Being one of the most talented guitarists in metal and not only having been in absolutely exceptional bands but improving said bands, from the shredtastic Cacophony to the absolute classic Megadeth albums, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction. Friedmans influence is undeniable and now after having moved to Japan and adopted it as his second home we’re put back into the foray with his latest output “Inferno”.
Making instrumental albums can be a trickier affair than most realise, you can have fantastic instrumentation,it can have all the solos in the world but as you lack the vocals, you have to write lead lines which act as a form of chorus. Having a good, coherent song structure is essential but overall just good song writing, luckily Friedman possesses all of the above. Although some could argue that Friedman could be a little passé, that would surely not be the case. Inferno has many different examples of styles of music that Friedman is exceptional at ranging from genres that echo his past to very much current riffs.
From the opening title track setting the scene we’re greeted to all manner of different style, expertly executed. From the almost glam feeling “I Can’t Relax” to one of the albums highlights with none other than Dave Davidson of Revocation ,the man everyone is saying is the next Friedman, “Sociopaths” is a very modern take on Friedman‘s signature sound. It’s also worth noting that having vocals, on some of the songs very much breaks the album up. Too many instrumental bands fall short just because shredding, although impressive, can be slightly samey.
Having chosen the aforementioned Davidson we’re treated to an all star cast featuring, Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom and Danko Jones as well as the penultimate track “Horrors” co-written by Jason Becker. Even on the funky sounding “Wicked Panacea” he’s collaborated with Rodrigo y Gabriela. All of these collaborations add much needed differentiation between tracks, they make the songs stand out and a lot more memorable, rather than being passing riff after passing solo, we’re treated to something very fresh and innovative, whilst all the while Friedman adds his undeniable touch with interesting and unconventional melodies in his tasteful solos, as well as some great riffs throughout.
We can clearly see that the chameleon of metal is in full form here, with interesting songs varying from the very experimental saxophone trade off in “Meat Hook” to the typical ballad “The Undertow”, perhaps this will slowly but surely bring metal heads into more of an open mind, listening to other genres and incorporating their elements. Probably not, but there’s always hope, either way until then immerse yourself in the fire! An absolute education in innovation.
