Testament Guitarist on "The Shred Epidemic"

Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has authored a new blog that deals with what he calls "The Shred Epidemic." The blog is hosted by GuitarPlayer.com. Below is an excerpt from an entry by Skolnick:

"I don't consider myself a 'shredder.' I realize this is a statement that may be surprising to some, but it's true. There are those who call me a shredder and I don't take it as an insult. But I hope there's more to me as a musician - otherwise I should just quit now.

"For one moment, let's compare the role of a guitar player to that of a cook. 'Shredding,' that oft-used term to describe fast soloing, can be compared to its culinary equivalent. In other words, whether we're talking about scales and modes or cabbage and chicken, both scenarios involve chopping items into very small bits. A less literal but more pragmatic comparison might be the following: 'shredding' within a piece of music is like adding any strong ingredient such as basil or hot pepper to a recipe. Used tastefully, it can enhance an existing dish with a touch of spice and intensity. But used unsparingly and egomaniacally, it can overpower the creation and ruin it entirely. Who wants to eat a dish where all you taste is one ingredient?

"I've been described as a shredder by radio hosts and fans. Knowing they mean it endearingly, I smile and take it with a proverbial grain of salt (that other potentially overpowering ingredient). But when labeled as such by websites, blogs, magazines, and those on-line music guides, especially the ones that have the gall to use the word 'genius' to describe themselves, it can be difficult to digest. Sometimes it causes heartburn." (Read More)

Testament Guitarist to Make Guest Appearance on New Maligno Album

Mexican doom rockers Maligno have issued the following statement:

"We are officially done with the tracking of Maligno's third album, which has the working title TFD. As we mentioned before, it is a concept album with a story connected by nine songs which features collaborations by acclaimed Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela in an instrumental and Testament guitar legend Alex Skolnick in another track. The album was recorded by Maligno at La Nave studios [in Monterrey, Mexico] and will be sent to mix to London in the next couple of days and mastering will be done in New York." (Read More)

Skolnick Says Hetfield is "An Unsung Virtuoso"

On November 17, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick posted some thoughts concerning Metallica guitarist/frontman James Hetfield on his official blog:

"Recently a writer from The Quietus, Mark Eglinton, asked for my thoughts on Metallica's James Hetfield.

"While it's no secret that the fans, myself included, haven't always agreed with every decision Metallica has made as a band, I've chosen to look at a subject which seems to have gotten lost in the chaos of Metallica's superstardom: James, the musician.

"James Hetfield is a an unsung virtuoso. His guitar and vocal sound, along with his song ideas, has enabled Metallica to go from being classified alongside Motörhead and Venom to being aligned with Bruce Springsteen and U2. Much of hard music today has been changed by his guitar tone, rhythm playing and vocal technique, making him arguably the most influential musician of his generation.

"James has had more of an influence than most 'lead' guitarists and is a great lead guitarist himself. His occasional solos are among Metallica's most memorable, proving that speed and chops are secondary to melody. He is also a terrific acoustic guitarist, playing intricate parts with a lot of depth, consistency and dynamics.

"I'm convinced that had he chosen to play drums, bass or lead guitar in his band, James Hetfield would have been just as influential and virtuosic."

Interview with Testament’s Alex Skolnick

Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick recently sat down for an interview conducted by Mama's Fallen Angels. The chat is available in two parts and can be streamed below.

On August 10, Testament performed at the Sirius XM studio in New York City. The performance was part of the satellite radio service's Artist Confidential series.

Artist Confidential showcases some of the most important artists in the music industry and features candid interviews, live performances, and conversations with fans. The show began its run on October 5 on Sirius XM's Liquid Metal.

Although Testament had previously announced a string of South American tour dates in September, the San Francisco Bay Area metallers recently cancelled those dates. The reason for the cancellations has been cited as a need to focus on recording a follow-up to the band's 2008 album, The Formation of Damnation. Until recently, Testament had been continuously touring in support of the album. They also did the Priest Feast tour in Europe with Judas Priest as well as the Metal Masters tour with Heaven and Hell and Motörhead.

2009 has seen the reissuing of two classic Testament albums on gatefold double vinyl: 1997's Demonic and 1999's The Gathering. Both reissues were released by Prosthetic Records. Each record is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and features etched artwork on Side D. In addition, 100 copies of Demonic feature red vinyl and 100 copies of The Gathering feature gold vinyl.

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