Longtime Megadeth [ tickets ] guitarist Marty Friedman has departed the band to pursue other musical interests, according to a statement issued by the band. Al Pitrelli, who has worked with Alice Cooper and Savatage, has been enlisted to fill in as the rockers wrap up the first leg of a tour in support of their ninth studio album, "Risk."

Friedman had been with the band for nearly a decade, and has played lead guitar on all of the band's albums since the 1990 release ''Rust In Peace.''

''Marty is an incredible player and has been a keystone in Megadeth,'' frontman Dave Mustaine said in the statement. ''We are sorry to see him go but we wish him all the best.''

The ''Risk'' tour's first leg concludes with a Jan. 21 performance in Boise, Idaho. The band will then embark on an international tour that will include stops in Japan and South America. They will play more North American dates in the summer, according to the statement.

Megadeth's lineup has been shuffled many times during the band's 16-year history. The most recent change was in 1998, when the band announced that it had fired longtime drummer Nick Menza and replaced him with Jimmy DeGrasso.