An unorthodox heavy metal singer/guitarist specializing in thrash versions of classical pieces, the Great Kat was a cult figure of the 1980s and early '90s whose mission seemed to be converting headbangers to classical music. Kat -- who really was classically trained at the prestigous Julliard School of Music -- took herself much too seriously and managed to alienate a good bit of the metal world with her frequent condemnations of bands likeSlayer,TestamentandMetallica. But while Kat'sabrasiveness and exaggerated sense of self-importance didn't help her career, BeethovenonSpeed and its predecessorWorship Me or Dieproved quite entertaining.Forceful,aggressive and obnoxious as well as amusing, the snarling Kat'sspeedmetalinterpretationsofBeethoven'smusic are nothing if not original.