Three recent albums by pioneering guitarist Marty Friedman – whose groundbreaking work with Megadeth and Cacophony continues to receive international acclaim to this day – will receive North American releases by Prosthetic Records on August 14. Two of the titles – 2010's Bad D.N.A. and 2008's Future Addict – have until this year only been available in Japan, where Friedman now lives, while 2006's acclaimed Loudspeaker, originally released Stateside by Shrapnel Records, will be made available domestically once again. You can head over to the Prosthetic store now to pre-order a bundle consisting of all three titles!
Friedman rose to prominence when he co-founded the revolutionary guitar band Cacophony with his friend Jason Becker. From there, he joined metal legends Megadeth in 1990, who would soon go on to write and record the thrash metal classic Rust In Peace. Throughout his decade-long stint with the iconic group, during which the band sold 10 million albums worldwide, aside from lending his unmistakable "exotic" sound to the band, Friedman co-wrote the music to several notable songs, including the title track to the multi-platinum "Countdown To Extinction," Youthanasia's fierce opening statement "Reckoning Day" and Cryptic Writings' haunting "Trust."
During his tenures with Megadeth and Cacophony, Friedman recorded four solo albums for the seminal guitar label Shrapnel Records. He continued making solo albums after he left Megadeth in 2000, releasing seven – including Music For Speeding, which was released in the U.S. by Steve Vai's Favored Nations in 2003 and supported by an American tour alongside Chris Poland and Alex Skolnick – over the past decade alone. Until now, most of those releases have been unavailable outside of Japan, where Friedman moved in 2003.
In Japan, Friedman became an enigma of sorts: Armed with a fluency in the Japanese language, he left a platinum-selling American band to start from nearly zero to pursue his longtime dream of becoming a unique part of the Japanese domestic music world. That mission was accomplished, for between his solo releases and works with Japanese musicians, Friedman has performed at the largest venues in Asia, including three shows at Budokan, and played on and wrote several Japanese Top 10 hits, including a #1 single in 2011 and a #3 single in 2012.
In Japan, Friedman became an enigma of sorts: Armed with a fluency in the Japanese language, he left a platinum-selling American band to start from nearly zero to pursue his longtime dream of becoming a unique part of the Japanese domestic music world. That mission was accomplished, for between his solo releases and works with Japanese musicians, Friedman has performed at the largest venues in Asia, including three shows at Budokan, and played on and wrote several Japanese Top 10 hits, including a #1 single in 2011 and a #3 single in 2012.
At the same time, Friedman also became a popular Japanese television personality who not only hosted several programs, but was even featured in national ad campaigns for Fanta and Sumitomo Bank. He estimates he has made well over 400 network TV appearances in Japan, including three televised sold-out solo performances with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Although Friedman has focused on his Japanese music career for the past several years, he has recently remained active in the international metal scene by guesting on albums by the likes of Jeff Loomis, Skyharbor and Firewind; by voicing the character of "Mr. Gojira" on Cartoon Network's "Metalocalypse"; and through periodic tours outside of Japan, including a 22-country European trek with his solo band last year. Prosthetic is proud to further reintroduce North American audiences to Friedman – who some say is the best lead guitarist in the history of thrash metal – via his eclectic recent solo releases:
Loudspeaker – Originally released in Japan in 2006 (where it cracked the Top 20) and by Shrapnel in the U.S. in 2007, the album features guest performances by Steve Vai, John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Billy Sheehan (Mr.Big, David Lee Roth), Jeremy Colson (Steve Vai, Billy Idol) and Jens Johansson (Stratovarius, Yngwie Malmsteen). A video for the song "Elixir" can be seen on GUITARWORLD.COM HERE .
Future Addict – An opportunity to introduce Friedman's musical history to the many people in mainstream Japan who knew him only from television, this album was released in Japan in 2008. Not content to just re-release the original versions of his prior work, this album features completely re-worked, reconstructed and re-made versions of songs from Friedman's past, from his first bands Deuce and Hawaii to Cacophony and Megadeth. Four solo originals are also included. Features guest spots by Sheehan, Colson and ex-Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis. A video for "Simple Mystery," featuring vocals by Colson, can be seen exclusively via METAL INJECTION HERE .
Bad D.N.A. – Friedman's self-produced 10th solo album, released in Japan in 2010, was recorded at The Village (Aerosmith, Kiss) in Los Angeles and mastered by Steve Hardy and Shinnosuke Miyazawa (Guns N' Roses, Lady Gaga). A video for the title track can be seen HERE .
"In an era overrun with speed demons, Friedman made himself known with a style that combined Eastern-sounding melodies with straightforward metal aggression...he employed unusual phrasing, wide bends and vibrato, and an incredibly clean picking technique to impart a distinctive edge to runs and solos..." – Guitar World
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