The shred was out in full force Wednesday at The Rock Box. And it came by various methods.
There was the headlining signature wall of sound from former Megadeth-turned-solo guitarist Marty Friedman. That was preceded by the blending of power and speed from Austin natives Immortal Guardian uniquely highlighted by the simultaneous guitar and keyboard playing of band founder Gabriel Guardian. Fellow Austin artists A Good Rogering brought their own brand of rougher, heavier guitar, and all was kicked off by Jessikill and the shred style familiar with local headbangers of one Jyro Alejo.
Friedman, the axeman behind arguably Megadeth's best album, 1990's Rust In Peace, and its hit follow-up in 1992's Countdown to Extinction, is on the road supporting live album One Bad M.F. Live!! Friedman is a sensation in Japan, where he is fluent in the language, has lived since 2003, married a Japanese woman and starred on numerous TV shows. Friedman even taught The Rock Box crowd how to say "Fuck yeah" in that language. But he wasn't the only one shredding in his band.
Friedman's performance was jump started by female bass wizard Kiyoshi, who hair-swirled, head banged and strummed her way to a furious kickoff on the low end. She was soon accompanied by hyped-up drummer Chargeeee (yes, that's four E's), whom Friedman compared to Animal of The Muppets during our chat prior to his 2016 visit to Fitzgerald's (listen here). Get a taste of the band in action via ATM's footage in the video box below that includes Kiyoshi riffing and singing to Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.”
Joined by guitarist Jordan Ziff, Friedman spanned a bulk of his solo career and pre-Megadeth band Cacophony, which he shared with Jason Becker. Friedman also unveiled a new song he wrote for Wall of Sound for the ALS-stricken Becker entitled "For a Friend" (setlist in 63-photo slideshow below). Showcasing that his group is more a band than individual artist per se, Kiyoshi, Chargeeee and Ziff enjoyed their own solos, with the latter singing and playing a part of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Friedman gave a scant taste of his Megadeth days with a dash of "Ashes In Your Mouth" and fan favorite "Tornado of Souls" (ATM footage below). He segued from opening track "L.A. High Ball" into "Hyper Doom" by exhibiting the acoustic riff that transfers "Holy Wars" into "The Punishment Due." Friedman was quick in other ways too. He inadvertently faked out some fans after regular set finale "Ballad of the Barbie Bandits" as they headed outside prior to the encores. That forced the band to quickly jump back on stage, and once the departed heard Friedman's voice, they rushed back in to catch "Undertow" from his 2014 solo album Inferno before finale "Kaeritakunatta Yo."
Immortal Guardian scored a huge coup by earning the honor of supporting Friedman on his entire tour, complete with luxurious tour bus/home. Vocalist Carlos Zema, bassist Thad Stevens and drummer Cody Gilliand joined Guardian's guitar and keys duality (even his guitar's fretboard was decorated as a keyboard) in powering its way through a 45-minute set before meeting with fans. Veterans of the "Shred Sled," a jamming-in-the-streets concoction used at several South By Southwests and other festivals, Immortal Guardian tore through songs from Revolution, Part 1 and Super Metal: Edition Z, having worked with Halford, Bruce Dickinson and brand new Spirits Of Fire supergroup producer Roy Z. Watch ATM's Facebook Live coverage of "Surface."
While Friedman expresses various styles of guitar and can get raw and rough-sounding when he desires, it was still a bit odd that A Good Rogering's heavier death-style sound was included on the bill. The group fronted by singer/guitarist Skunk Manhattan even ended with the title track to 2017 EP This is Death Metal, although, to be fair, its latest single is the acoustic “Out of Reach.”
But with only 30 minutes allotted to strut its stuff, A Good Rogering wisely emphasized its heavier side with drummer Rom Gov, guitarist Rick Lambert and bassist Sammiard Alvarado complementing Manhattan. Alvarado and Manhattan told the crowd they got their start in San Antonio without mentioning their band is based in Austin. Thus, it didn’t resonate with the effect they were looking for. Nevertheless, the band let its music do the talking in fine fashion, even if its style was a bit out of place among three artists that emphasize the power and speed subgenre.
Jessikill opened with "Dead of Night" and "Save Me" from debut full-length Another World in kicking off the evening. Alejo, vocalist Jessica Alejo and bassist Arturo Knight this time were joined by Jordan Ames, the latest drummer at a position that has become a revolving door. Still, the local metal knights shined once again and even unveiled the yet-to-be released "Lightning.” Ames fit in seamlessly on those tracks plus Jessikill mainstay "The Beast" in which Knight sings lead before Jessica Alejo takes the second verse while displaying her sword. But in what reeked of a case of the soundmen toning down the support acts, Jyro Alejo (who used to be in Immortal Guardian) and his jaw-dropping 664-note-per-minute solo on "The Beast" had more than one fan lamenting it wasn't as loud as it could've been.
But that was merely a blip on the night as a whole.
Although fans would’ve benefited from the translation of the titles of his Japanese songs and, of course, delving more into his Megadeth arsenal (maybe even playing an entire track instrumentally), Friedman’s third visit since 2016 to the Alamo City — especially for an artist who lives in the Far East — was nothing to sniff at. Backed by a charged-up band that makes an instrumental concert more fun and action-packed than your typical show without lead vocals, Friedman and Co. are welcome to spread the shred until we're all dead.
