MARTY FRIEDMAN: 'I Knew I Wanted To Make The Most Aggressive Album Of My Career'

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman recently gave an interview to his official web site regarding his recent and upcoming activities. A few excerpts from the question-and-answer session follow:

Q: Was there a main concept or theme in making the ["Loudspeaker"] album?

Marty: "If anything, I knew I wanted to make the most aggressive album of my career so far. Ever since I came to Japan, I have been doing such an insane variety of things, and believe me I have enjoyed everything thoroughly. By playing with techno pop stars and doing mainstream TV all the time I'm sure that I have confused more than a few of my fans who have supported me for a long time. I think a lot of them realize that there are a lot of things I wanna do, but really wish that I would come out with an album of what I'm most known for. That was the only real concept I focused on for 'Loudspeaker'."

Q: That's what the album sounds like to me, but I think you have really surprised a lot of people with an album like this. There are a lot of fans who think that you are into pop now and that's it. When did you record this album?

Marty: "I am into pop! I just love music, period. I have my own taste in music and it is probably a bit weird too. I just happen to have a ton of music in my system that I need to play. What I find fun and challenging in music is the pushing the extremes. I recorded 'Loudspeaker' over 14 months a little at a time, while doing all the other things I do. So, for example, one day I may be playing a dance pop tune live with AMI SUZUKI, then the next day writing and producing a ballad for CLAIR, then the next day playing a Japanese Enka song on TV then the next day I would go into the studio for 'Loudspeaker' and work on a sick heavy track like 'Stigmata/Addiction'."

Q: What I like about the album is that it doesn't show that pop side of you at all, it's pure heavy all the way.

Marty: "I'm glad you like it, but that's where you are a bit wrong, I have to say. Doing a wide variety of mainstream music and working with the top producers, writers and artists has given me a great insight on how to make heavy music more exciting and powerful. I've learned that even though a genre may be different, being influenced by people who are top class in their field can rub off in a big way on whatever you do. If you want to get technical, some of the song structures, key changes and modulations on the record are very pop, or J-pop in nature. It's just that I may be playing at warp speed or detuned to low B or soaking in distortion so there is little chance that one would hear the record and think it's poppy. I feel like it's like when the metal meets well thought out structures it becomes more powerful."

Q: Come to think of it, you are the only artist to truly do a metal instrumental record. I mean, you have some great guests like Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Billy Sheehan on "Loudspeaker" and we all know how great they are but they really aren't known for metal. When they do their instrumental albums, it's more progressive than anything else. I guess for a lot of their fans, this is the first time to hear those guys in a full-metal context. How was it working with them?

Marty: "I've been lucky enough to make some good friends who play fantastic. They all were very cooperative and seemed to enjoy doing their parts very much. For me it was a big experiment, I wanted to get these guys to play the most aggressive way they could because as a fan I really wanted to hear them in a full metal context like you say. They tore right through it and were so easy to work with. When John came into the studio, it reminded me of jamming with Jason Becker."

Q: In what way?

Marty: "John would come up with a phrase, I would love it but suggest changing a few notes. John would make the change, but then change it again to make it even cooler than I thought it would be. That would inspire me to tweak it once again, then he would get another idea and the whole thing would keep snowballing until we finally get this insane solo. Then we kinda have to stop because there would be no end to the constant friendly one-upmanship. CACOPHONY was like that too."

Q: Are you competitive when it comes to other guitar players?

Marty: "Not in the slightest. I find that whenever I'm around a good player, I just want to absorb any knowledge I can from them, while at the same time show them some of my stuff and explain it if asked."

Q: Tell us about the album cover. You and I have had a few good laughs about your past album covers! What was different this time?

Marty: "My longtime fans know I have had some damn shitty album covers over my career! Anytime I do an autograph signing, without fail someone shows up with a HAWAII album and it's all over! CACOPHONY was not much better either. What can I tell you? Actually some of my solo album covers barely squeak by the OK meter in my opinion. Just barely. I actually liked the 'Music for Speeding' cover but even then a lot of people didn't think much of it. Up until now my favorite album cover of my career was 'Youthanasia'. That was an awesome cover!"

Q: "Loudspeaker" has a very cool cover, in my opinion, What did you do different this time!?

Marty: "This time I had a concept of what I wanted, I knew who I wanted involved, and challenged all of them to make something that they could be really proud of. I am extremely happy with this cover, finally!"

Read the entire interview at MartyFriedman.com.