<i>which is, in fact, just speed</i><p>Sure, if you&#x27;re talking about just Malmsteen or Cacophony. But again, you really have missed the evolution. Things have moved well beyond that in the 21st century. For just one example, the band Meshuggah that I mentioned requires the performer to shift fluidly between bizarre odd time signatures. It&#x27;s debatable how much this improves the musicality, but it&#x27;s an advanced skill that requires a ton of experience; some small amount of this was visible in the era you&#x27;re referring to, but the evolution has been, well, extreme.