MARTY FRIEDMAN: Drama (GUITAR HERO): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Marty Friedman has dabbled in so many styles over the course of his career that he has gradually become one of the most interesting guitarists on the dwindling guitar hero scene, without ever really taking center stage. From thrash with Megadeth to J-pop with his "Tokyo Jukebox", the American-turned-Japanese by adoption has put his guitar at the service of his musical desires over a 40-year career that's long overdue for a proper celebration, paying tribute to his unique style and unparalleled touch. This style, which he honed from his early days working alongside his friend Jason Becker in Cacophony, has nevertheless always been imbued with a neoclassical, melody-driven influence, far removed from the sterile experimentation of an often freewheeling Yngwie Malmsteen. For Marty Friedman, the role of a guitarist is to replace the singer and make the listener feel emotions. With his new album, "Drama", he succeeds beyond all expectations, delivering a remarkable instrumental work in every respect.

In its conception and melodic approach, "Drama" in fact continues the work begun with "Scenes" in 1992, with today's means and an impressively subtle and inspired composition. The title track 'Triumph' is reworked, with a new orchestration featuring sublime violin and piano. The piano is used on many tracks, to reinforce the cinematic aspect of the compositions, and allow Marty Friedman to sublimate the melodic richness of his arrangements. Tracks like 'Illumination', 'Song For An Eternal Child', 'Deep End' and 'Mirage' are breathtakingly beautiful, mini symphonies in which every note, every bar, every vibrato is thought out for maximum listening pleasure.

Each track is a melodic lesson for all guitarists, all too often obsessed with technique. Marty Friedman has technique in spades, but it never takes precedence over the essential: the shiver that runs down the listener's spine as he listens to the complex emotions, ceaseless melodic twists and breathtaking melodies of this incredible album. Even on the heaviest tracks ('Thrill City' and its cartoonish, Japanese-inspired melody), even on 'Dead Of Winter' (the only sung track on the album, offered in two versions, one in English, the other in Spanish), the guitarist manages to transcend us with his distinctive way of making his notes sing.

"Drama" is a splendid album that will delight all music lovers, musicians or not, guitarists or not. It's a veritable melodic tour de force, in which Marty Friedman, at the height of his inspiration, follows through on his ideas and gives us goose bumps from start to finish. If you're not normally one for instrumental guitar albums, listen to the magnificent 'Icicles' first. You may well change your mind and be swept away by this exceptional "Drama". - Official website

MARTY FRIEDMAN

DRAMA

FRONTIERS RECORDS

GUITAR HERO