:The album is divided into two opuses :Opus One : Tracks 1-9Opus Two : Tracks 10-16# "Beethoven On Speed " — 1:54# "Ultra-Dead" — 3:19# "Flight Of The Bumble-Bee" — 2:08...
- 1996 - Digital Beethoven on CyberspeedDigital Beethoven on Cyberspeed-Track listing:# "Goddess"# "Cyberspeed"# "Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"# "Paganini's "Caprice #9"# "Bach's "Partita #3"...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1997 - Guitar GoddessGuitar Goddess-Track listing:# "Rossini's The Barber Of Seville"# "Dominatrix"# "Feast Of The Dead"# "Sarasate's 'Gypsy Violin Waltz Zigeunernveisen"...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1998 - Bloody VivaldiBloody Vivaldi-Track listing:# "Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' for Violin, Chamber Orchestra & Band"# "Torture Chamber"# "BLOOD"# "Sarasate's 'Carmen Fantasy' for Violin & Band"...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 2000 - Rossini's RapeRossini's RapeRossini's Rape is an album by The Great Kat.-Track listing:# "Rossini's - William Tell Overture - For Symphony Orchestra" — 1:54# "Sodomize" — 1:42# "Castration" — 1:13...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 2002 - Wagner's WarWagner's War-Track listing:# "The Ride of the Valkyries"# "War"# "Terror"# "Punishment"# "Humiliation"# "Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2"# "Zapateado"...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 2005 - Extreme Guitar Shred (DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
) - 2008 - Total Insanity
External links
- The Great Kat's Official Website
- http://www.guitarnoise.com/review/the-great-kat/ - favourable listener review of Wagner's War
- UnRated Magazine Beethoven's Guitar Shred
- http://tuned-out.com/?p=12 - Interview from Tuned-Out.com in Detroit. Reviews of Castration video with Kat's responses