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Act of Defiance Master Guitarist Chris Broderick Talks New Album And Guitar Line

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By Andrew Catania

Chrіѕtорhеr Alаn “Chrіѕ” Brоdеrісk іѕ аn Amеrісаn muѕісіаn, bеѕt knоwn as thе former lead аnd rhуthm guіtаrіѕt оf thе Amеrісаn hеаvу mеtаl bаnd Megadeth. He іѕ аlѕо fоrmеrlу thе lеаd guіtаrіѕt аnd kеуbоаrdіѕt fоr Jаg Pаnzеr, арреаrіng оn fоur оf Jаg Pаnzеr’ѕ albums Thе Agе оf Mаѕtеrу, Thаnе tо thе Thrоnе (а соnсерt аlbum аbоut Shаkеѕреаrе’ѕ Macbeth), Mесhаnіzеd Wаrfаrе and Cаѕtіng the Stones before mоvіng оn tо Mеgаdеth, rерlасіng Glеn Drоvеr.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

Bеfоrе jоіnіng Mеgаdеth аnd whіlе ѕtіll іn Jаg Pаnzеr, Chrіѕ Brоdеrісk wаѕ аlѕо a tоurіng guіtаrіѕt fоr Nevermore bеtwееn 2001 аnd 2003 аnd thеn аgаіn bеtwееn 2006 аnd 2007, hе іѕ nоw thе Lеаd Guіtаrіѕt fоr Aсt оf Dеfіаnсе, whісh hе formed wіth fellow еx-Mеgаdеth bаndmаtе, Shаwn Drоvеr.

In lаtе 2007, rumоrѕ hаd bееn сіrсulаtіng thаt Mеgаdеth guіtаrіѕt Glеn Drоvеr hаd lеft thе band. Thіѕ wаѕ рrоvеd tо bе truе аftеr statements rеlеаѕеd frоm bоth Glеn аnd Mеgаdеth frоntmаn Dаvе Muѕtаіnе. Thе nіght аftеr thе ѕtаtеmеntѕ wаѕ rеlеаѕеd, Mеgаdеth drummer Shаwn Drоvеr brоught uр Chrіѕ аѕ a роѕѕіblе rерlасеmеnt. Shаwn thеn ѕhоwеd Dаvе a video оf Chrіѕ Brоdеrісk рlауіng both сlаѕѕісаl аnd еlесtrіс guіtаr. Dave wаѕ іmmеdіаtеlу wоn over аnd ѕооn managed tо gеt іn соntасt wіth Chrіѕ. Twо wееkѕ lаtеr, Broderick hаѕ officially dесlаrеd thе nеw guіtаrіѕt fоr Mеgаdеth.

Photo By Stephanie Cabral

Chrіѕ Brоdеrісk mаdе hіѕ lіvе dеbut wіth thе bаnd оn Fеbruаrу 4, 2008, іn Fіnlаnd аnd tоurеd wіth thеm оn Gіgаntоur 2008 аnd аlѕо rесоrdеd guіtаr раrtѕ fоr thеіr 12th аlbum Endgаmе thru thеіr 14th аlbum, Suреr Cоllіdеr. Duе tо еxtеnѕіvе tоurіng with Mеgаdеth hе wаѕ nо lоngеr bе аblе tо соllаbоrаtе wіth Jаg Pаnzеr аnd Nеvеrmоrе. Dаvе Muѕtаіnе ѕаіd thаt whеn hе partnered uр with Brоdеrісk, hе ѕаіd thаt іt rеmіndеd hіm оf whеn “Ozzy Oѕbоurnе mеt Rаndу Rhоаdѕ.” On March 8, 2009, Dаvе commented thаt hе thоught Chrіѕ wаѕ the grеаtеѕt guіtаrіѕt Mеgаdеth hаѕ еvеr hаd. In thе thеn-сurrеnt lіnеuр оf thе bаnd, hе was thе уоungеѕt mеmbеr іn Mеgаdеth. Chrіѕ Brоdеrісk said іn аn interview wіth Tоtаl Guіtаr hе wоuld stay wіth Mеgаdеth аѕ lоng аѕ they were hарру tо hаvе hіm.

On Nоvеmbеr 25, 2014, Chrіѕ Brоdеrісk роѕtеd a mеѕѕаgе оn hіѕ wеbѕіtе ѕауіng hе wаѕ раrtіng wауѕ with Mеgаdеth. “Due tо аrtіѕtіс аnd muѕісаl dіffеrеnсеѕ, it іѕ wіth grеаt rеluсtаnсе thаt I аnnоunсе mу dераrturе from Mеgаdеth to рurѕuе mу оwn muѕісаl dіrесtіоn. I wаnt аll оf you tо knоw hоw muсh I аррrесіаtе thе аmоunt thаt you thе fans hаvе ассерtеd аnd respected mе аѕ a mеmbеr of Mеgаdеth fоr thе lаѕt ѕеvеn уеаrѕ, but іt іѕ tіmе fоr me tо mоvе оn. I wіѕh Dave аnd еvеrуоnе іn Mеgаdеth аll thе bеѕt. I аm wоrkіng оn a fеw thіngѕ оf my оwn аnd hоре thаt whеn they come out, уоu wіll аll dіg іt.”

We spoke with Chris about Act of Defiance’s new album, Old Scars, New Wounds.

Did you guys do anything differently this time around vers your debut album?

CB: Not so much. There were a few things that were mildly different but I think the two of the most significant differences were the one that we had time to go back all of us and listen to what we had worked on creatively and collectively and go back and come back with ideas of editing and format and structure.  so we had more time to go back and forth and do that.

And then secondly Matt and Henry were able to do more writing. On Birth and the Burial,  Matt didn’t get any writing on the CD because he was so late to the game.  On Old Scar, New Wounds, he has credit for three songs. It was those big differences.  It was much more collaborative.   The last album it is was all right we’ve got to get this written, form the band at the same time and get this out within four months.  Shawn and I were scrambling the whole way forming the band getting things set up trying to get a record deal because you find out when you just form a band it’s not like OK now we’ve got a record deal.  We’ve got to go out and shop and try and get interested in. So we were doing all of that. The last album. And so everything was under the gun and pressure, and this time it was just as much more hey we’re a cohesive band, and we write that way. And that’s the biggest difference

When it came time to shop Birth of a Burial to the labels, who was interested? 

CB: Yeah, there were a few others that were interested. I have my preference and Metal Blade was it.  I’ve known Brian and I know how he works with those bands. If you look at it like the turnover rate of the artist and you look at the turnover rate within his company itself they’re very loyal there, and they’re very fair they’re very level headed to work with. And so I think that speaks for itself  I knew that my preference would be towards Metal Blade but we did entertain other offers as well.

When you recorded Birth and the Burial, you didn’t have long to record.  How long did you have to record Old Scars, New Wounds?

CB: Well from inception the band which was sometime in December to the product being turned in was the first of May. I think or yeah. So from that time, we went from nothing to having a CD on a label recorded with a band formed. So that was the major difference we probably took about the same amount of time to record this CD. But we didn’t have those other issues. We have our band we have our label. We had copyright material. You know what I mean. Yeah. So there was a lot more in place this time around. So it’s great.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

How was it working with Dave Otero? 

CB: It was incredible.  I was very impressed right from the get-go. The one thing that turned me onto him as I remember when Birth and the Burial came out.  I was listening to the Devil’s Dozen on Sirius, and there was another band that was on the Sirius Devil’s Dozen at the same time, and that was a Cattle Decapitation, and I would just remember going wow that sounds impressive. I was impressed with that mix. And I didn’t think about it much of the time I thought we had a great mix on our CD as well.  I remember noting that I liked their mix and so you know time goes on this CD comes up and you know we were planning to work with Zeuss again, but he had potential conflicts timing conflicts, so we had to find a backup in case he couldn’t make it. And through finding out and talking about Dave Otero and all the great recommendations we just thought that he was the better fit for us and just to go with him. He was awesome in the sense that not only does he have a great ear for a great mix and things of that nature but also he’s very open to letting you be a part of the mix. Like the way he went about it was a very accommodating and that’s not something you always get from an engineer you get engineers that a lot of them will be like listen I don’t want anybody else in the room when I’m mixing I don’t want you to know there’s no you get what I give you kind of thing, and that was definitely not a Dave at all. He was very accommodating, and he took our ideas and not only did he implement them, but he made them better.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

Do all members of the band equally contribute to the writing?

CB: We all present ideas and then it’s just looking at what songs are looking like the best candidates for the CD. We wrote 12 songs, and we put 11 on this CD, so we do have an extra one that I think we’re going to hold out for an import or something of that nature. It’s funny because I’m in a band full of guitarists really because even Shawn is is a guitarist that is in a way, so it’s funny.  Everybody writes and everybody can write a great vocal line and great melody and the cool thing is the diversity that you get from just having individuals that can do that.   I think no matter what your writing style is you always have preferences as an individual and you can’t escape those preferences. And therefore when I write a song I might like my melody to do this kind of thing it’s kind of a line where you know it ascends here and descends there.  I’m making up fictional circumstances. Matt might like the opposite. He might want his vocal line so that in itself creates variation even if it’s the same style of song.  To me you can’t you can’t beat that kind of a combination.

Do you have one song on this record that is your personal favorite? 

CB: Yeah, I do. But I think again that subject to change over time. And the reasons why I like certain songs are different for liking other songs. Right now I like the Rise of Rebellion the final song on the CD. That’s because it’s got a lot of guitar shredding on it.  It’s got to raise your fist in the air kind of vibe to it. I love those kinds of songs.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

How did you evolve from the first and second album has had this album? Why did you expand your playing with your fingers tapping in all your different styles?  

CB: Absolutely. It was on my mind before we even started writing for the album. I was like I need to write down all of the different technical styles that I want to try and incorporate in this CD and work out exercises and get things ready and have some ideas and that honestly never ended up happening.  It must have been in the back of my mind when I was writing because  I ended up working out some cool amalgamation of styles and just incorporating things that I’ve never done before. The solo and misinformation age for one-second solo, so I’m using almost like a right-hand classical guitar technique with Octave dispersed arpeggios and sliding in and out of them building a melody line between the upper and the lower almost kind of like counterpoint between the upper and lower voices. And that’s something I’ve never done before, and it requires more than just an individual free finger on your right hand. It requires three fingers that are individual to be able to play it well. I mean I’m not sure, I’ve never tried it any other way, but that’s what I would imagine being the case.

With your Patented fingerpick, how does that help you with your style of playing? 

CB:  Absolutely. So for example for that riff because I needed both my thumb index and middle finger and to be able to execute three notes at a time at a swift succession actually and next to each other. So it allows me to open up my hand like that so I can use those three individual fingers and still have the pick on my thumb. And then at the same time when I go into two-handed tapping stuff that keeps the pic attached to my thumb while I tap out multi-finger notes with the right hand.  I’ve started working on what I call my pick clip 2.0, and it’s a newer version.

it’s a little less this than the original, and the original one holds the pitch so tightly to your thumb that I think it is. It doesn’t allow for string loading what I call string loading where the pick will kind of flex in your grip a little bit and then kind of flick to the other side of the string. So this the new pickup allows that to happen. And to me makes alternate picking and things of that nature much more tonefull and you know just better to execute

What size picks are you using? 

I use any anywhere from a 1.4 to 1.14 in there’s typically where I kind of mess around with but it would depend on materials and stuff like that. Right now I’m using InTune Guitar picks and their jumbo jazz.

Do you have anything coming out for NAMM 2018? 

So this NAMM show I will be releasing my Jackson Proline Hardtail version of my signature series Jackson guitars. That’s because of a huge demand for a hardtail version of my signature guitar and at an affordable level. And I just got the prototypes back. The last couple of weeks I’ve been testing them out, and they’re awesome.

Alex Hess Photography

Please see my review of Old Scars, New Wounds!

Act of Defiance – Old Scars, New Wounds: A Near Masterpiece

Pre-Order  Old Scars, New Wounds here out on 9/29:

http://metalblade.com/actofdefiance/

Please follow Chris Broderick and Act of Defiance @

http://www.chrisbroderick.com/

Act of Defiance line-up:
Chris Broderick – guitar
Henry Derek – vocals
Shawn Drover – drums
Matt Bachand – bass

Act of Defiance online:
https://www.facebook.com/actofdefiancemusic
https://instagram.com/actofdefiance
https://twitter.com/actofdefiance1
https://twitter.com/chris_broderick
https://twitter.com/shawndrover
https://twitter.com/mattowsfall
https://twitter.com/totheboyelis

Act of Defiance – Old Scars, New Wounds: A Near Masterpiece

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By Andrew Catania

I’ve been waiting patiently for Act of Defiance’s sophomore release, Old Scars, New Wounds.  As soon as you hit play, this record rocks from the first beat to the last.

When the Dave Mustaine regime was calling up his musicians to start recording what would eventually be “Dystopia,” Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick knew that it was time to move on.  They wanted to express their creativity and write their music instead of being told what to play by King Mustaine.  When Act of Defiance was formed, they went from inception, having no record deal, to recording Birth and the Burial and handing in the master to Metal Blade Records in six months.  This time around, they didn’t have those issues to deal with.

Producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon) guided Act of Defiance to a near-perfect sophomore effort.  The album opens up with “M.I.A.” where Broderick’s blazing riffs take you through this song taking issue with fake news.  “Molten Core” is a Slayer-ish mosh pit song.  We have acoustic guitar parts in “The Talisman.”  Old Scars, New Wounds gets heavier with each song.

Henry Derek’s vocals fit this album perfectly.  Shawn Drover’s drumming is incredible.  Matt Bachand’s bass is mixed elegantly as Chris Broderick’s outstanding guitar playing, tapping, and riffs make this one kick ass album! This was a total band effort, and you can hear it in the music.  Mark my words, Act of Defiance will be picked up for a tour with a huge band (Slayer comes to mind).  This record is a near masterpiece! Broderick kicks some major ass!

Rating 9.5/10 A must-have for every metalhead and guitar junky!

TRACK LISTING
M.I.A.
Molten Core
Overexposure
The Talisman
Lullaby Of Vengeance
Circle Of Ashes
Reborn
Conspiracy Of The Gods
Another Killing Spree
Broken Dialect
Rise Of Rebellion

Pre-Order today!

http://www.metalblade.com/actofdefiance/

Release Date:  September 29, 2017
Label:  Metal Blade Records
Act of Defiance online:
https://www.facebook.com/actofdefiancemusic
https://instagram.com/actofdefiance
https://twitter.com/actofdefiance1
https://twitter.com/chris_broderick
https://twitter.com/shawndrover
https://twitter.com/mattowsfall
https://twitter.com/totheboyelis

Act Of Defiance Launches Video For New Track, “Overexposure”

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Act Of Defiance – the heavy metal group featuring the veteran talents of Chris Broderick on guitar, Henry Derek on vocals, Shawn Drover on drums and Matt Bachand on bass – will return with their new album, Old Scars, New Wounds, on September 29th via Metal Blade Records. After slamming back into the metalscape with their first video/single “M.I.A.”, Act Of Defiance is back today with a second new music video/track, “Overexposure“. Directed by Vince Edwards, the melodic scorcher is backed with fast-paced imagery of the band members in their finest form – churning out a precise metal assault!

Act of Defiance is what Arch Enemy should be releasing.  Great songs, incredible riffs, awesome singer all mixed together.  AE has the person to do it, Jeff Loomis.  Chris Broderick and the guys are operating on all cylinders!  Crank this up! 

Act of Defiance line-up:
Chris Broderick – guitar
Henry Derek – vocals
Shawn Drover – drums
Matt Bachand – bass

Act of Defiance online:
https://www.facebook.com/actofdefiancemusic
https://instagram.com/actofdefiance
https://twitter.com/actofdefiance1ch
https://twitter.com/chris_broderick
https://twitter.com/shawndrover
https://twitter.com/mattowsfall
https://twitter.com/totheboyelis

Chris Broderick’s Act Of Defiance’s New Album Old Scars, New Wounds Out On September 29

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With their 2015 debut Birth And The Burial, Act Of Defiance delivered a blast of pure and unadulterated metal that ignored fads and hit home hard. Returning with the crushing Old Scars, New Wounds, they have only upped the stakes. “Act Of Defiance is built around the idea of writing and composing the way we want without any other influences on the music, and if people don’t like it, that’s fine,” guitarist Chris Broderick states plainly. Drummer Shawn Drover agrees. “We don’t write to please a particular musical demographic or try to sound like another popular band at the moment. We just write how we write and formulate heavy metal songs that we like, and hopefully, others may like as well.” With Titanic anthems such as “Overexposure” and “Rise Of Rebellion” and the in-your-face blasts of “Molten Core” and “Another Killing Spree,” they prove their mettle time and again. Moreover, each of the eleven tracks sounds fresh and urgent while wielding a timeless quality that will connect powerfully with metal fans new and old – and there aren’t many contemporary bands who can make such a claim.

Naturally blending a plethora of metallic styles and never recycling ideas, Old Scars, New Wounds is an even more dynamic and diverse collection than its predecessor, which was written solely by Broderick and Drover before recruiting bassist Matt Bachand and vocalist Henry Derek. “I think ‘Birth And The Burial’ is an excellent debut record, and I honestly cannot believe we released it nine months after Chris and I formed the band!” the drummer enthuses. “We then toured for a year on that record and played over a hundred shows, and spending that kind of time on the road you get a sense of what your bandmates are like and what they are capable of, which has worked to our benefit on this new record.” With a fully-seasoned, tour-hardened band in place, there was room for everyone to bring something to the table this time around, and their varying styles helped shape the record. “Matt brings his east coast vibe, Shawn is pure metal, Henry has almost a Scandinavian vibe, while I’ve gone back to my roots and gotten a little more technical with my writing,” Broderick states. The title – plucked from the blistering “Conspiracy Of The Gods” – stands as a metaphor for life in general, and the breadth of lyrical matter covered is as broad as the styles of heavy music found on the record. “Another Killing Spree” looks at hardcore drug use, while “Lullaby Of Vengeance” is an angry song about singing angry lyrics, and “Overexposure” is an anthem dedicated to not selling out. There is also some very topical material, most notably on “Mis-Information Age” and “Broken Dialect.” “‘Mis-Information Age’ is very applicable in today’s social climate, where we can no longer blindly trust the source of facts that determine our view,” Broderick explains. “It asserts that we should be skeptical, making sure we have the truth and not someone’s propaganda, while ‘Broken Dialect’ conveys the idea that people can no longer hold a conversation with each other where their views differ, instead turning to sources that only support the view they want to hold on to.” With every track featuring a blistering solo from Broderick, fans of his shredding can rest assured that the guitarist has not held back – though that was not his initial intention. “I wanted to tone it down a bit technically regarding my solos, but the opposite happened! This was because I inadvertently ended up creating a few new techniques to use in my trick bag and saw their potential, so I worked hard on the execution so they could make the record.”

Going into writing the album, the quartet had no grand plan, and spread across the continental US, the individual members worked separately, bouncing demos back and forth and building on each others’ ideas. Like many contemporary bands, through taking advantage of available technologies, they made a record that is very much a collaborative effort, despite the distances lying between the members’ home bases. Recruiting producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon) they tracked the record likewise, with Broderick laying down guitars in his Ill-Fated Studios in LA, Derek and Broderick’s vocals tracked at Red Light Studios also in LA, with Bachand tracking his contributions at Manshark in South Hampton, MA and Drover’s drums were laid down at Atlanta’s Glow In The Dark Studios. “Atlanta is near where I live, which oddly enough was the first time I have recorded there in my career, so that was fun to be able to track all day then go home and relax before heading back the next day. It was an overall great experience for me,” the drummer says, and cognizant of the time available to them the entire process ran smoothly and without a hitch. When it came down to artwork, the band looked once more to the vision of Travis Smith – whose visuals have accompanied records from the likes of King Diamond, Opeth, Avenged Sevenfold, and Strapping Young Lad. “As always he’s delivered a great, bizarre piece of artwork,” Drover enthuses. “He has such a great sense of what we’re looking for, and working with him again has been rewarding.”

Having proven themselves on the road in support of Birth And The Burial both as headliners and supporting the likes of Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed, the band are looking ahead to the expansive touring that will accompany Old Scars, New Wounds, and their hunger to get back in front of crowds has not abated in the slightest. “The immediate goal is to tour hard in support of ‘Old Scars, New Wounds,’ play live everywhere we can, and expose as many people to our music as possible,” Drover asserts. “Touring is the best way to reach the people, as it always has been – and we will do whatever it takes for Act Of Defiance to get as much exposure as possible.”

Act of Defiance line-up:
Chris Broderick – guitar
Henry Derek – vocals
Shawn Drover – drums
Matt Bachand – bass

Act of Defiance online:
https://www.facebook.com/actofdefiancemusic
https://instagram.com/actofdefiance




Marty Friedman’s Wall Of Sound Released Today

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MARTY FRIEDMAN’s new album, Wall Of Sound, expands and destroys any conventional notions of instrumental music. It was produced by Friedman, engineered by Paul Fig (Ghost, Rush, Alice In Chains) and mixed by Jens Bogren (Lamb of God, Opeth). Legendary Queen producer, Mack, came on board to handle the mixing on two tracks, “Streetlight” and “For a Friend,” which Friedman proclaimed was, “an honor for me, for sure.”

Regarding the writing and recording process on Wall Of Sound, Friedman responded with this, “It`s a challenge to evolve album after album, especially on your 13th solo album. Not only as a songwriter but it is imperative to do new things on my instrument as well. Luckily this is a challenge that I love. You will find this hard to believe when you hear the density and sheer amount of guitar coming at you from all directions, but in fact, all of the final guitar tracks on Wall Of Sound were done in 9 days.”

He continues, “This furious and productive pace was made possible by over a year of making demo after demo and spending more time listening and living with the music rather than just playing it.  I had lived with the songs for so long and edited and re-cut them so many times, which by the time I got to the actual recording studio, it was like I had been playing the whole album on tour for a year already. I learned to do this from making Inferno.”

“This is why a lot of artists` debut albums are so strong-because they have had so much time to reflect on and fixed the music, and also, more importantly, attach real life experiences to the songs. I feel like I have a debut album here.”

Once again, Friedman assembled an incredible and diverse group of musicians to record and guest on Wall Of Sound. His core recording band is made up of Anup Sastry, a new whiz kid sharing drum duties with uber-veteran Gregg Bissonette, and Japanese bassist Kiyoshi who is undisputedly the most aggressive female bassist on earth. Guests include Jinxx of Black Veil Brides and Shiv Mehra of Deafheaven, and Jorgen Munkeby of Shining lends his voice to the only non-instrumental track on the album.

MARTY FRIEDMAN comments on the guests: “Jinxx from Black Veil Brides and I wanted to do something that would shock his fans and my fans. I arranged a monster of a tune called “Sorrow & Madness” based on a melody that Jinxx wrote on the violin. I took his sweet song and added so many twists and turns that it became a mammoth of Martyisms in tandem with a broad side of Jinxx that has yet to be heard by his fans. We are both very proud of what happened.” 

“I think Deafheaven is the one truly heavy band that comes to mind when people ask me to recommend something that`s not Japanese! I was super excited to work with Shiv from Deafheaven. We wrote “Pussy Ghost” together, and it is one of the most aggressive songs I have ever played, while at the same time evoking grotesquely beautiful moods that I have never felt before. One thing I learned from making Inferno is that when you have a guest, let them come up with music first. Let it be their baby, so they are personally invested in the song. Then arrange it and do it my way, then add more things together. This gives you a final song that sounds like both of the people put their heart and souls into the music, as opposed to one guy doing everything and the guest just blasting out a solo somewhere.”

“Jorgen from Shining also guested on Inferno and when we finished that song we immediately started talking about what we would do next. For those who don`t know Inferno, they are like a steroid-ed out and “genius-level musician-ed out” version of Nine Inch Nails for the 21st century, with a charismatic singer/composer (Jorgen) and a wicked sense of melody, that hits me in the gut on every song. “(Just Gimme) Something To Fight” is the one vocal track on the record and it kills. Even after finishing this song we have started working on more new things for who knows what…”

Wall Of Sound track listing:
1. Self Pollution
2. Sorrow and Madness (featuring Jinxx of Black Veil Brides)
3. Streetlight
4. Whiteworm
5. For A Friend
6. Pussy Ghost (featuring Shiv Mehra of Deafheaven)
7. The Blackest Rose
8. Something to Fight (featuring Jorgen Munkeby of Shining)
9. The Soldier
10. Miracle
11. Last Lament

Wall Of Sound is available for pre-orders  here: http://smarturl.it/MartyFriedmanon all digital platforms, compact disc and comes in five limited edition LP color variants:

  • White Black Swirl LP – 300 Worldwide
  • Clear Black Smoke LP – 100 Worldwide
  • Glow in The Dark LP – 100 Worldwide
  • Clear Black Swirl LP – European retail exclusive, 100 Europe only
  • White LP – US indie retail exclusive, 200 US only

All pre-orders come with a laminate good for 1 VIP meet and greet to Marty’s 2017 US tour. Keep an eye on www.martyfriedman.comfor dates, email martyvip@prostheticrecords.comwith your order number and what date you would like to attend.

MARTY FRIEDMAN will begin a headlining run on August 2 in Philadelphia, PA. Support comes from Houston’s top progressive outfit, Scale the Summit, along with Madison, WI’s technical progressive three-piece, The Fine Constant.  See below for all upcoming tour dates:

Marty Friedman – Wall of Sound Tour 2017
w/ Special Guests Scale The Summit and The Fine Constant

8/02 The Foundry at the Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA
8/03 Brighton Music Hall, Boston, MA
8/04 Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
8/05 Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
8/06 Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
8/08 Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
8/09 Diesel, Chesterfield, MI
8/10 Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago, IL
8/11 Studio B at the Skyway, Minneapolis, MN
8/12 Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE
8/13 Fubar, St, Louis, MO
8/16 Scout Bar, Houston, TX
8/17 The Rock Box, San Antonio, TX
8/18 Trees, Dallas, TX
8/19 Tower Theater, Oklahoma, OK
8/20 The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
8/23 Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
8/24 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
8/25 The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix, AZ
8/26 The Whisky, Los Angeles, CA
8/27 The Parish @ HOB, Anaheim, CA
8/28 Brick By Brick, San Diego, CA

About MARTY FRIEDMAN:
MARTY FRIEDMAN released his first solo album, Dragon’s Kiss, on the influential Shrapnel Records. His tenure with Cacophony and Megadeth have created some of the most memorable music and jaw dropping guitar solos ever heard. He’s received dozens of platinum and gold awards from throughout the globe and continually pushes the boundaries of music as is heard on Wall Of Sound. Fluent in Japanese, Friedman currently resides in Tokyo where he is a constant fixture on Japanese television (appearing on hundreds of network programs, musical and non-musical, and as the face of long running campaigns for Fanta/Coca Cola, Sumitomo Bank, Suntory, etc.), in addition to appearing in major motion pictures. He is also the author of two hardcover books in Japanese detailing his unusual views on the current Japanese music scene, as well as two best-selling manga-related books, which are both in their eighth editions now. Friedman has not only held top charting positions with his albums in Japan but has also collaborated on and produced several Top 5 hits.

MARTY FRIEDMAN was recently appointed a Japanese Heritage Ambassador to promote the country`s upcoming Olympic games. He is currently filming a documentary, and his biography is set to be published soon.

MARTY FRIEDMAN Online:
www.martyfriedman.com
www.facebook.com/martyfriedman.official
www.jacksonguitars.com/features/marty-friedman

Marty Friedman Announces ‘Wall Of Sound’ U.S. Tour With SCALE THE SUMMIT And THE FINE CONSTANT

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Following last week’s album announcement, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has now unveiled his headlining tour in support of his latest scorcher, “Wall Of Sound.” The 22-show trek will feature support from Houston’s top progressive outfit SCALE THE SUMMIT along with Madison, Wisconsin-based technical progressive three-piece THE FINE CONSTANT. The tour kicks off in Philadelphia on August 2, just two days before “Wall Of Sound” is released.

Friedman comments: “We’re coming to you direct from Tokyo, to make you smile or make you cry, or even drag you up on stage with us. What’s for sure is that we will get your blood pumping.”

About the band, Friedman states: “Kiyoshi is the most aggressive bassist on the planet. You will either fall in love with her, admire her skills or both. Jordan Ziff is an up-and-coming guitar superstar. The youngest of the select few who have played beside me in the band. Anup Sastry (on the first week of the USA tour) played drums on ‘Inferno’ as well as ‘Wall Of Sound,’ and is the most innovative young drummer I’ve ever seen. Chargeeee (on the remainder of the USA tour) has been my touring drummer for eight years — he steals the show from me every night. He has an inhuman amount of energy.”

U.S. fans who preorder Friedman‘s new album at Prosthetic Records‘ official store will be entitled to a VIP meet-and-greet for one of the dates below. Once ordered, please email martyvip@prostheticrecords.com with your order number and what date you would like to attend. Please note, tickets to the show will still need to be purchased. The pre-order VIP offer will expire on June 30 at which time VIP packages will only be available at MartyFriedman.com.

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Aug. 02 – The Foundry at the Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 03 – Brighton Music Hall, Boston, MA
Aug. 04 – Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
Aug. 05 – Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
Aug. 06 – Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
Aug. 08 – Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
Aug. 09 – Diesel, Chesterfield, MI
Aug. 10 – Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago, IL
Aug. 11 – Studio B at the Skyway, Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 12 – Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE
Aug. 13 – Fubar, St, Louis, MO
Aug. 16 – Scout Bar, Houston, TX
Aug. 17 – The Rock Box, San Antonio, TX
Aug. 18 – Trees, Dallas, TX
Aug. 19 – Tower Theater, Oklahoma, OK
Aug. 20 – The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
Aug. 23 – Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
Aug. 24 – Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 25 – The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 26 – Whisky A Go Go, Los Angeles, CA
Aug. 27 – The Parish @ HOB, Anaheim, CA
Aug. 28 – Brick By Brick, San Diego, CA

“Wall Of Sound” will be released on August 4 via Prosthetic Records. Produced by Friedman, engineered by Paul Fig (GHOST, RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS) and mixed by Jens Bogren (KREATOR, OPETH, SEPULTURA), the disc “expands and destroys any conventional notions of instrumental music,” according to a press release. Legendary QUEEN producer Mack came on board to handle the mixing on two tracks, “Streetlight” and “For A Friend,” which Friedman proclaimed was “an honor for me, for sure.”

Friedman said last year about the musical direction of the follow-up to his 2014 album “Inferno”: “This time it’s even more ambitious than that album was, a bit more dense, and, with any luck, more exciting for those of you who will hear it.”

He added: “There will be eleven or twelve songs in total. Sometimes a song you love doesn’t make it to the album because it doesn’t fit nicely in the sequencing. Either way, we’re pushing sixty minutes so that it won’t be a short album.”

Marty‘s new CD was recorded in part at Dave Grohl‘s Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (ALICE IN CHAINS, RUSH, DEFTONES) and was previously described by Friedman as “a way more intense version” of its predecessor: “deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive.”

Like “Inferno,” Friedman‘s upcoming album will feature several guests, including prog-thrashers MUTOID MAN, Jørgen Munkeby of the Norwegian avant-garde jazz-metal outfit SHINING and Jinxx of Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

Regarding how the collaboration with Jinxx came about, Friedman told Guitar World: “I’m a big fan of Jinxx and BLACK VEIL BRIDES. He came to my show in L.A. in 2015. Right after that, I was told that he plays the violin. I didn’t even know that! Then light bulbs went off. I thought now’s the chance to turn some heads by doing something that’s a little bit, well, a lot, unexpected to my fans and his fans.”

Check Out Marty Friedman’s New Single ‘Self Pollution’ Off His Upcoming Record “Wall Of Sound”

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Guitarist Marty Friedman’s new single, ‘Self Pollution‘ is available to hear in a twenty-second snippet on his website.  ‘Wall of Sound”  will be released August 4, 2017, via Prosthetic Records.  Here’s the link to listen and pre-order Wall of Sound.

http://smarturl.it/MartyFriedman

 

EMG Marty Friedman MF Passive Humbucker Pickup Set

http://smarturl.it/MartyFriedman

 

The Shredding of Marty Friedman

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By Andrew Catania

An unforgettable name from the music scene of the mighty 90s and the one who completely aced his job as the lead guitarist for Megadeth, Martin Adam Freidman, affectionately known as Marty Friedman, is a modern American guitarist who possesses a sound global fandom and continues to rule hearts. It was after attending a Kiss concert that Marty’s musical flair was ignited. Not looking back since Marty embarked on a journey of learning the tact and intricacies of strings and chords.

Pairing up with some of his friends with similar musical interest, Marty and Co’s rehearsals and jamming sessions soon became the talk of the town. People would drop in from nearby locales to listen to the young kids skillfully playing the great originals of that time.

After being featured on live shows and paving the way to the regional media and entertainment limelight, Marty decided to test his mettle outside of ‘The Rehearsals’ and embarked on a long and accomplished journey that is punctuated with notable associations and collaborated acts, such as his joint feats with Racer X, Hawaii, Cacophony and Tourniquet and also a number of incredible solo feats. After some accomplishments, Cacophony was dissolved, leaving each member to plunge into their solo flight.

Now that the high road was taken, Marty decided to give the Megadeth auditions a shot and test his fate. He was not picked in his first attempt; not because of a lack of talent or expertise, but because of his multicolored hair. Later next year, he was successful in impressing the band and officially became a part of the exalted Megadeth in 1990.

The band provided a great platform for him to further improve his technique by working alongside some of the greatest music virtuosos of the era. Experimenting with a variety of instruments and techniques and fusing the best of neoclassic, heavy metal, thrash speed, and J-pop genres, he eventually evolved his signature tones. Delivering his best, his debut album with Megadeth titled ‘Rust in Peace’ strengthened his position in the band and is considered as the best thrash metal release of all time. The association prevailed for almost a decade and is punctuated with five studio releases and numerous shows and guest performances. Marty Friedman’s contribution to Megadeth includes playing for Rust in Peace, Youthanasia, Risk, Countdown to Extinction, Hidden Treasure, and Cryptic Writing.

At a time when Megadeth was ruling the music charts, Marty bid farewell to the band and became more inclined towards strengthening his solo portfolio. Over time, he has added some solo feats to his profile, including Dragon’s Kiss, Tokyo Jukebox, Introduction, Scenes, Metal Cone X, True Obsessions, Loudspeaker, Future Addict, Bad DNA, and Inferno. The music maestro has permanently moved to Japan and has hosted a couple of TV shows, such as Rock Fujiyama and Jukebox, aside from a couple of feats with Shrapnel and Avex Trax.

Marty’s signature fusion style of cumulating the essence of eastern and western music along with that of universal thrash, heavy metal, and rock has added a whole new dimension of these genres. His unique, soft and smooth-sweeping techniques over arpeggiated chords have cast a major influence on young and budding generations of musicians.