Megadeth's Kiko Loureiro and Marty Friedman team up on new instrumental, Imminent Threat
The shred-tastic track hails from Loureiro’s forthcoming solo album, Open Source
If you had to pick an electric guitar player that Megadeth’s Kiko Loureiro would be unlikely to collaborate with on a song, Marty Friedman – who has had a tumultuous relationship with Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine since leaving the band at the end of the ‘90s – would probably land near the top of that list.
And yet, Loureiro has just released a new solo track, Imminent Threat, with a guest appearance from none other than Friedman.
"For the last five years, I've always been compared to Marty Friedman, and Marty Friedman is a great musician – not only a great guitar player but an amazing musician,” Loureiro said.
“And I'm a big fan of his solo work and Cacophony and, of course, other Megadeth years, and I had a chance to meet him two times and have great conversations about music and about life with him.
"I have some guest musicians, guest guitarists on my new album, and guess what? Marty Friedman is one of them.
"I'm so happy to have Marty Friedman. He did, of course, an amazing solo on one of my songs. So, thank you, Marty."
Imminent Threat is the second single from Loureiro’s forthcoming fifth solo album, Open Source.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Recently, Loureiro also posted his original audition tapes for Megadeth, showing him tackling Friedman songs like Holy Wars, Trust and Hangar 18 – one day after first learning how to play them.
For more information on Open Source, head to Loureiro's Indiegogo page.
Marty Friedman, meanwhile, was most recently spotted shredding up the fretboard in a demo for Fender's Japan-exclusive - and thoroughly desirable - Modern Series Telecaster.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
“You can only imagine the effect this had on the young Keith Richards and Eric Clapton”: 9 must-hear albums that fueled the British blues guitar boom
“We’ve made something really unique and special”: Thin Lizzy to release first new record in over 40 years – featuring brand new guitar parts from founding member Eric Bell and unheard Phil Lynott vocals