Alex Skolnick
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| Alex Skolnick | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 29, 1968 |
| Genre(s) | Thrash metal Jazz |
| Affiliation(s) | Testament Alex Skolnick Trio Savatage Trans-Siberian Orchestra Attention Deficit The Dream Engine Skol-Patrol |
| Label(s) | Roadrunner Records |
| Notable guitars | Ibanez 540 Power II, Ibanez Saber, Gibson Les Paul Goldtop |
| Years active | 1983 - present |
| Official site | Official website |
Alex Skolnick (born September 29, 1968, grew up in Berkeley, California) is an American jazz and rock guitarist. He is a member of the thrash metal band Testament, formed in San Francisco in 1983. Skolnick left the band in 1992 — returning briefly to re-record some old material for the band's First Strike is Still Deadly release as well as the "Thrash of the Titans" all-star performance in 2001. He joined the band Savatage for the recording of Handful of Rain, as well as its follow-up live album and home video release Japan Live '94. He has also recorded and briefly toured with the Stu Hamm band, and played with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In 2004, Skolnick made a guest appearance on Lamb of God's Ashes of the Wake album. Alex recorded a solo for the instrumental track bearing the same name as the album.
After leaving Savatage, Skolnick fronted several projects in the Bay Area during the mid to late 1990s, such as Exhibit-A and Skol-Patrol (a funk band exclusively dedicated to cop-show themes, both covered and original, featuring Michael Manring). He also recorded two albums with Attention Deficit, a 3-piece featuring Tim Alexander from Primus as well as Manring. Recently Skolnick relocated to New York City and began devoting all of his energies to jazz, enrolling in the jazz program at The New School. Most recently, he has been touring and recording with the Alex Skolnick Trio, a jazz group known for playing rousing bebop renditions of classic rock and heavy metal tunes.
In the spring of 2005, Skolnick and the rest of the classic Testament lineup reunited for a short European tour (10 Days of May Tour), with some American dates appended on. The tour was successful and a CD/DVD release was put together from the May 08, 2005 London show. The band has continued touring with this lineup and there are plans for a new album.
Alex now usually plays Heritage Guitar electric and hollow-bodied models.[1] In his early years with Testament he endorsed Ibanez guitars and mainly played the 540PII model. Contrary to popular belief, the 540PII was not his signature model.[2]
[edit] References and footnotes
- ^ Heritage Guitars (2005). Heritage Artists. heritageguitar.com. Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ Ibanez Register http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/power/540pii.htm
[edit] External links
| Testament |
| Chuck Billy | Greg Christian | Nick Barker | Eric Peterson | Alex Skolnick |
| Louie Clemente | James Murphy | Derrick Ramirez | Dave Lombardo | John Tempesta | Gene Hoglan | Glen Alvelais | Jon Allen | Paul Bostaph | Steve Smyth | Steve DiGiorgio | "Metal" Mike Chlasciak |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio Albums: The Legacy | The New Order | Practice_What_You_Preach | Souls of Black | The Ritual | Low | Demonic | The Gathering | First Strike Still Deadly |
| Live Albums: Live at Eindhoven | Return to the Apocalyptic City | Live at the Fillmore | Live in London |
| Compilations: The Best of Testament | Signs of Chaos | The Very Best of Testament | Days of Darkness | The Spitfire Collection |
| DVD and Video: Seen Between the Lines | Live at the Fillmore | Live in London |
| Savatage |
| Jon Oliva | Damond Jiniya | Chris Caffery | Al Pitrelli | Johnny Lee Middleton | Jeff Plate | Paul O'Neill |
| Criss Oliva | Keith Collins | Steve "Doc" Wacholz | Zak Stevens | Alex Skolnick | Jack Frost |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio Albums: Sirens | Power of the Night | Fight for the Rock | Hall of the Mountain King | Gutter Ballet | Streets: A Rock Opera | Edge of Thorns | Handful of Rain | Dead Winter Dead | The Wake of Magellan | Poets and Madmen |
| Extended Plays: The Dungeons Are Calling | Chance EP | Doesn't Matter Anyway EP |
| Live Albums: Japan Live '94 | Final Bell / Ghost in the Ruins |
| Compilation Albums: From the Gutter to the Stage | The Best and the Rest | Believe |
| Related articles |
| Doctor Butcher | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Jon Oliva's Pain | Circle II Circle | Seven Witches | Megadeth | Testament | Annihilator |
