Even Kiko Loureiro Thinks Megadeth Should Get Marty Friedman Back
Going into 2024, Megadeth‘s got an issue on its hands, as it’s down a second guitar player. Sure, they’ve had Wintersun guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari filling in after Kiko Loureiro announced he was temporarily stepping back from the band — only to announce last September that he was done — but he’s got other commitments. They need to find a permanent replacement.
During a recent interview with Guitar World, Loureiro gave a little bit of insight as to who he thinks should permanently fill the slot, and it’s an old Megadeth fan’s wet dream. Yes, that’s right. He’s saying Marty Friedman should come back.
“Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing. I have no idea if they’re talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. But again, I have no idea beyond that, and I don’t want to make anything more complicated.”
There’s no shortage of people saying the exact same thing, truth be told. Friedman’s now joined Megadeth on stage twice in the last year and both times have been a hit. The dude obviously can still keep up with the likes of Mustaine, having carved out a pretty lucrative career on his own in Japan. And let’s not forget that Friedman’s currently working on some solo stuff, so it might be hard to pull him back into the Megadeth camp.
Still, Friedman was one of the most important parts of a classic Megadeth lineup that ran from Rust In Peace to Risk. To say he’s an important part of that band’s history would be an understatement, for sure. The reality that fans would always love Friedman over anyone else in that position definitely made sense to Loureiro.
“The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing. But I’m a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction. I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style, you know? From the moment I joined Megadeth, I knew the fans could show me love, but I would never win their hearts over Marty.”
Megadeth are planning to go back out on the road later this year, so they’ve got some time to make their decision. You can find the full list of dates below.
Crush The World Tour 2024
Sat April 6 Lima, Peru Arena 1
Tu April 9 Santiago, Chile Movistar Arena
Thu April 11 Montevideo, Uruguay Arena Antel
Sat April 13 Buenos Aires, Argentina Movistar Arena
Sat April 14 Buenos Aires, Argentina Movistar Arena
Tue April 16 Asuncion, Paraguay Jockey Club
Thu April 18 São Paulo, Brazil Espaco Unimed
Sun April 21 Bogota, Colombia Movistar Arena
Tue April 23 San Salvador, El Salvador Complejo Cuscatlan
Thu April 25 Ciudad de México, México Arena Ciudad de México
Sat April 27 Monterrey, México Arena Monterrey
