California King

MARTY FRIEDMAN MAKES THE MOST OUT OF HIS TRIP TO LOS ANGELES AS HE PUTS THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A NEW SOLO ALBUM. 

- Greg Renoff

VETERAN SHRED GUITARIST

Marty Friedman’s recent trip to California from his home in Japan was anything but a vacation. Soon after arriving, he was onstage at the venerable Hollywood Bowl playing a smoldering rendition of “Oblivion” by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla with the Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. “We wrote a song together and I had them play it on my last album, Inferno,” Friedman explains. “Working with them was such a joy, so when they found out I was a big fan of Piazzolla, it all just came together. It was fantastic.”

Still, the key item on Friedman’s California agenda was to camp out at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 with renowned engineer Paul Fig (Alice in Chains, Rush, Deftones) to continue work on his forthcoming 2017 solo release for Prosthetic Records. Although the final track listing and title is still to be determined, Friedman promises it will expand upon the sonic power and diversity of his prior release. “The new album’s a way more intense version of Inferno: deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive.”