Megadeth are about to welcome back an estranged band member – no, not David Ellefson, but Marty Friedman.
The long-gone guitarist famously played on some of the metal titan’s biggest albums, including 1990’s Rust in Peace and 1992’s Countdown to Extinction.
Over two decades since Friedman’s departure from the lineup, he’ll return to the Megadeth fold for the band’s upcoming show at Tokyo’s iconic Budokan.
The Budokan show, which will mark the first ever time Megadeth have played at the Tokyo venue, will be livestreamed for fans on Monday, February 27th. It will also be available to watch on demand for a couple of days after the 27th.
“When Marty said, ‘Hey, I can play at this gig,’ I thought, ‘This is so magnificent,’” frontman Dave Mustaine told Rolling Stone. “It’s gonna be so much fun to get Kiko and Marty together, because they’re both geniuses on guitar. So this is like a gigantic birthday and Christmas present for me.”
Friedman also shared his excitement about returning to Megadeth in a statement. “It has been a long time — 23 years to be exact since I’ve been on the same stage with Dave Mustaine making music,” he said.
“We’ve both taken drastically different paths since then. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m extremely proud of the part that I played in Megadeth’s history and legacy. I’m also very, very proud of the band’s many great achievements and continued success in my absence. For right now, I just feel immense joy and some serious adrenaline. I am looking forward to playing with Megadeth at this very cool place, the Budokan.”
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Friedman joined Megadeth in 1990, with his final album as part of the group coming in 1999 with Risk. He reportedly departed back then due to creative differences.
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