Alex Skolnick
| Alex Skolnick | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
September 29, 1968 Berkeley, California, United States |
| Genres | Heavy metal, thrash metal, jazz, jazz fusion, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, bass |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast Palmetto |
| Associated acts | Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Attention Deficit, Skol-Patrol, Stratospheerius, Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Klein, Metal Allegiance, Stu Hamm Band |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
|
ESP Alex Skolnick Eclipse Heritage Guitar Ibanez 540 Power II Ibanez Saber Gibson Les Paul |
|
Alexander Nathan Skolnick (born September 29, 1968), is an American metal and jazz guitarist who is the lead guitarist of the Bay Area thrash metal band Testament, and heads the jazz band Alex Skolnick Trio. According to a Guitar World magazine reader's poll he is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time and one of the fastest guitarists in the world.
Born and raised in Berkeley, California by a "non-traditional" Jewish family, Skolnick began playing the guitar at age nine. He was influenced by Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Scorpions. He was a student of renowned guitarist Joe Satriani and was one of many guitarists (Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogan) who studied under Satriani to achieve fame. His parents, Jerome Skolnick and Arlene, both PhD graduates from Yale University, were professors of sociology at New York University and have previously taught at UC Berkeley. Skolnick has an older brother, Michael.
Skolnick was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993. He returned briefly to re-record some old material for the band's First Strike Still Deadly release, as well as the "Thrash of the Titans" all-star performance in 2001, before returning full-time four years later.
...
Wikipedia