Marty Friedman‘s presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. Today, the artist shares “Dead of Winter,” which is the second single from his upcoming new solo album, Drama, that will be released on  May 17 through Frontiers Music Srl. The track features vocals by Chris Brooks from Like A Storm and while normally an instrumentalist, this is Friedman‘s first solo release featuring a vocalist.

While talking about his latest tune, Friedman says: “The lyrics of ‘Dead of Winter’ as well as the story in the video, both sum up the way I would like people to feel about my music in general– something that will be there to uplift you when the times are hardest and give you a tangible jolt of positivity to last until life inevitably smooths out.”

From his groundbreaking beginnings with Cacophony, alongside the legendary Jason Becker, to his pivotal role in propelling Megadeth to its peak of popularity with his breath taking range and unorthodox melodic sense, Friedman has solidified his status as a unique guitar icon.