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MARTY FRIEDMAN reflects on his exit from MEGADETH: “I didn't leave the band on the nicest terms”

03-02-2025

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman once again spoke about why he finally decided to open up about his time with the band — after spending most of the last two decades focusing on his solo career — while writing his autobiography, “Dreaming Japanese”, which came out on December 3, 2024 via Permuted Press. He said: “I lost it big time toward the end of my time with MEGADETH, and I never really talked about this because once I left MEGADETH, I stopped doing interviews about MEGADETH completely and I made it a clause in any contract having to do with a live appearance or anything, it’s, like, ‘You can’t mention MEGADETH in the marquee or in the advertisement or in the headline or anything.’ And I did this for 23 years. But in an autobiography, that’s a big part of my history, so now it’s time to talk about the things that really, really happened in detail and with honesty and with respect to that period of time and respect to the people in the band and the people around the band, talk about our managers and our crew and, of course, the members in the band and my relationships with them.”

He continued: “It’s not gonna make me look good, I’m telling you this right now, when you read it in my book. I didn’t leave the band on the nicest terms and I kind of — I don’t wanna say ‘screwed the band over,’ but it wasn’t a really nice thing that I did. Of course, I had absolutely no choice to do what I did, and you’ll see why, but I feel really bad about the way I left the band and the situation I left them in, and you can see that in the book, why it turned out that way. And there’s no excusing what I did, but it wasn’t gonna happen any other way. Things happen and that’s what happened. So, now you’ll finally read it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”

Marty added: “I think it’s interesting. It’s definitely not something I’m happy about. But, of course, I’m very glad I left the band and I was able to do things that far surpassed my time in the band, and the band has done wonderful things in my absence, so I think everybody wins. But at that period of time, it wasn’t nice for anybody, and I think that’s what makes for interesting reading. So, I think people will — at least they’ll get some closure on it; they’ll know the whys and the whos and all that.”

Asked if the two gigs he played with MEGADETH in 2023 — first at the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan in February of that year and then at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany in August — gave him some personal closure regarding his time with the band, Marty responded: “Yeah. Especially the Budokan show in Japan, that was kind of the one thing that was hanging over… I left the band, it was over and all that, and we all went on to do our own things and have our own great successes, but when you’re in a band, especially MEGADETH at the level that we were at, there’s a bond in there that is in some ways deeper than family, and we all knew, especially myself and (MEGADETH leader) Dave Mustaine, we all knew that the desire to play MEGADETH together, to play Budokan together, that was just something…. It’s like one of those small kid-time dreams, you know what I mean? It was something that meant a lot to us at the time, and even though we went our separate ways, it was one of those unfinished-business type of things. And in the interim I had played Budokan several times in other projects in Japan and by myself and all kinds of different things but not with MEGADETH. And MEGADETH was the first time in my life and in Dave Mustaine‘s life that we actually had our first shot at doing it, and it didn’t come to pass. And so the first time in the first six, seven times I played Budokan, it wasn’t with MEGADETH. So when we both had the chance to play together, it was a big celebration. Getting there is a big deal, and they got there without me. So I was proud of them for doing that, and I was honored to be asked to play there with them. It was a celebration of what I’d done, and also a big celebration of MEGADETH‘s success without me. So I was their biggest supporter and glad to be there. And it was kind of a love letter to the fans and a celebration for us. So it was definite closure. That’s outlined a lot with a lot more personal details in the book, but it was a moment of closure, for sure.”

Marty Friedman has shared the official visualizer for his new single “A Prayer” last month. The track is taken from his latest solo album, “Drama”, which came out last May via Frontiers Music Srl.

Watch “A Prayer” below.

Marty comments on the new single: “‘A Prayer’ was one of the first songs I wrote for ‘Drama’. It is an unapologetic tearjerker, and it set the melancholy tone for the entire album. I always wanted to do a full album of wistful songs like this, but only recently have I developed the ability to put together elaborate arrangements like this that sound deceivingly simple and uplifting.”

Watch “Song For An Eternal Child” below. 

About “Song For An Eternal Child”Marty comments: “The second music video from my album ‘Drama’ reflects on a feeling that resonates deeply with so many of us — the inescapable sense that we’ve never really grown up. The same innocent, wide-eyed child I was years ago, discovering everything about life, is exactly who I still am today, and it seems I’ll always be that way. Directed by Takumi Osera, the minimalistic imagery in this video might even change the way you see yourself. I’m on tour NOW! Tix/VIPs and all info at www.martyfriedman.com.”

Marty Friedman has released the official music video for “Dead Of Winter”, earlier this year.  the second single from his most recent solo album, “Drama”. The track features vocals by Chris Brooks from LIKE A STORM and marks Marty‘s first solo single release featuring a vocalist. The clip for “Dead Of Winter” stars Skylar Erna, Internet personality and daughter of Sully Erna from GODSMACK, and is available below.

Watch “Dead Of Winter” below.

 

About the track, Marty had this to say: “The lyrics of ‘Dead Of Winter’ as well as the story in the video, both sum up the way I would like people to feel about my music in general– something that will be there to uplift you when the times are hardest and give you a tangible jolt of positivity to last until life inevitably smooths out.”

Watch the previously released “Illumination” below.

“Drama” was recorded in Italy. 

Skylar and Sully Erna represent The Scars Foundation, a charity devoted to starting conversations about mental health to raise awareness about the issues facing so many people in our communities today.

With the rise of suicides, bullying, addiction, abuse, and so many other challenges, The Scars Foundation is dedicated to providing resources and tools to educate and empower people on a global level who struggle with these burdens.

“Drama” track listing:
01. Illumination
02. Song For An Eternal Child
03. Triumph (Official Version)
04. Thrill City
05. Deep End
06. Dead Of Winter
07. Mirage
08. A Prayer
09. Acapella
10. Tearful Confession
11. Icicles
12. 2 Rebeldes (Dead Of Winter)(Spanish version)
12. Mirage (Guitar Karaoke Version) (bonus track Japan)

Recording lineup:
Marty Friedman – Guitar
Wakazaemon – Bass
Gregg Bissonette – Drums
Mika Maruki – Piano, Keyboard & Synth
Hiyori Okuda – Cello
Miho Chigyo – Violin

Vocals on “Dead Of Winter”Chris Brooks (LIKE A STORM)
Vocals on “2 Rebeldes”Steven Baquero Vargas
Bass on “Mirage”Or Lubianiker
Rhythm guitar on “Thrill City”Naoki Morioka
Keys and synth on “Sanctuary”Takuro Iga
Drums on “Thrill City”Chargeeeeee

Marty previously talked about his next solo LP in October in an interview with Chris Akin Presents. At the time, he said: “I’ve been recording my upcoming album for almost a year now. And it’s gonna be finished by the end of the year, and it’s gonna come out in the spring of 2024. And boy, it’s an ambitious one. But, of course, I say that every time. But every time I have to top the one that was before it, so the task keeps getting more and more insane. And right now I would say I’m about 75 percent done with that.”

As for some of the other projects he is currently involved with, Marty said: “I’m editing my autobiography, which will come out also next year. And also, I just did the most exhaustive instructional video series for TrueFire — the most exhaustive one they’ve ever done and the most exhaustive one I’ve ever done by far. It’s the deepest dive into just the way I see music, which apparently is not the same as how others see it. Not that it’s better or worse, but it’s just completely different. So for the first time ever, including any of my other instructional things, for the first time ever, I’ve really actually worked hard on it and created this thing. And I did it at the end of the tour, the U.S. tour that I did earlier this year, and now it’s just about finished. [We’re] just putting the last edits on and just about done with that. So, it’s kind of a lot of post-production work at this point.”

Marty‘s latest album, Tokyo Jukebox 3, came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with “Tokyo Jukebox” in 2009, and then “Tokyo Jukebox 2” following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman‘s inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he’s chosen to cover.

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