Quality Live Footage: Marty Friedman Shredding it Up

When Axl posted the new Marty Friedman song “Steroidhead” last week he surmised that the younger generation of metalheads (pretty much anyone who first got into the genre in the past 15 years) might not have much of an appreciation for him since he’s been pretty much absent from the American scene during that time. And judging by the comments on that post, Axl was totally right. There’s no other explanation for why a guy like Jeff Loomis has been able to successfully ride the wave of The Great Shred Resurrection — and younger players like Dave Davidson and Tosin Abasi have risen to prominence — other than the very simple fact that Friedman just hasn’t been here.

I hope Axl’s second proclamation, that Friedman’s new album Inferno will change Fridman’s stature in America, is also correct. Because HOT DAMN, Friedman can play. Dave Davidson always cites Friedman as one of his single biggest influences (if not THE biggest — and now he’s gotten to collaborate with him on a track!), and that influence is readily on display in these three live clips Gear Gods filmed at the Roland/Boss booth at NAMM 2014 last week. It’s all in the phrasing. Check one clip below and watch two others over at Gear Gods.