Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman was part of what many consider the best and most successful era of the band. Friedman played with the group from 1990 to 2000 appearing on several of their most celebrated records including “Rust In Peace,” “Countdown to Extinction,” “Youthanasia” and “Cryptic Writings.”
After leaving Megadeth, Friedman moved to Japan where he has had a successful solo career spanning a variety of genres. Metal fans had hoped a few live appearances with Megadeth in 2023 might lead to him rejoining the group, but a full-on reunion was never in the cards.
Friedman recently appeared on Kylie Olsson’s “Life In Six Strings” show via YouTube to give viewers a tour of life in Japan. He said of moving there: “I was living, actually, in Arizona. I lived in Arizona, which was just the total normal middle of America — relaxed, kick back, nothing ever changes. Well, that’s what Arizona’s like. So when you come off tour, it’s just very nice. But when you’re not off tour and you’re just living there, it’s like living in a desert. So, then you start to think: what kind of music do I really wanna make? And I really was listening to J-Pop, Japanese music 24-7. And I just knew that I had to be here in Japan if I wanted to actually be in the world of Japanese domestic music. So that was the reason I came.”
Friedman was asked if he felt nervous about moving after his success with Megadeth. “When I left Megadeth, I knew it was time to leave the band,” he said. “I had nothing left to give the band, they had nothing left for me, and it was a good time for that to happen.”
Friedman has previously said that he grew somewhat frustrated with the musical constraints of being in Megadeth, but last year he shared an excerpt from his book, “Dreaming Japanese” (via Rolling Stone), where he highlighted that mounting anxiety and panic attacks also hastened his exit.
Check out Friedman’s full appearance on “Life In Six Strings” below.
