Here are some interesting facts about Alex Skolnick ,best known as the lead guitarist of the thrash metal band "Testament":
= Alex Skolnick was born on September 29, 1968, in Berkeley, California.
= He was raised in a non-traditional Jewish family.
= His parents, Jerome Skolnick and Arlene, were both PhD graduates from Yale University.
= His parents taught sociology at New York University and the University of California, Berkeley.
= Skolnick began playing guitar at age nine.
= He was influenced by guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, and Randy Rhoads. Other influences included Frank Zappa, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, "Kiss", and "Scorpions".
= He was a student of guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani.
= In 1984, Skolnick joined the band "Legacy" (which would later become "Testament"), when he was only 16. He replaced original guitarist Derrick Ramirez.
= "Testament’s" debut album, "The Legacy", was released in 1987.
= He released "The New Order" with "Testament" in 1988.
= In 1989, "Testament" released "Practice What You Preach". Which propelled by the singles "Greenhouse Effect", "The Ballad" and the title track "Practice What You Preach", and was a major breakthrough for The band.
= In 1990, "Testament" released "Souls of Black", which was as an influential guitar album, being ranked number nine on "Guitar World" magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1990.
= In 1992, Skolnick played on "Testament's" album "The Ritual"' which marked a major stylistic shift for the band, moving towards a heavy metal sound.
= Skolnick left "Testament" in late 1992 to pursue different musical directions.
= In 1993, Skolnick recorded and toured with the "Stuart Hamm Band".
= He joined "Savatage" in 1994, recording the album "Handful of Rain".
= He also played on "Savatage’s" "Japan Live '94" album.
= In 1995, Skolnick briefly played with Ozzy Osbourne’s band.
= During the late 1990s, he led a funk project called "Skol-Patrol" in the San Francisco Bay Area.
= He formed the band "Attention Deficit", with bassist Michael Manring and drummer Tim Alexander. The band released two albums "Attention Deficit" in 1998, and "The Idiot King" in 2001.
= In the late 1990s, Skolnick collaborated with violinist Joe Deninzon in the band "Stratospheerius".
= Skolnick moved to New York City in 1998. He enrolled at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. He graduated with a degree in jazz performance.
= In 2001, he briefly rejoined "Testament" to re-record old material for "First Strike Still Deadly".
= In 2002, he formed the "Alex Skolnick Trio", which blended jazz with rock and metal influences. Their debut album, "Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation", was released in 2002.
= In 2004, he made a guest appearance on "Lamb of God's" "Ashes of the Wake" album.
= "The Alex Skolnick Trio" released their second album "Transformation" in 2004.
= In 2005, he officially rejoined "Testament" for a reunion tour.
= Skolnick was active in blending music with works of art and literature. He performed in various art galleries, including a project for Egyptian artist Nader Sadek in 2007.
= In 2008, "Testament" released "The Formation of Damnation".
= The "Alex Skolnick Trio" released their third album "Veritas" in 2011.
= In 2012, "Testament" released their eleventh album "Dark Roots of Earth".
= Alex collaborated with pianist Randy Klein on the jazz album "What's Next?" in 2012.
= Skolnick memoir, "Geek to Guitar Hero", was published in 2013.
= In 2014, he released "Planetary Coalition", featuring over twenty musicians from five continents. Skolnick used various guitars, including steel string, nylon string, acoustic, and electric, for Planetary Coalition.
= Alex Skolnick co-founded the supergroup "Metal Allegiance" in 2014, with with bassist David Ellefson ("Megadeth"), drummer Mike Portnoy ("Dream Theater"), and principal songwriter Mark Menghi.
= "Metal Allegiance" released their self-titled debut album "Metal Allegiance" in September 2015. Skolnick contributed guitar work to the entire album, which featured guest appearances by musicians from bands like "Pantera", "Slayer", and "Lamb of God".
= In 2016, "Metal Allegiance" released the EP "Fallen Heroes", dedicated to Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey.
= "Metal Allegiance" released their second full-length album "Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty", in September 2018.
= In 2016, "Testament" released "Brotherhood of the Snake"' theit 12th studio album.
= In 2020, skulnik and "Testament" released their 13th studio album "Titans of Creation".
= In 2009 "Heritage" released Alex's first signature guitar. In 2013, "Budda" released a signature amp for Skolnick, called "the Preceptor". Later in the same year Skolnick was signed to "ESP guitars".
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