Marty Friedman
True Obsessions

THE REVIEW

The thing I most appreciate about a great musician like Friedman is his ability to vary across different musical genres with absolute authority and compositional tranquility. The versatility displayed in his solo works is a concrete sign of the fantastic skill of this master guitarist.

After traversing various musical extensions, starting from Cacophony and passing through Megadeth, the guitar hero has crafted another fine solo work.
The pleasure of continually evolving also passes through “True Obsessions”, which is quite different from his previous solo works “Scenes” and “Introduction”, which are closer to new-age sounds. In this album, various rock trends and styles dominate, and there is always a fresh and new background. Metal sounds have nothing to do here.
At times, hard rock explodes stronger than ever; in other parts, there is an alternative touch; and in others, you can hear an easy-rock based on genuine and pleasant riffs.
But the one thing this album never lacks is a sense of melody. Amid a six-string outburst from a guitar hero, a crazy solo, or a classical arpeggio, Marty never fails to provide the main terminal of all his works: melody.
It is precisely on these bases that Friedman’s original songwriting is formed. The goal is to create spaces for the free expression of the guitar, without ever exceeding in unnecessary virtuosity.
A simple but brilliant work, made even more enchanting by oriental harmonies, ethnological symphonies, and dreamy euphony.

It is obvious to say who the protagonist of the 1996-labeled album is (easy to find, therefore... because YOU MUST find it!!). It's hard to find a guitarist who masters so many musical styles and manages to express them, even all together, with such elegance.
The album consists of 11 tracks and is essentially structured around the performance of the guitar(s) and is almost entirely instrumental (if I'm not mistaken, there are three sung tracks). Any music lover cannot help but listen to this beautiful guitar work, fully deserving to belong to the discography of that curly natural talent named Friedman... Marty Friedman.