Listen to the New Marty Friedman Track “Whiteworm”

Did you enjoy “Self Pollution,” the first track Marty Friedman released from his forthcoming new album? Then you’re absolutely going to love “Whiteworm,” which Guitar World has premiered today.

Friedman has a LOT to say about the track — guitarists will absolutely eat all of that up in the Guitar World article — but here’s an excerpt that provides a good overview of his approach to writing it:

“There are many unique playing, composing and arranging concepts on each song [on Wall Of Sound], and they are quite different from each other. In “Whiteworm”, it starts with an element that I like, which is to do something that “doesn`t sound like me”. I tend to sound like myself even when I`m not trying to, so it is a little thrill to come up with something that doesn`t smell like me at all. Also, I think a subliminal goal in rock music is to have an intro that many people will want to pick up a guitar and play – “Stairway to Heaven”, “Smoke on the Water”, etc. Since those days, more challenging things can inspire people too. This intro would have made me run to a guitar to try to learn it when I was 15.”

Indeed, the intro of the track sounds nothing like Friedman’s typical fare — and it’s absolutely the kind of riff that’ll inspire players to listen over and over again to figure it out — but the song gets plenty Friedman-esque in a hurry. Check it out below.

Wall of Sound comes out on August 4th via Prosthetic Records; pre-order it here. Catch him on tour with Scale the Summit and The Fine Constant later this summer. Dates below.

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