Megadeth’s golden era lead guitarist, Marty Friedman, says he has no regrets about leaving the band at the turn of the millennium.
Friedman joined Dave Mustaine’s outfit in 1990 for a decade-long stint. He introduced himself to the Megadeth fanbase via his fireworks-laden guitar solos on the metal classic Rust in Peace. He was part of the band’s most successful period, which saw them releasing a handful of seminal records, including Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, and Cryptic Writings.
“I understand that as a fan, if anything happens that changes your favorite lineup, it’s catastrophic,” a sympathetic Friedman tells Guitar World. “But for me, it was the best career move I ever made.”
He continues, “It was not easy to leave such a well-established band that I had so much success with. But leaving it allowed me to eclipse my role in Megadeth on so many levels and create a niche for myself that has served me very well.”
“There are always new and undiscovered depths of melody to be created, and new expressions to share, and I have always pursued those things,” he adds.
“I think Drama is the ultimate representative of my musical evolution; I’ve been concentrating on touring for the album much longer than usual before starting to work on the next one. I can't imagine topping it.”
Friedman has had offers to return to Mustaine's side, famously turning down the chance to reunite the Rust in Peace line-up, but did play two shows as a guest with them in 2023.
In related news, Mustaine recently revealed the life-changing hand condition that has forced Megadeth’s retirement, and explained the strange reason why Friedman nearly didn’t get the gig.
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