Kiko Loureiro suggested Marty Friedman replace him in Megadeth when he left
The slot was eventually filled by Finnish virtuoso Teemu Mäntysaari.
![[L-R] Former Megadeth guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Marty Friedman](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Kiko-Loureiro-Marty-Friedman@2000x1500.jpg)
Credit: Getty Images
Kiko Loureiro has revealed that he suggested Marty Friedman return to Megadeth to replace him after he left the band late last year.
Loureiro appeared to have made an official departure from Megadeth in November after nine years, having announced in September that he would be taking a hiatus from the band over family matters. He later said he would be extending his break from the band into 2024.
With his slot vacant and no replacement immediately announced, speculation arose over whether Freedman could make a return to the band. That, however, was quashed when Finnish virtuoso Teemu Mäntysaari was formally inducted into the band, having filled in for Loureiro during his leave of absence.
However, Loureiro has now said in a new interview that before he scouted and selected Mäntysaari, he suggested to frontman Dave Mustaine and the band’s management that Freedman could come back to the band.
When it’s mentioned in a forthcoming interview with Guitar World that some fans had been holding out for Friedman’s return, Loureiro says: “Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing.”
Although this didn’t come to fruition, Loureiro adds: “I have no idea if they’re talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. But again, I have no idea beyond that, and I don’t want to make anything more complicated.”
Loureiro also pays tribute to the band’s fans and reflects on his tenure with Megadeth elsewhere in the interview.
“The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing,” he says. “But I’m a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction.
“I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style, you know? From the moment I joined Megadeth, I knew the fans could show me love, but I would never win their hearts over Marty.”
Indeed, in October, Mustaine commented on the prospect of Friedman returning after he appeared on stage with the band twice in 2023, saying it was a “very interesting idea”.
When asked whether there are any plans to work with Friedman again, Megadave describes it as an “interesting idea,” and says, “Marty is a really talented person. I don’t know for sure, but I think this is an area where I need to just talk with my partner and see how he feels about having another guitar player come up there and jam.