MARTY FRIEDMAN „Tokyo Jukebox 2 / Bad D.N.A.”

Music: Instrumental Neoclassical Progressive Rock/Metal
Website: www.martyfriedman.com
Duration: 77 minutes (21 tracks)
Country: Japan

It is the great surprise! The French label sent me the limited edition double album of MARTY FRIEDMAN including two last releases of this legendary virtuoso of guitar. The majority of people knows his from MEGADETH. Marthy lives in Japan from many years and there he still works as musician, producer and television presenter although these are not only his occupations. However we will focus here on his the newest solo musical work…

“Tokyo Jukebox 2″ is continuation of previous release obviously, in which Marthy tied the fascinations masterly Rock-Metal music with traditional Japanese music. Obviously the elements of Japanese music are the small addition to masterly guitar themes full of imaginativeness with the well arranged rhythmical section… Here is still audible that Marthy still has Rock-Metal soul. The compositions are very guitar. They unite the energetic heaviness with various solo melodies. These guitar themes stretch out from the pleasant melodies, the neoclassical motives until the progressive complex gunfires of riffs… Here is the time for lively idyll but and for the melancholy tone or the dark arrangements (typical for Metal). The background of the guitar variations is similar – here we will hear Pop Rock motives or else heavy Power/Thrash Metal hits as well as the monumental passages and the climatic traditional sounds coming from the Blooming Cherry-tree's country and even the phrases of piano.

The second part of double album belongs to ” Bad D.N.A.”… The word “bad” ideally reflects the music from this part. But I mean here “bad” (that is “dark”) side of Marthy… Here the sounds are very heavy and sinister, sometimes in industrial style as well as in Nu Metal style and certainly in Thrash Metal style. The sample in style of Dark Electro also appear in the background additionally. They cause that the part of material is very dark and dynamic although from among the sharp riffs push through the frivolous melodies and the gentle guitar passages which bring somewhat a light and a joy… “Bad D.N.A.” portrays the interesting fusion of sinister and predatory Metal with the sensitivity and the imaginativeness of catchy guitar melodies… Marthy presented us “Time To Say Goodbye” of Andrea Bocelli at the end of material (obviously in instrumental Rock arrangement) and the bonus track – the karaoke version of song “Bad D.N.A.” (obviously without the solo).

The whole is perfectly played… without shadow of doubt… This music (though without words) is able to strongly influence on emotions and to touch a listener… to induce a melancholy, a joy or even an aggression… The music is multicoloured – dark but and bright like the black and the whiteness which symbolize the soul of rebel, the dark spontaneity but and the calm, the maturity as well as the sensibility… Marthy Friedman again proved that his ideas for the music are infinite.

note: 9.0/10

Tracklist

“Tokyo Jukebox 2”
1. Yeah! Meccha Holiday
2. Nada Sousou
3. Aitakatta
4. Ame No Bojo ~ Funauta
5. Toire No Kamisama
6. Canon A La Koto
7. I Love You
8. Sunao Ninaretara
9. Butterfly
10. Mata Kimi Ni Koishi Teru

“Bad D.N.A.”
11. Specimen
12. Bad D.N.A
13. Weapons Of Ecstacy
14. Hatejoke
15. Glorious Accident
16. Random Star
17. Picture
18. Battle Scars
19. School Spirit Delinquent
20. Exorcism Parade
21. Time To Say Goodbye [bonus]

Line-up

Marty Friedman: Guitars & arrangements
Jason Bittner: Drums
Steve Lukather: Guitars