Marty Friedman (musician)
| Marty Friedman | |
|---|---|
 Gods of Metal 2009 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Martin Adam Friedman |
| Born | December 8, 1962 |
| Origin | Laurel, MD, United States |
| Genres | Thrash metal, neo-classical metal, speed metal, heavy metal, instrumental rock, progressive rock, enka, j-pop, gagaku, hard rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, Bass |
| Years active | 1982 - present |
| Labels | Avex Trax, Shrapnel |
| Associated acts | Megadeth, Cacophony, Hawaii, Rolly Teranishi, Nami Tamaki, Jason Becker, Nanase Aikawa, Tourniquet, Jet Red, G3, KOTOKO, Sound Horizon |
| Website | Martyfriedman.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Jackson Kelly Marty Friedman Signature Ibanez MFM1 |
|
Marty Friedman (born Martin Adam Friedman, December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, most widely recognized and best known for his tenure as lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted close to ten years. He has resided in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan since 2003, and has[1] hosted his own television programs, Rock Fujiyama and Jukebox English on Japanese television.
Contents |
Early career (1982-1989)
Friedman is a largely self-taught guitarist [2] known for his improvisation and for fusing an Eastern musical feel with Western musical styles, such as neo-classical, thrash metal and later into progressive rock. When playing, Friedman often uses arpeggiated chords and various customized scales. He also occasionally uses sweep picking.
He has a very unorthodox right hand picking technique. The angle in which his hand is clenched goes against the conventional palm mute. He also frequently uses the upstroke as opposed to the downstroke, especially on the high strings (string E and B). These qualities make Friedman's solos unique and hard to duplicate using an alternate picking approach.
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. In 1988, he recorded demos for Jet Red that eventually were released as bonus tracks on the 2009 Jet Red release "Flight Plan".
Megadeth (1990-2000)
When Cacophony broke up in 1989, Friedman auditioned for the thrash metal band Megadeth after a tip from fellow guitarist Jeff Loomis. Friedman eventually auditioned for the spot, but was initially rejected by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine for having multicolored hair. However, after undergoing what Mustaine called "Rock Star 101", Friedman officially joined Megadeth in February 1990.[3] 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, in December 1999 Friedman announced his departure from Megadeth.[3] His last show with them was on January 14, 2000. 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.[4] During Friedman's time in the band, they sold over ten million albums worldwide.[5]
Japanese life
Friedman currently lives in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.[6] 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.[7]
Friedman speaks fluent Japanese.[5] 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, Ken Ayugai (Kenny Guy), Yorimasa Hisatake (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.
He was featured in Jukebox, a television program in which Marty and two Japanese people translate the lyrics of various English songs into understandable Japanese. He makes guest appearances in Japanese shows such as Eigo de Shabera Night and Tamori Club. He started wearing platform shoes since living in Japan.
In February 2010, he made a guest appearance on guitar for the Ramones' song California Sun when CJ Ramone toured Japan.
Recent activity (2001-present)
Friedman appeared on the track "Born of Anger" on the album All That Remains by Fozzy. Friedman is a big fan of The Ramones (to whom he briefly paid tribute in the Arizona based cover band Rocket to Russia [8]) , Black Sabbath, Kiss and Queen (during their early years). He also included the track 'Peace' from the fifth Weezer studio album Make Believe on a list of his 'most listened to' songs on his official website. He has also appeared on Where Moth and Rust Destroy, the latest album of the Christian thrash metal band Tourniquet where he performed all guitar solos except two (which were performed by Bruce Franklin). He has also appeared as a guest on the Firewind album Forged by Fire.
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.
In 2005, Friedman appeared on the soundtrack of the video game Heavy Metal Thunder adapted from the hebimeta-san TV show.
Friedman's 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.
Friedman's "Exhibit A-Live in Europe" CD and "Exhibit B-Live" in Tokyo DVD were released simultaneously in Japan on 8/22 by Avex. The CD and DVD feature different setlists, but with the same band members, Jeremy Colson (Steve Vai, ex-Dali's Dilemma), Ron Jarzombek (Blotted Science, Watchtower, Spastic Ink) and Chris Catero (Razer, ex-Wardog). The artwork was designed by legendary graphic artist Noritaka Sakai, who is responsible for Queen's most successful Japanese editions.
Friedman was interview in the 2008 documentary film Global Metal, in which he showed his perspectives on heavy metal in Japan..
Friedman has collaborated with Mutsuhiko Izumi, a video game composer known for his contributions to Konami's Guitar Freaks & DrumMania series to produce "Model DD8", and "Liverty", two songs featured on Izumi's album "Heaven Inside." A shorter version of "Model DD8" has appeared as the Premium Encore stage of the latest installment of the Guitar Freaks & DrumMania series, "Guitar Freaks V4 & DrumMania V4 Rock×Rock" as of October 28, 2007 in the e-Amusement network.
Friedman also has contributed his voice to a character on the Cartoon Network Adult Swim show Metalocalypse.[9]
Friedman contributed to Luna Sea's Memorial Album with the song "Shine".
Friedman has composed a song Kirei na Senritsu for the anime Maria-sama ga Miteru which was sung by Kotoko in 2007.
Also in 2007, Friedman appeared on the title track of "Living A Sick Dream", the debut album from Scottsdale, Arizona's Age Of Evil.
On March 12, 2008, his eighth solo album, "Future Addict", was released in Japan. The album features reworked, reconstructed, and remade versions of some of Friedman's past songs from his career, as well as three new songs.
Friedman has launched a new J-rock band entitled Lovefixer, with Shinichiro Suzuki on vocals. Lovefixer's first music video is for their song 「夜光」(Luminous).
Friedman has worked with Nana Kitade on some of her recent releases. Nana Kitade is a Japanese pop-punk-"Gothic Lolita" artist, and he has worked with her on a cover of Daisy Chainsaw's "Love Your Money", and he has reworked two of her songs with a heavier sound: "Alice: 潰れたBerry Ver." ("Alice: Smashed Berry Ver.") and "消せない罪: アイスクリーム天ぷらVer." ("Indelible Sin: I Scream Tenpura Ver.") all of which come from her "Berry Berry Singles" release in November 2007. He has also worked on a Nana Kitade side project in April 2008: Ruby Gloom, and the first single's two tracks: "Siren" and "My Treasure."
Friedman has worked with Nami Tamaki, a Japanese technopop singer/dancer. He worked on track #5 "HitchHiker" from her most recent album "Don't Stay," released in April 2008.
Friedman collaborated with Nanase Aikawa to perform as part of Crimson-FANG for the Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World theme song "Circle of Life".
Friedman contributed to the 2009 video game Sonic and the Black Knight, playing lead guitar on the final boss theme, "With Me".
Friedman made his foray into the movie industry in 2008. He played Paul Weinberg, an English language teacher, in Isshin Inudou's 'Gou-Gou datte neko de aru'.[10]
Friedman is becoming increasingly recognized on social networking sites such as YouTube as a look alike to the British comedian and QI panelist Alan Davies, particularly in images where Friedman has shorter hair. Today Friedman has the same hairstyle as he had with Megadeth.
Friedman joined the band Sound Horizon for their new single "Ido e Itaru Mori e Itaru Ido (イドへ至る森へ至るイド)" released on June 16, 2010.
Equipment
Friedman has played a variety of guitars throughout his career. In his days with Cacophony, Friedman played Hurricane guitars, then Carvin guitars, primarily a V220M model. He also used Carvin on his first solo recording, Dragon's Kiss.
When Marty joined Megadeth in 1989, he switched over from Carvin to Jackson Guitars. Primarily, he was responsible for popularizing the now highly acclaimed Jackson Kelly guitar, a sleeker and faster version of the Gibson Explorer Z style shape. The first line of KE1s, which were his signature models, had poplar bodies with maple neck through construction and a single Seymour Duncan JB pickup as well as a Kahler Fine-tuning fixed bridge. Later versions of the KE1 would have a Floyd Rose double locking tremolo in place of the Kahler. He also used other Jacksons, such as the Rhoads and the Roswell Rhoads.
Marty used Gibson and Fender guitars on the Risk tours as well. He used Jackson guitars up until 2000, when he started endorsing Ibanez guitars. He has produced a signature model with Ibanez (based on the Ibanez SZ line of guitars), but this model is as of now only available in Japan and not in the US. In 2009 his contract with Ibanez guitars expired and he is currently an endorser of PRS Guitars.[11]
Pedals
- Boss GS-10
- Boss GT-6
- Boss GT-8
- MAXON Auto Filter
- Tech 21 SansAmp GT-2
- Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
- Boss AC-2 Acoustic Simulator
- Boss DD-5 Digital Delay
Discography
Hawaii
Cacophony
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 |
| June 17, 1997 | Cryptic Writings | 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 | Shrapnel Records |
| 1996 | True Obsessions | Shrapnel Records |
| 2002 | Music For Speeding | MF Music |
| 2006 | Loudspeaker | Avex Trax |
| 2006 | Kick Ass Rock | Phantom |
| 2007 | Exhibit A Live In Europe | Avex Trax |
| 2007 | Exhibit B Live In Japan | Avex Trax |
| 2008 | Future Addict | Avex Trax |
| 2009 | Tokyo Jukebox | Avex Trax |
| 2010 | Bad D.N.A. | Avex Trax |
Notes
- ↑ 蔵出しここだけクロニクル ｜ マーティ・フリードマン (Japanese)
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Megadeth.com, Megadeth.com - History at Megadeth.com; last accessed December 29, 2007.
- ↑ Ultimate-Guitar.com, Marty Friedman: 'I Didn't Think Megadeth Were Aggressive Enough!' at ultimate-guitar.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Martyfriedman.com, Biography of Marty Friedman at Martyfriedman.com; last accessed May 5, 2007.
- ↑ Ex-Megadeath Guitarist is now a Japanophile
- ↑ 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！)
- ↑ BLABBERMOUTH.NET - MARTY FRIEDMAN: Video Footage Of 2002 Ramones Tribute Gig Available
- ↑ ::Marty Friedman Official Website::
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1255872/
- ↑ http://www.guitarworld.com/article/marty_friedman_big_in_japan?page=0%2C2
External links
- Official website
- Official website (Japanese)
- Rock Fujiyama official website (Japanese)
- Lovefixer's official website (Japanese)
| Preceded by Jeff Young |
Megadeth lead guitarist 1990-2000 |
Succeeded by Al Pitrelli |
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Book:Megadeth 
Category:Megadeth 
Portal:Heavy metal 