MARTY FRIEDMAN Announces New Album 'Drama', Shares 'Illumination' Single

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will release his new solo album, "Drama", on May 17 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Recorded in Italy, "Drama" showcases Marty's unique touch, for the first time using both vintage and modern guitars, delivering a pure delight for lovers of music everywhere. From the captivating first single "Illumination", which can be streamed below, to the album's breathtaking "Mirage" and 10 other emotionally charged mini-symphonies, Marty paints atmospheric elements with a modern and exotic flair, promising an unforgettable musical experience.

"Drama" track listing:

01. Illumination
02. Song For An Eternal Child
03. Triumph (Official Version)
04. Thrill City
05. Deep End
06. Dead Of Winter
07. Mirage
08. A Prayer
09. Acapella
10. Tearful Confession
11. Icicles
12. 2 Rebeldes (Dead Of Winter) (Spanish version)
12. Mirage (Guitar Karaoke Version) (bonus track Japan)

Recording lineup:

Marty Friedman - Guitar
Wakazaemon - Bass
Gregg Bissonette - Drums
Mika Maruki - Piano, Keyboard & Synth
Hiyori Okuda - Cello
Miho Chigyo - Violin

Vocals on "Dead Of Winter": Chris Brooks (LIKE A STORM)
Vocals on "2 Rebeldes": Steven Baquero Vargas
Bass on "Mirage": Or Lubianiker
Rhythm guitar on "Thrill City": Naoki Morioka
Keys and synth on "Sanctuary": Takuro Iga
Drums on "Thrill City": Chargeeeeee

During the question-and-answer portion of last November's Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp's "Metalmania III" in Los Angeles, Friedman spoke about his upcoming solo album. He said: "I've got 15 solo albums now, and each time I try to do something new and something I've never done before. I don't want ever to be heard as one of those guys, 'Ah, his early albums were great.' You know what I mean? I used to say that about my favorite guitarists — sadly — and I never wanted that to be said about me. So I'm always challenging myself on new stuff. On this new album that I'm about 70 percent done with, the closest thing I can relate it to is an album I had called 'Scenes' [1992], which I released quite a while ago. It was very dramatic and orchestral, and there was a lot of other type of instruments — violins, cellos and all that type of stuff. So it's more of a dramatic, orchestral concept. But everything that I've learned since that 'Scenes' album has just exponentially grown, so it's a much bigger scale. So if you like that 'Scenes' album at all, I think this one will be right up your alley."

Marty previously talked about his next solo LP in October 2023 in an interview with Chris Akin Presents. At the time, he said: "I've been recording my upcoming album for almost a year now. And it's gonna be finished by the end of the year, and it's gonna come out in the spring of 2024. And boy, it's an ambitious one. But, of course, I say that every time. But every time I have to top the one that was before it, so the task keeps getting more and more insane."

Asked what challenges and motivates him to keep pushing forward with his music, Marty said: "I'm not really so much into trying something that I haven't done for the sake of trying something I haven't done. I'm trying to impress me with something that I've never done before. It's not like I'm gonna suddenly wake up one day and say, 'Okay, I'm gonna be a rapper' or something. I do what I do and I have my musical vision and sound. I just try to do deeper things with it. I try to make more complex emotions, deeper emotions in the music, more interesting, melodic twists and turns, more adventurous things, things that I wasn't deep enough to do last year or two years ago, or five years ago, things that I couldn't hear back then, things that I can only hear because life has given me more experiences since then, and, of course, more musical experiences, and just to consciously be aware of stuff that I've already done and not repeat it. It's a natural challenge that I've been doing forever, and the hardest part is that blank sheet when I just start from zero. It's, like, 'How am I going to top that last thing that I just did? I worked my ass off. I'm completely done. I have nothing left. I've got zero.' And so that's the challenge. But now that I'm about 70, 80 percent done with this new record, I'm pretty confident with it. And I really am looking forward to letting everybody hear it."

In April 2023, Friedman told Justin Hunt of The Entertainment Outlet he "recorded about half" of his upcoming album in the summer of 2022. "I went over to Italy and I recorded about half of an album."

Regarding what fans can expect from his upcoming LP, Marty said: "I think it's gonna please a lot of people who liked my album 'Scenes', one of my earlier albums. It's kind of in that vein, but much more modern. And it's got all the things that I've added to my musical — I don't know how to say it — palette, or what I'm trying to do musically. It's basically a grown-up version of 'Scenes', really, so far. But I haven't finished it. It's taking a long time, but, you know, tender love and care. And it's coming along great."

Friedman went on to say that his early 2023 U.S. tour as the support act for QUEENSRŸCHE was a "perfect" way to inspire him to complete his new album. He explained: "This tour I'm playing really my most aggressive music with my most aggressive band. And that is perfect for my mentality for writing stuff like 'Scenes'. That's how 'Scenes' happened in the first place, because I was touring with MEGADETH like a maniac, and I was playing all this really, really heavy stuff every single night, and now I'm doing the exact same thing with my band. And so what I write is the complete opposite. So it's kind of like a really good creative time. And things are moving along really nice."

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.