Perhaps the most revered lead guitarist in thrash metal history, Marty Friedman– whose groundbreaking work with Megadeth, Cacophony and as a solo artist has influenced legions of players around the globe — is currently putting the finishing touches on a new studio album, Inferno.
Tentatively set for a spring release, the album — Friedman’s first original material in four years, and his first album in more than a decade that will be released simultaneously worldwide — will feature what Friedman feels is the heaviest, most intense playing of his career. A one-minute teaser can be heard below.
“I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done with Cacophony and Megadeth, but I was never interested in stopping there,” Friedman says. Inferno is the album that fans of my work with those two bands have always wanted me to make. I’ve finally made it, and completely on my own maniacal terms.”
As Guitar World recently revealed in an exclusive in-studio feature, Inferno will include several collaborations with players influenced by Friedman, including Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Revocation guitar whiz David Davidson and the flamenco/metal acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. In addition, the album includes Friedman’s first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem, Cacophony.
“On the guests’ songs, each would write a song from scratch, and then I would arrange it and add my parts to it,” Friedman says. “That way, we were both invested in it, and it’s a little bit of a deeper experience than just banging out a guest solo.”
Make no mistake, though — Inferno is unquestionably a Marty Friedman album, and one he plans to tour behind extensively (including his first U.S. performances since 2003). Furthermore, it features what Friedman told Guitar World is “the most intense writing and playing I can do,” with the goal of “go(ing) completely ape shit and smok(ing) everything else I’ve ever done.”
“I wanted to create a new landmark to which my future music will be compared,” Friedman elaborates further. “That idea of just going completely balls-out — knowing what the full potential of my music and my playing could possibly be, and actually making it a reality — was what drove me through the whole process.”
Just as he changed the game in the worlds of metal and guitar once before with his revered solo debut Dragon’s Kiss, Friedman now raises the bar to a new level for a new generation with “Inferno.” More information on the album will be revealed in the coming weeks
17 Responses
Dude can shred..period. Loved his work with Megadeth.
Not sure if hes the most revered or even revered at all. Take a look at the 2000 dvd Rude Awakenings Al Petrelli knocks his licks out no prob. Now without looking at the liner notes, Im assuming those licks were written by D Mustaine. Talented guitarist not good enough to go solo on his own
Al Petrelli struggled through that entire performance and that tour…..I take nothing away from Al, its big shoes to fill. Al is great, just wasn’t the right situation for him. Do I hear rumors of a CPR reuinion?
Dave does lay claim to lose licks but “who’s buying?” Just the understanding of the theory and phrasing Marty brought to the band is light years ahead of what Mustaine could of ever offered. Marty was playing in that style well before Megadeth. Marty’s album will be great and it will be even better to hear what he has recently accomplished with Jason Becker. If any guitarist who is talented enough to go on their own it’s Marty.
Next: The C.C. Deville album and tour.
That would be more interesting. What is the market for a guy who was in MEGADETH in the 1990s? Two guys from PEACE SELLS …are dead and that was their best album. Does anyone remember their names? How do you have an ego when nobody knows who the f#@k you are? He looks like a cross between SLASH, the guy from TYPE O NEGATIVE, and Paul Stanley. This is strange. What is he saying about ape shit and smoking? If he played with Aretha Franklin like Duane Allman did that would be interesting. A MARTY FRIEDMAN album? WTF? WHO? Dude, a JAY JAY FRENCH tour would blow the doors off of this ridiculous shit.
Exactly. We all have Mike Varney of Guitar Player (Gutter Player?) fame to thank for all these shredders (aka guys who spent their whole lives playing fast to impress youngsters, people who think like young kids and Mike Varney.) Prior to Varney, a guitar player had to be a pretty darn good all around musician to make it. They had to be able to write great songs and come up with great riffs. They had to tour. Thanks to Varney, we (guitar player aficianados) got spoon fed a bunch of crud. He’d put these guys in the studio and tell them to just play fast. He knew his audience. Joe Satriani wasn’t good enough for Varney. His tape was rejected for Varney’s “Spotlight” column. Some arbitor of talent Varney was. Ha ha.
Yngwie would have made it eventually on his own. He didn’t need Varney. Maybe a couple of the other guys would’ve as well. But for better or worse, Varney is the guy that gave us shred. And the poor budding musicians who read the guitar magazines all got bogged down in getting their 32nd note soundalike runs up to 200 bpm. Forget about all else. It’s club and YouTube music.
Anyone have any idea how good long runs of 32nd notes at a high rate of speed sound in a hockey arena with terrible acoustics? How about in a stadium? They sound like crap. But these guys never have to worry about it, cause they rarely, if at all play big places. Like it or not, the arena style of guitar popularized by the 70s and early 1980s bands sounded good in those places. Players had to sustain notes and adjust their styles for all the echo and terrible sound. Shredders get eaten up in those places. I saw a lot of guitarists live in 10,000 seat shreds – oftentimes the faster they were, the worse they sounded.
I meant “sheds” for the last line.
Are you 11 years old? You have no idea what you are talking about. Marty was the original guitarist, along with Jason Becker in Cacophony. Marty has always been a monster guitarist, and I’d rather hear his riffs and leads from the 90’s Megadeth than anything Mustaine has put out in the last decade.
He was not an original. I tuned out after SO FAR….He wasn’t on that either. Chris Poland whom I wrongly stated was dead was the other guitarist. He survived drugs but drummer Gar Samuelson was not so lucky. 1 guy from PEACE SELLS..passed so I was wrong. Sorry.
Such a humble guy Marty is. Sure album will be great, but wow what an ego.
It sounds as though the music is on 33 vinyl played at 45. Slow down Alvin!