Speaking with Guitar World, guitar legend Marty Friedman reflected on his early days with Shrapnel Records, his recent on-stage reunion with Megadeth in Tokyo, his current tour supporting Queensryche, and more. Following is an excerpt from the interview.
Guitar World: What was most challenging about getting on stage again with Megadeth?
Friedman: "It was less challenging and more like that innocent and pleasant anxious feeling you might get when getting ready to go out with a drop-dead stunner. If there was any challenge at all, I guess it would be playing the solos the way the fans remember them, which is something I wanted to do. My playing has evolved so much since those songs came out, and there are so many nuances I would naturally do differently now. I had to resist the urge to play it like I would in 2023 and stick to the original way. For example, in a couple of those songs, I entered the solo on the downbeat, with the first note being the root of the chord. I would definitely avoid both of those things now, but apparently, I was fine with it back then!"
Guitar World: How did you approach the songs from a lead perspective, given that Kiko Loureiro was on stage as well?
Friedman: "Kiko was kind enough to mirror Dave's parts, so for me, it was very much like it was when I was in the band, only with the rhythms in stereo. He did come up with some neat harmonies to some of my lines in 'Countdown To Extinction'."
Guitar World: How do you compare your style to Kiko's, and how do they complement each other?
Friedman: "I'm not so great at comparing guitarists, but I can tell you that Kiko is a wonderful player with a wide variety of brilliant techniques and an incredibly versatile musical sense under his belt. I think he brings something fantastic and important to the band. I think we both have an interest in 'gypsy' motifs in common, but we construct melodies in a different way. I like his playing a lot."
Read the complete interview here.
For the first time in more than 23 years, Friedman joined Megadeth on stage as the special guest for a one-off global livestream from the legendary Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Friedman joined the for three songs, "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction". Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"Hangar 18"
"Dread And The Fugitive Mind"
"The Threat Is Real"
"Angry Again"
"Soldier On!"
"Sweating Bullets"
"Trust"
"Conquer Or Die!"
"Dystopia"
"À Tout Le Monde"
"Countdown To Extinction" (with Marty Friedman)
"Tornado Of Souls" (with Marty Friedman)
"Symphony Of Destruction" (with Marty Friedman)
"We'll Be Back"
"Peace Sells"
Encore:
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
