MARTY FRIEDMAN (GUITARIST)

'Marty Friedman' (born 'Martin Adam Friedman' December 8, 1962 in Washington, D.C., United States) is an American guitarist. He is perhaps best known as the lead guitarist for the thrash metal band Megadeth for close to ten years. He now resides in Japan. His ex-wife (Chihiro) is Japanese. He hosted his own television programs, ''Rock Fujiyama'' and ''Jukebox English'' on Japanese television.

Contents

Career

Megadeth

Japanese life

Recent activity

Discography

Megadeth

Solo

Notes

External links

Career

Friedman is a largely self-taught guitarist, known for his improvisation and for fusing an Eastern musical feel with Western musical styles, such as neo-classical, thrash metal and later on into progressive rock. Going beyond traditional scales, Friedman often arpeggiates the chords over which he plays, using an unconventional picking technique favoring up-strokes. He is also known for frequent use of melodic and wide vibrato.
Prior to joining Megadeth, he formed and played lead guitar in several other bands, including Deuce, Hawaii, Vixen (not the all-female band of the same name), and notably Cacophony. Cacophony featured neoclassical metal elements and synchronized twin guitar harmonies and counterpoints shared with guitarist Jason Becker on their two albums, ''Go Off!'' and ''Speed Metal Symphony''.

Megadeth

After Cacophony broke up in 1989, Marty Friedman auditioned for the thrash metal band Megadeth after a tip from fellow guitarist Jeff Loomis, and joined them in February 1990.^[1] Friedman's audition can be seen as an easter egg on the Megadeth DVD Arsenal of Megadeth. The first album he recorded with them was ''Rust in Peace'', now considered a classic thrash metal album, and sold platinum in the US. He further developed his style of playing exotic scale solos from the Cacophony era, and integrated it into the music of Megadeth. In July 1992, Megadeth released ''Countdown to Extinction'', which was a more commercial album, aimed at a wider audience, and sold double platinum. Friedman played on Megadeth's further releases ''Youthanasia'' (1994), ''Cryptic Writings'' (1997), ''Risk'' (1999). After a total of five studio albums with Megadeth, Friedman left the band in December 1999.^[1] Later, he stated that he got tired of playing metal music and felt that he couldn't develop as a musician. In an interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com in March 2007, he claimed that Megadeth was not aggressive enough.^[3] During Friedman's time in the band, they sold over ten million albums worldwide,^[4] and the Megadeth lineup including Friedman is widely recognized as the classic one by its fans.

Japanese life

Currently living in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, he travels the world giving clinics, performances and master classes in dozens of countries in Asia, Europe, and North America, and South America. He has become a major force in the Japanese music scene, playing lead guitar in the bands of some of the country's most famous performers. He also appears on Japanese television and as a columnist for a major Japanese music magazine and a national daily newspaper.^[5]
Friedman speaks fluent Japanese.^[4] He became a regular member of the cast of TXN's musical TV program ''hebimeta-san'' (ヘビメタさん) (anglicized as "Mr. Heavy-Metal") with Japanese idol Yoko Kumada before the show came to an end in 2005. He had his own heavy metal TV program called ''Rock Fujiyama'' alongside Shelly, Kenny Guy, Rock Ninja Yorimasa and ex-Scanch member, Rolly Teranishi from April 2006 until March 2007. In November~December 2005 he went touring with Japanese singer Ami Suzuki inside her "Suzuki Ami Around the World" Live House Tour, which took place in cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Marty has played the guitar in support for Japanese musicians such as Nanase Aikawa, miyavi and ex-Pierrot Kirito.
More recently, Marty has been featured in Jukebox, a television program in which Marty and two Japanese people translate the lyrics of various English songs into understandable Japanese.

Recent activity

Friedman appeared on the track "Born Of Anger" on the album ''All That Remains'' by Fozzy. Friedman is a big fan of The Ramones, Kiss (during its early years) and Frank Marino. He has also appeared on ''Where Moth and Rust Destroy'', the latest album of the Christian thrash metal band Tourniquet. He has also appeared as a guest on the Firewind album Forged by Fire.
He is currently using an Ibanez MFM1, his signature model. Its appearance is very similar to an SZ model. He uses ENGL amps and different Boss effects.^[7]
In 2004 Friedman joined psychedelic trance musician Takeomi Matsuura (known by the alias Zeta) as a guitarist. Their full-length debut album was released January 4 2007, also titled ''Zeta'', and included remixes by psychedelic trance musicians such as Astrix and Rinkadink.
Friedman's latest album, ''Loudspeaker'', was released in Japan on June 26, 2006. It entered the Japanese national chart at #33. This marks the first Top 40 chart position for any of his solo albums.
Marty`s "Exhibit A-Live in Europe" CD and "Exhibit B-Live" in Tokyo DVD and are currently being mixed in Tokyo. They will be released simultaneously in Japan on 8/22 by Avex. These feature different setlists, but with the same band members, Jeremy Colson, Ron Jarzombek and Chris Catero.
The artwork is being designed by legendary graphic artist Noritaka Sakai, who is responsible for Queen`s most most successful Japanese editions.

Discography

★ Hawaii discography

★ Cacophony discography

Megadeth

'Date of Release'	'Title'	'Label'
September 24, 1990	''Rust in Peace''	Capitol Records
July 14, 1992	''Countdown to Extinction''	Capitol Records
October 31, 1994	''Youthanasia''	Capitol Records
July 18, 1995	''Hidden Treasures'' (EP)	Capitol Records
June 17, 1997	''Cryptic Writings''	Capitol Records
November 1998	''Cryptic Sounds - No Voices in Your Head'' (EP)	Capitol Records
August 31, 1999	''Risk''	Capitol Records

Solo

'Date of Release'	'Title'	'Label'
1988	''Dragon's Kiss''	Shrapnel Records
1992	''Scenes''	Shrapnel Records
1995	''Introduction''	Roadrunner Records
1996	''True Obsessions''	Shrapnel Records
2003	''Music For Speeding''	Favored Nations
2006	''Loudspeaker''	Avex Trax

Notes

1. Megadeth.com, ''Megadeth Timeline'' at Megadeth.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
2. Megadeth.com, ''Megadeth Timeline'' at Megadeth.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
3. Ultimate-Guitar.com, ''Marty Friedman: 'I Didn't Think Megadeth Were Aggressive Enough!' '' at ultimate-guitar.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
4. Martyfriedman.com, ''BIOGRAPHY of Marty Friedman'' at Martyfriedman.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
5. J-POPメタル斬り He writes columns about J-pop music in Japanese monthly magazine Nikkei Entertainment (日経エンタテインメント！)
6. Martyfriedman.com, ''BIOGRAPHY of Marty Friedman'' at Martyfriedman.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
7. Martyfriedman.com, ''Marty Friedman Official Website'' at Martyfriedman.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.

External links

★ Official website

★ Official website

★ All Music Guide Entry for Friedman

★ Rock Fujiyama official website

★ Marty Zone (the original Marty website)

★ Marty Friedman vs Paul Gilbert "Shred-off" video