“Everybody in the world of heavy metal, hard rock and guitar owes a lot to him”: Marty Friedman says this guitarist had a “big influence” on him as a young player
Marty Friedman has credited Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes – who recently died at 65 following a battle with cancer – as a major influence on his early development as a guitar player.
In a recent chat with Eddie Trunk, the former Megadeth axeman discusses the profound impact of Sykes’ work within the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement.
Singling out a particular album that not only shaped his approach to the six-string but also redefined the role of lead guitarists in heavy metal, Friedman says [via Ultimate Guitar]: “John Sykes was a big influence to me when I was developing when you’re a teenager, and you’re developing your sound and what it is you want to do in music.”
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“When I heard the Tygers of Pan Tang, I was really into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. And as you know, it was very innovative as far as heavy metal and rock rhythm guitar went, and that was kind of the big signature of it.”
“And somebody could maybe correct me, but I think that John Sykes was the first guy as a lead guitarist, at least the first guy who was under my radar, who was just playing mind-boggling guitar in that context,” he continues. “I mean, at that time, it was, like, really cool rhythms, and the solos were kind of like just your basic, regular solos that fit the songs fine.”
The musician also recalls hearing the Tygers’ sophomore album, Spellbound, for the first time, and how the magic of Sykes’ playing on it had inspired him.
“When John Sykes came out on Tygers, on the Spellbound album, it was like, ‘This was a game changer for me,’” says Friedman. “He was the first guy in that genre that I heard that was like, ‘Wow, these lead guys can really take an exciting part of the band’s sound.’ And he was an extremely important influence to myself and a lot of the people that I’ve met over the years playing metal.”
“Everybody in the world of heavy metal and hard rock and guitar owes a lot to him.”
Upon Sykes’ death, a statement on his Facebook page read: “In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years. While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
