Legendary Alex Skolnick: Avant Garde Instrumentalist
Photo: Em Coulter
Metal-to-jazz pathfinder Alex Skolnick discusses musical evolution, literary ventures, and artistic metamorphosis
Alex Skolnick, one of the most significant and influential guitarists of the 20th and 21st centuries, has always extended himself beyond the limits of what most artists do. He’s stepped beyond the boundaries of metal, evolving his style in ways that both accentuate his character and challenge the standard.
I learned a lot myself from this interview, and I know a lot of people out there will appreciate his words as well. This is one of the reasons I feel that talking about music and art is so important.
Skolnick is always engaged with his music; even during the pandemic, he didn’t just sit around. He was recording and collaborating remotely, starting the Moods and Modes podcast, and even live streamed a few jazz shows from the ShapeShifter Lab in New York.
The Alex Skolnick Trio are jazz cats from a different world; the sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Layers of metal lie underneath the swing of ad-lib jams. It’s a remarkable union of
metallic blues and the spirit of Bill Evans. I’d venture to say he’s raised a new genre altogether.
Has there ever been a musician you’ve heard play so ingeniously that it actually became dispiriting to listen too much? Like Art Tatum, for example—there’s a guy who’s “too good”, overwhelming. A player might almost have to get away from that influence, for fear that trying too hard to emulate him could possibly negate their own personal creativity. Have you ever found yourself pulling away from a great inspiration because of that sort of thing?
I can’t think of anyone I’ve avoided studying simply because they were excellent players. I like learning from a variety of sources. However, I’ve avoided listening to certain great musicians mainly because they were being copied by too many others. Ironically, when Joe Satriani was still a local guitar teacher, he had advised me early on to avoid sounding too much like the player of the moment. At the time, Yngwie Malmsteen was new on the scene and one of the most talked about players and I was a big fan. I still learned a few licks but not as intently as I would have and quickly broadened my horizons. In a few years, Joe himself would be that person. So I was influenced by him as a teacher, but I avoided studying his techniques too closely, in order not to sound like the crowd. I didn’t know anyone my age at the time who studied Jeff Beck, but I got deep into his work.
Testament just got back from Mexico not too long ago, and you guys don’t go out on the road again ‘till February.. I’m fascinated by the Alex Skolnick Trio. “Culture Shock” is insane! Do you think you’ll be doing anything with the trio over the next few months?
Thank you. I’ve had a strange balancing act of a career with my trio and other instrumentalists I work with (Percy Jones, Stu Hamm for example), in between touring with Testament. I did manage to write and record a whole new album with the trio. We went into the studio earlier this year. It needs to be mixed and then it’s ready for release, hopefully in mid-2024.
I love your book. I especially love that you wrote it yourself and didn’t use another pro writer. Having to think about personal issues from so many years ago— it forces a different kind of personal reflection. Did writing your own biography give you a better appreciation of the choice you made to pursue music instead of going along with what your parents wanted?
I’m glad to hear that. In many ways the book was my therapy. I’m not sure why the whole world needs to know all these details but I suppose I just felt like putting it out there. I’d been reading a bunch of very revealing memoirs - Anthony Bourdain, Charles Bukowski, Erica Jong - and felt I had things to say of my own. It was also a time when the internet was really beginning to take over the culture, so I was seeing misinterpretations about me online, on message boards and so forth...so I thought, at the very least, here’s a record about how I honestly felt about things. But to your point, yes many memories came flooding back that I thought were gone. It was interesting to revisit decisions I’d made, some I look back in pride. Others, I cringe at but at least I learned from my mistakes.
A lot of upcoming artists and veterans of the music industry have serious respect for you. This magazine is meant to keep people inspired to pursue what they want to do artistically. You are kind of a rebel; in the way you blend music and in the way you took your own path courageously as a kid. Many people don’t have that kind of courage and are looking for something to push them in that direction. Can you give those artists any kind of encouragement that might break down their fears or insecurities to pursue their music?
It’s very nice to be reminded, thank you. I forget sometimes. I swear I have no gripe when I point this out and I know it’s entirely circumstantial, but I have no awards on my shelves or readers or critics polls to my credit (and that’s fine…some of my biggest heroes have the same status!).
Photo: Evelyn Steinweg
If I stopped playing guitar tomorrow, the music industry would basically be unchanged and that’s ok. But then I hear from or meet folks whom I’ve had an impact on. Whether it’s the solo from “Return to Serenity,” an AST tune like “Culture Shock” (which you mentioned), or any number of clips online. It means something to listeners and not because some magazine or other pop culture institution foisted it upon them. Having this meaningful impact on fans, even if I’m not competing with arena selling artists, means so much more.
So I think the main advice I can offer along the lines of what you said is that there are attempts to mold us all around. School, society, media, advertisers, influencers, friends and family (however well intended) and others. Learn to recognize this and try to realize you are being molded. You have to power to resist the molding. Be brave and learn to mold yourself!
A big thank you to Alex Skolnick for sharing his perspective on music and the lifestyle of it. Please don’t miss the upcoming release of The Alex Skolnick Trio, and definitely take the time to
check out Geek To Guitar Hero, a very informative and inspiring autobiography.
Alex joined Testament in 1984, one of the biggest influential speed metal bands ruling the era. He’s played with Savatage and appeared with Ozzy in 1995. He’s led collaborations with renowned artists in the San Francisco Bay area, including members of Primus and Michael Manring. A very accomplished artist, Skolnick is definitely someone to keep an eye on for those who believe in pushing limits and want to persevere in the world of music.
