Marty

Guitarist Marty Friedman surprised the metal and guitar community with the release of his fine new age-influenced Scenes. On that release, he proved that he wasn't just another shredder, but rather an intelligent and sensitive player with strong compositional skills. With Introduction, Friedman continues to build on this formula, but with more maturity and musical diversity. Themes are not just introduced and abandoned in favor of gratuitous technical noodling, rather the compositions are thoughtfully explored and brought to a natural conclusion. Tracks such as "Arrival" and "Bittersweet" both contain beautiful melodies that would fit perfectly on a movie soundtrack. In fact, the compositions on this session are so good that Mr. Friedman could easily put down his guitar in favor of a pen, as it is his gift of composition that differentiates him from his peers. An unexpected masterpiece in a genre that could use more releases such as this.

Cacophony guitarist Marty Friedman unleashes his virtuosic six-string fury on the excellent Dragon's Kiss, which may be the most definitive sampling of Friedman's talents available. Spiking his supersaturated heavy metal sensibilities with texture, imagination, and a flair for the exotic, Friedman proves to be a distinctive modern metal soloist. This all-instrumental offering marks the end of Friedman's more indulgent, progressive solo artist phase, as he was recruited to join Megadeth's ranks shortly after its release.

Marty Friedman's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is enigmatic, bizarre and downright inspiring. From his groundbreaking beginnings with Cacophony alongside the legendary Jason Becker to his pivotal role in Megadeth with his breathtaking range and unorthodox style, propelling Megadeth to the pinnacle of popularity with his breathtaking range and unorthodox melodic sensibilities, Marty has cemented his status as a unique guitar icon. With "Drama", Marty announces his latest solo album, on which he only slightly revisits the atmospheric elements of his celebrated album "Scenes" from 1992 and elevates them to a modern and exotic collection of extravagant and unmistakably emotional mini-symphonies…

The first set of new solo material from the ex-Megadeth axe-slinger in four years, 2014's Prosthetic Records-issued Inferno was recorded in Los Angeles with Danzig and Children of Bodom engineer Chris Rakestraw. The 12-song collection, which is bookended by the blistering title cut and its equally electrifying reprise, features guest appearances from Canadian rocker Danko Jones, Norwegian jazz musician/Shining frontman Jørgen Munkeby, flamenco-metal duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, Children of Bodom vocalist Alexi Laiho, and Revocation guitarist David Davidson.