Today, GuitarWorld.com presents an exclusive commentary video — and a new music video — by Marty Friedman.
In the clip, which you can check out below, the former Megadeth guitarist discusses "Inferno," the title track off his upcoming album, which will be released May 27 through Prosthetic Records.
"The music video for 'Inferno' is an homage/parody of one of my fave Japanese TV shows, Zenryokusaka," Friedman says. "It's a weekly five-minute show where the entire premise is absolutely nothing but a girl running up a hill. Each week a different girl and a different hill.
"I'm hooked on this show, and think it is genius in its simplicity and ever-so-slight sexual nature. It took me a while to explain the charm of the show to the video director, but I think toward the end of making our video together, he got it. It's like many things that happen outside the culture you were born in; you either get it and it's fresh or you don't and it's just weird."
Inferno was recorded primarily in Los Angeles with engineer Chris Rakestraw (Danzig, Children of Bodom) and mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth). It features what Friedman recently told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do."
The album includes guest appearances by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho, Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar and Revocation's Dave Davidson. Also included is Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in Cacophony.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
