LIFE LESSONS
ALEX SKOLNICK
Testament’s six-string superstar reflects on the chaos of the Bay Area, guesting with Lamb Of God and studying with jazz legends
WORDS: PAUL TRAVERS
ALEX SKOLNICK WAS
a timid 16-year-old when he joined Testament in 1985, but his highly skilled melodic guitar playing would prove hugely influential throughout the Bay Area thrash scene and beyond. When he left Testament in the early 90s, he pursued diverse musical projects, including stints in Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He also went back to school to study jazz and formed his own jazz outfit, The Alex Skolnick Trio.
Alex rejoined Testament in 2005, and they’ve since gone from strength to strength. He’s kept his fingers in numerous other pies, too, from teaching to ambitious world music projects. He’s the muso’s thrasher with a list of accomplishments longer than an extended-scale fretboard, but remains as humble and down-to-earth as they come.
PARENTS DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING
“My parents were academics and not thrilled about me joining a thrash metal band. They were older than most of my friends’ parents so didn’t even have that rock’n’roll background. Their wishes for me were to get a PhD, just like them. There were a few points that convinced them I hadn’t made a terrible choice, though. The first was when Testament supported Judas Priest at the Oakland Coliseum [in 1990], which showed that this was more than just a neighbourhood band. They were also happy when I started writing columns for guitar magazines, because they always respected writing.”