One bad m.f.

DATING BACK TO his days alongside Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman has been searching. As for what he’s searching for, that’s another matter, as the target he’s firing at is perpetually moving. But that’s not a bad thing, and it’s by design, as when it comes to the new music he’s creating, Friedman is as exacting as it gets.

“I spend a lot of time, money and energy on [recorded music],” Friedman says. “I’m [of the mindset that] I must look back on the music I create and know I love it. So, it doesn’t matter how much achievement I feel from that music; I’ll start from scratch if I need to. It’s not hard to feel satisfied or feel like you’ve achieved something — but it is hard to be honest with yourself and truly get it right.”

Of course, “getting it right” is a phrase that lives within the shadowy areas of Friedman’s mind, a place that spouts melodic brilliance, far-flung solos and mutant creativity. To that end, Friedman is busy doing his thing on “Meteor Shower,” which comes from Fusion Syndicate’s — a heavy metal, hard rock and jazz fusion project featuring keyboardist Brian Auger, bassist Jah Wobble, guitarist Robby Krieger and more — third record, and second of 2023, Beautiful Horizon.

But Friedman is his notoriously evasive self when asked about it, saying, “It’s funny because I don’t know much about it, other than the fact that they asked me to play on ‘Meteor Shower,’ and that I enjoyed doing it. It was a change of pace, but I should probably know more about the project overall.” [Laughs] Regardless, Friedman’s fusion licks are as ferocious as his typical metal leanings, making us wonder if Friedman was as in the dark. “There’s got to be a reason to have me on the project — [other than just having] someone else on the project,” he says. “I try to assess what should go in there by asking myself, ‘Why would they choose me for this?’ Whatever that is will be what I try to add.”

As for what’s next, Friedman is working on his yet-to-be-named 15th solo album, and he may or may not end up on stage with Mustaine again, too. But that has yet to come to fruition, and the shape and scope is subject to change. That’s the world Friedman lives in since jettisoning himself from the mainstream.

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