Away Team

From Alexskolnick.com:

“It’s been nearly ten years since my first TSO Winter Tour. Each year it’s been an incredible experience, traveling from arena to arena being an important part of the largest symphonic rock production in history. This year, however, I’ve decided to make the difficult decision of stepping out of the spotlight (and lasers, fog, fire and snow) and embarking upon new adventures.
The reasons for this are twofold. As one might imagine, the TSO winter tour is a demanding one- with long days and an action packed show that calls for no less than 200% of yourself, often twice a day from the mid-October rehearsals to the final show in January. While the awesome response from fans and the collaboration with fellow performers make it beyond worth it, there comes a point, after so many years of annual grueling intensity, for some of us to draw upon that quarter of a year’s worth of time and energy in order to launch a renewed focus on our own visions.”

Read more of ALEX SKOLNICK‘s post here.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA has issued the following update:

“The Winter Tour stage is being built as we speak and the entire band is counting the days ’til we get to fire up the new show. As always we are determined to take the show to another level. Can’t wait to see you on the road.


Sincerely From New York City (Nocturnal Division),
Paul O’Neill and everyone in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra”

TSO Winter Tour dates:
November
3 – Omaha, NE – Mid-America Center
3 – Omaha, NE – Mid-America Center
3 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
3 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
4 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Civic Center
4 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
5 – Springfield, MO – JQH Arena
5 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
6 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
6 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
6 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
6 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
7 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
7 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
7 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
7 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
8 – Madison, WI – Kohl Center
10 – Dayton, OH – Nutter Center
11 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
11 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
12 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena
12 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
13 – Hershey, PA – Giant Center
13 – Hershey, PA – Giant Center
13 – Seattle, WA – Key Arena at Seattle Center
13 – Seattle, WA – Key Arena at Seattle Center
14 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
14 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
14 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
15 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden Arena
17 – Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Energy Solutions Arena
18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Energy Solutions Arena
18 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
19 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
20 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center (formerly Wachovia Center)
20 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center (formerly Wachovia Center)
20 – Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena
20 – Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena
21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center
21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center
21 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion
21 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion
24 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
24 – Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena
24 – Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena
26 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
26 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
26 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Sports Arena
26 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Sports Arena
27 – Indianapolis, IN – Conseco Fieldhouse
27 – Indianapolis, IN – Conseco Fieldhouse
27 – Las Vegas, NV – Thomas & Mack Center
28 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
28 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
28 – Phoenix, AZ – Jobing.com Arena
28 – Phoenix, AZ – Jobing.com Arena
December
1 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
1 – Oklahoma City, OK – Ford Center
2 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena
2 – Oklahoma City, OK – Ford Center
3 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center
3 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
4 – Greenville, SC – BI-LO Center
4 – Greenville, SC – BI-LO Center
4 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
4 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
5 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
5 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
5 – Raleigh, NC – RBC Center
5 – Raleigh, NC – RBC Center
8 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyTel Center
8 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
8 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
9 – Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
9 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Arena
10 – Atlanta, GA – Gwinnett Center
10 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
11 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena
11 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena
11 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
11 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
12 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
12 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
12 – Orlando, FL – Amway Arena
12 – Orlando, FL – Amway Arena
15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
15 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
16 – Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center
16 – Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center
16 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
17 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum
17 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
18 – Little Rock, AR – North Little Rock Verizon Arena
18 – Little Rock, AR – North Little Rock Verizon Arena
18 – TBA, NJ
18 – TBA, NJ
19 – Buffalo, NY – HSBC Arena
19 – Buffalo, NY – HSBC Arena
19 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
19 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
22 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
22 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
22 – Ottawa, ON – Scotiabank Place
22 – Ottawa, ON – Scotiabank Place
23 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena
23 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena
23 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
23 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
26 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
26 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
26 – Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center
26 – Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center
27 – Minneapolis, MN – Xcel Energy Center
27 – Minneapolis, MN – Xcel Energy Center
28 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
28 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
29 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
29 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
29 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
29 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
30 – Detroit, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
30 – Detroit, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
30 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
30 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center

For more TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA click here.

ICARUS WITCH Reports: “It’s never to early to make your plans for the international heavy metal holiday Halloween weekend. This year, the place for true metalheads to be is Marietta, Georgia for the Pathfinder MetalFest 2010. Icarus Witch are excited to announce they have been added as one of the featured artists on this stellar bill that will be headlined by JON OLIVA’S PAIN!
This has been a banner year for the Witch – already including a North American tour backing original IRON MAIDEN vocalist, Paul DiAnno, support slots with LIZZY BORDEN, a high profile appearance at Warriors Of Metal Open Air, an upcoming gig with Otep and a soon-to-launch summer tour opening for Y&T that peaks with a slot at Midwest Rock Fest alongside TWISTED SISTER! The news of playing with yet another hero in SAVATAGE / TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA vocal legend Jon Oliva just gives the band and its circle a fall to look forward to as well.
The Pathfinder MetalFest will be held October 30, 2010 at The Local ConcertVenue (1440 Roswell Rd. in) Marietta, GA. For more info on the event which will soon be announcing the full lineup, visit the official forum here.”

As previously reported, Icarus Witch have been confirmed to open for Y&T‘s upcoming July/August 2010 tour.
Long-time rock icons Y&T will be touring in support of Facemelter, their first studio album in 13 years on Frontiers Records. Icarus Witch will continue promoting their recent release, Draw Down The Moon, this time with former DIRTY LOOKS guitarist/backing vocalist, Christopher Shaner as the new frontman and DI’ANNO guitarist, Ed Skero on 2nd lead guitar.
“It’s a good thing we didn’t unpack out bags from the Paul DiAnno tour yet because we just got word from Brian Perera at Cleopatra Records that Icarus Witch is confirmed to tour America once again“, states Icarus Witch bassist Jason Myers. “This July and August we will be crisscrossing the country opening for one of our all-time favorite bands, Y&T! Their classics like ‘Mean Streak‘, ‘Midnight In Tokyo‘, ‘Forever‘, ‘Don’t Stop Runnin‘ and ‘Summertime Girls‘ have always been the perfect soundtrack to summer partying. Now we’ll get to hear them played at full volume in a different city every night after warming up the crowds. See you on the road!”

Upcoming Icarus Witch live appearances:
July
16 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
17 – Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
21 – The Roadhouse – Dacona, CO
24 – TBA
28 – Steel Mill – Martins Ferry, OH
August
4 – Hard Rock Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
5 – Sterling Rock Room – Allentown, PA
6 – The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
7 – BB King’s – New York, NY
8 – Jaxx – Springfield, VA
11 – Zeros Hard Rock Club – Corpus Christi, TX
13 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
14 – Backstage Live – San Antonio, TX
15 – Zen-Meister Bar – El Paso, TX
September
21 – Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH (with Kamelot, Leaves Eyes)
October
30 – The Local ConcertVenue – Marietta, GA

For more information on Icarus Witch check out their website here.

This interview was conducted on May 29th, 2009 in Raleigh, NC.

When you think of Bay Area Thrash, you think of four bands; Metallica, Exodus, Testament, and Death Angel. Sure there were others of that time, and many that came later. But those four bands defined Thrash Metal and the ‘Bay Area’ sound. Naturally there were none bigger than Metallica, but close on their heels has to be Testament. After 24 years, numerous lineup changes, a throat cancer scare, and a nine year period of inactivity, Testament is back with a new album Formation of Damnation featuring Chuck Billy on vocals, Eric Peterson on guitar, Alex Skolnick on guitar, Greg Christian on bass, and Paul Bostaph on drums. A new tour that is taking the bands to markets they haven’t played in 15 years or more (I caught the show in Raleigh, NC, and there was much debate as to whether Testament had actually ever played Raleigh before). And a new focus and determination to take the band higher and farther than it has ever been before. I met with Alex Skolnick right before their set at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, and talked about Testament, Trans Siberian Orchestra, the Alex Skolnick Trio and life before and after Testament. Here we go….

Away-Team: This is Jim Keller with Alex Skolnick from Testament. Once again I want to thank you for sitting down and doing this interview with us, much appreciated.

Alex: Absolutely!

Away-Team: What I’d like to do basically is start at the beginning of the band.

Alex: Okay.

Away-Team: Testament was originally started as The Legacy..

Alex: Right…

Away-Team: By Eric (Peterson) and his cousin. They had Steve Souza in the band as a vocalist who left to join Exodus before you recorded your first album. It was reported that he actually suggested Chuck (Billy) as his replacement. Why did Steve leave?

Alex: Well it was funny ‘cause he was the guy that gave us all serious talking toos about how everybody in this band has to be serious. You know when I joined the band he’s like you’re either serious, you either take this seriously or you take it somewhere else. We don’t want guys that are just in here that are just gonna leave and join some other band. Sure enough *laughs* he’s the guy that ends up leaving. But you know he left because I think he felt Exodus was going farther, faster.

Away-Team: At that time when you joined, you were a student of Joe Satriani’s Correct?

Alex: Correct.

Away-Team: And after you joined the band did you continue practicing with him, learning from him?

Alex: I studied with him for about two years. I was with him, basically for the first six months I was in the band and then he started getting really busy. He did his first solo recordings. He definitely uh got me to learn a lot more on my own than I would have otherwise.

Away-Team: So, is it kind of a prerequisite that if you’re going to be in one of the better thrash bands out of San Francisco a la Testament, Metallica; you had to learn from Joe?

Alex: Apparently!! Everybody studied with him, yeah!

Away-Team: Before the first album or during the recording of the first album you had to change your name from The Legacy because there was some jazz band apparently that had the name…

Alex: It was a hotel band…

Away-Team: A hotel band had copyrighted the name The Legacy?

Alex: Yeah. A hotel R&B band in New Orleans.

Away-Team: So the story I had heard was that the reason you changed it to Testament was because the CD artwork – everything was already done and the label didn’t want to re-do everything, so you had named the album originally Testament…

Alex: That’s not true

Away-Team: That’s not true, okay, so how did you come up with Testament, then?

Alex: Billy Milano, the singer for SOD came up with the name. Ya know he was on Megaforce Records. So basically an all points bulletin went out, to find a name for the band that Megaforce had just signed. So yeah, I think the guys from Anthrax were suggesting names. Everybody at the record label suggested. We were trying to come up with names and it was Billy Milano that came up with the name Testament.

Away-Team: Did he know you guys or was it just kind of, this is a cool name they should use something like this?

Alex: We had met him, once. But I think he had come up… I feel like I had met him, like maybe when we were recording the first album, and we just, we knew we had to have a name, before the album was released, obviously and it was just one of many suggestions and it was the one, we kind of lived with it for a while and it felt the best.

Away-Team: Your current album, Formation of Damnation, to me is far and away the strongest album you guys have recorded since Practice What You Preach. It’s probably a more straightforward thrash sounding album than some of the last few albums. Was this a culmination of various writing from the last nine years or did you all sit down and write the album together as a whole band?

Alex: No, it was a combination. I think the previous album the guys did when I wasn’t with the band, The Gathering, that was the first one I felt, a lot of people felt, where Chuck and Eric sort of found a formula that works for them. So I didn’t want to really, get in the way of that formula and try to make it 1989 again. But I made a lot of suggestions with the music they were doing and I did bring in some music of my own. Some of that got used; the song F.E.A.R. is something I wrote. But it was more a combination of ideas that Chuck and Eric had had, playing around with some new stuff.

Away-Team: And Eric being the predominant songwriter, music writer for the band, now with this you’re current lineup which is the semi-reunited lineup or the original lineup with addition of Paul Bostaph is it a more of a collaborative thing now or at least going forward to looking at the next album is going to be more collaborative?

Alex: We’ll see, just kind of going to let it happen as it happens.

Away-Team: And will there be a new album?

Alex: There will eventually be, yes.

Away-Team: We mentioned the many lineup changes you guys have done over the years. You being one of them. You guys all got together in 2001 as The Legacy for the Chuck Billy cancer benefit. That show saw the best of the Bay Area thrash scene reuniting for a great cause. Bands like Exodus, Death Angel, Sadus, Vio-lence and of course you. In the last eight years or so, Exodus, Death Angel, you guys now with the Formation of Damnation, have released what many consider to be the best music of your individual and collective careers. Some amazing stuff has come out of the original Bay Area thrash scene in the last couple years. It seems that it’s alive and well again. What do you attribute the current popularity or resurrection of the Bay Area trash scene to?

Alex: Well I think part of it is it’s not as isolated as it used to be. It used to be this very isolated area of music. Pretty much limited to the Bay Area with the exception of ya know Megadeth from LA and Anthrax form New York. I think it’s now like one of many genres of very heavy metal. Ya know you have black metal, you have death metal from Florida and it all relates to thrash metal. There are all these relatives in metal. And now you’ve got some newer bands that have formed in the last ten, fifteen years that in some cases are seeing a lot of success and that’s brought a lot more awareness to the original Bay Area thrash scene. So when we first did the reunion shows it was unclear what kind of type of fan we would have. Was it just going to be Old School fans? But there are actually a lot of young fans that are keeping it alive and well.

Away-Team: Well, if you go in the venue right now; I was very surprised. ‘Cause that was one of the things I looked at as they were lining up out here. Is that they are all going to be my age or our age like a bunch of older guys standing out here but the entire crowd in there tonight has gotta be 25 or younger!

Alex: And if we depended on guys our age, the audience wouldn’t be that big. Let’s face it.

Away-Team: Yeah. Absolutely.

Alex: People get to be our age and they have jobs, families; most don’t go out to shows like they did when they were in their twenties. So it’s nice to have a combination. It’s not that we have, we haven’t lost the original fans. But we do have this big young following now. I think a lot of other bands are seeing that as well, like Exodus.

Away-Team: You had mentioned what I call, like the second wave of thrash.. 10 to 15 year old bands. Today you’ve got bands like the band on stage right now, Lazarus AD. Very, very similar to the old Bay Area thrash style. Warbringer, Municipal Waste a lot of very young bands, that seeing a lot of good response, that can be harkened right back to you guys. It’s like the third generation now. Twenty years later there’s still bands coming out and they’re not Retro, they’re not recreating the sound, but they are continuing it if nothing else and that’s got to really, for you guys to be their inspiration, it’s really got to be something.

Alex: It’s great. It’s also great because for so long we were told our music’s not going to last. It’s passing. It’s in left field. It was this outcast music that nobody predicted a future for. So there’s the answer right there. Great, new young bands that are doing it today.

Away-Team: And twenty four years later, you guys are still out here kicking ass, so it’s very cool. Going back to the formation of not damnation, but of Testament. Can you name one of your favorite memories of the mid to late eighties in the Bay Area Thrash music scene? Some of the shows from The Stone or Ruthie’s Inn or Mabuhay Gardens?

Alex: Yeah, I will say I remember one time Metallica playing at Ruthie’s unannounced, just to do a warm-up. That was great. They did a lot of, they did some punk covers. It was just a fun gig. Uh, there was also this project called Spastik Children, with Cliff Burton, James Hetfield on drums and it was like comedy like sort of South Park before South Park. Completely politically incorrect, funny, bad, badly played on purpose music.

Away-Team: God, I forgot all about Spastik Children…

Alex: Yeah, some of those shows are pretty memorable.

Away-Team: With Metallica coming from L.A., basically because the L.A. scene just couldn’t handle them. The crowds didn’t get what they were trying to do, with you guys, Vio-lence, Exodus, Death Angel, were you kind of a close knit community? Was it kind of you against everybody else? Was there a lot of camaraderie there, or..?

Alex: I’d say there was camaraderie and competition simultaneously. Everybody wanted to be the best band they could and even though a lot of us we didn’t really sound alike. You always had to keep an eye out for the other bands. It’s like different football teams that are all in the same league. You want, as a whole you want to do well, but you still want to come out on top, above everybody else.

Away-Team: I understand. Your current tour, in support of the Formation of Damnation, is unique in that you guys are allowing the fans to vote, via your MySpace page, for the set list they want to hear in their given town. You have three options, The Legacy, plus hits, The New Order plus hits, or a chronicle set list, basically from start to finish of your catalogue. How did you guys come about the idea? How has it been received? And any regrets on having to keep rotating a roughly thirty song playlist on tour?

Alex: It’s worked out very easily, because overwhelmingly everybody’s voted for the Chronicle stuff, so that’s pretty much what we’ve done. And I’m not sure who came up with the idea, but it’s definitely been a very good idea and it’s just been fun to hear from the fans. And in the process they’ve not only voted on the songs, a lot of them have made suggestions a long the way. “We want to hear a chronicle, but we really want to hear this song. Why don’t you play this song?”

Away-Team: And you guys are actually listening and paying attention to what they’re…

Alex: Oh absolutely.

Away-Team: Beside the main lineup changes, you guys have several label changes over the years; mainly due to simple bad luck and the labels folding on you. Did I read though that somehow you guys ended up on a gospel label prior to signing with Nuclear Blast?

Alex: Well I think what happened was we were signed to Spitfire which got bought by another label, which was a gospel label.

Away-Team: OK. And they had no interest in releasing the new Testament CD? Laughs

Alex: Oh, Exactly. I’m sure at first they thought, oh this is perfect.

Away-Team: A “New Testament” band awesome!

Alex: And then they found out what it was and then they let the band go, no problem.

Away-Team: So did Spitfire have some religious bands on their roster?

Alex: I don’t think so. I’m not sure.

Away-Team: Laughs. Alright, you are currently on Nuclear Blast and they are treating you well…

Alex: Treating us great. It’s a great partnership absolutely.

Away-Team: Good, good. When the current tour with Unearth and Lazarus AD, at least the North American leg of it is over, what are you guys’ plans? Where are you going next?

Alex: We’re off for a couple weeks, then we’re going to be in Europe for July and part of August to do a lot of festivals.

Away-Team: Do you have any plans for a follow up album and will we have to wait another nine years for it?

Alex: No, it’ll be recorded next year, most likely released, late, by late next year

Away-Team: Great! With all the side projects, from your various members, Dragonlord, you in Trans Siberian Orchestra, Chuck’s Dublin Death Patrol and your jazz trio, how do you guys find time to get together, to record and tour? And how does that affect, I mean is Testament now the priority or is it ‘we can fit in Testament around these various projects’? TSO’s a big deal, it’s a big show and you have to…

Alex: Yeah, it’s a unique situation, because I was already, I’d already been playing with TSO for several years by the time the Testament reunion happened. So it’s been pretty understood that during the months of the Winter TSO tour I’m not available. I do my best, as far as my trio and I have couple other projects I’m involved with as well, some as a producer which I can’t talk about yet. They’re…They’re gonna be

Away-Team: Then I won’t ask that question…

Alex: Pretty exciting times and projects… We’re doing an album cycle right now. So, since last year we’ve been doing an album cycle, so this, Testament has been the priority. Soon as we’re done with this album cycle I think there’s going to be a slight shift in priorities. The way this record got created was a lot of the basics were worked on while I was with TSO, I would write ideas, which I think is going to happen this next tour as well, and then I think next year, Before the album cycle, before the Testament album cycle starts, that’s going to be a good chance for me to do a lot more stuff with the Alex Skolnick Trio. But then, of course, once the Testament album cycle starts then that’s going to be the priority. It really depends on where we are in terms of the album cycle..

Away-Team: So everybody’s working together though, with all their side projects, everything kind of fits in OK and there’s no real conflict going on with it?

Alex: Yeah, I mean it’s a different thing with me, because with TSO it’s a very set tour. With Dragonlord, Eric decides, when that tours. With my Trio there are people that decide it with me, so we work to make sure that we capitalize on any available time I have to tour with them.

Away-Team: I have heard that some of your solos for Formation of Damnation were recorded while on tour with TSO and done in someone’s bathroom in New York. Is that correct?

Alex: That’s not true. I mean the part about the bathroom is not true. What basically happened was some of the solos were recorded in Albany, when TSO had some days off in 2007. The first studio that we found was a guy’s basement…

Away-Team: It was his basement, OK

Alex: Yeah. And it just, it was an awful situation. We had like 48 hours, we had two days and the goal was to do all of the solos and basically a whole day was wasted. We were getting all of this radio signal out of the amps and the guy had no idea what to do about it. So then we found a really good studio the one that we should’ve been at all along and I did half of the songs, and I did the other half as soon I was done with the TSO tour.

Away-Team: Now did you already have the solos worked out or a rough idea what you were going to do with them…

Alex: I had a couple rough ideas, but some of them I came up with on the spot….

Away-Team: ‘Cause they’re some outstanding solos.

Alex: Thank you!

Away-Team: Across the board the musicianship and the work on Formation of Damnation is actually very stellar…

Alex: I appreciate that.

Away-Team: Paul Bostaph is currently drumming for you. This his second stint in the band now. He’s played with some other great bands besides Testament. He started out with Forbidden… Slayer, Exodus and another not as well known Bay Area band, but that I’m very familiar with, Systematic. He’s kind of become known as the ‘go to’ metal drummer, almost like a journeyman. Is he now a permanent member of Testament?

Alex: It certainly feels that way. That remains to be seen. Yeah, it definitely feels that way. I know on our end there’s no thought of working with anybody else…

Away-Team: OK, so Louie’s not going to come knocking on the bus one day? Where is Louie?

Alex: Louie comes… Louie makes appearances. He’s always… He always visits us when we play. He was just on tour with us for three days…

Away-Team: Oh, really?

Alex: He doesn’t really play any more. He just likes to hang out. We like having him around. It works out well. We get him away from his job. He’s like a, a relative…

Away-Team: Is there anything you haven’t done yet, goal-wise or music-wise that you still want to? And what is it?

Alex: Yeah there’s a lot of things. Definitely, I’m close, I mean I feel like with my instrumental albums I’m able to do the music that’s in my head. Which is great! For me it’s just getting my instrumental stuff to a wider audience. And I’d like to see Testament reach a wider audience as well. The truth is, what I would really like to see is the trio playing venues like Testament’s playing; those size crowds. I’d like to see Testament playing to crowds more like TSO’s.

Away-Team: Absolutely!

Alex: I get this experience of every year playing in front of a packed arena. Sometimes twice a day! And this band has never experienced that. That kind of production, that kind of audience. We’ve had some great support slots in arenas. But I think this could be a great arena band.

Away-Team: You guys have never actually headlined arenas?

Alex: Never

Away-Team: Really. Wow, I did not realize that.

Alex: Yep!

Away-Team: There’s many bands out there today that are citing Testament as an influence, as a musician it’s got to be an ultimate compliment. How do you react to something like that? I mean, how does that make you feel?

Alex: Great! It feels great. It’s a great compliment. It’s not something you think about while you’re doing it, while you’re in the studio or playing live; about having an influence on somebody else, you just do what you do. But when you hear that, it’s amazing, ‘cause having had many influences myself, just to think that I was able to be what I saw in my favorite guitars players, other people are seeing in me, which is really, really cool.

Away-Team: Who are some of your influences?

Alex: Well, it started out with Randy Rhodes and Eddie Van Halen, Michael Shanker. I studied their influences, Jeff Beck, Clapton, Hendrix and then the classic Blues players. And then once I got into Jazz, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny…

Away-Team: What made you pick up a guitar to begin with?

Alex: KISS.

Away-Team: Really?

Alex: Yep. I discovered KISS and wanted to play KISS songs.

Away-Team: And it was the guitar always?

Alex: It was piano, very briefly in third grade. And then I had a bad music teacher and I, I quit piano. Now I bought a piano. I still like to play, but I have no plans to play professionally.

Away-Team: We’re not going to see you in a hotel lounge somewhere tickling the ivories…

Alex: Not anytime soon!

Away-Team: Well Alex, that pretty much wraps up my questions. I do appreciate your time… I wish you much luck with the rest of the tour…

Alex: Thank you!

Away-Team: The festivals this summer, of course TSO in the winter and then at some point next year we’ll hear a little bit from the trio again.

Alex: Yeah, yeah, going to try to squeeze out a new trio album. Or at least an EP this year.

Away-Team: Great! Alright, well I appreciate it Alex, thank you very much again for your time!

Alex: No problem Jim, good to see you again.

There you have it. We got some shout outs to Cliff Burton, James Hetfield and Spastik Children, Billy Milano of MOD and SOD, and KISS! My thanks to Brian at Adrenaline PR for setting up the interview, Mark for ensuring it actually happened, Alex for jumping in last minute and rescuing the interview, and Bam Bam as always for getting me in the interviews to begin with!
If you haven’t heard Formation Of Damnation go pick it up NOW!!!! And check out Testament on the road. The show that night was nothing short of amazing. The guys played with a furiousness that belied their age, and a sense of fun and having a good time. The music and vocals were spot on, and I did not hear one person walk away from that show with a bad word.

For more information on TESTAMENT visit their site here.
For more information on Alex, and the Alex Skolnick Trio click here.