TESTAMENT Guitarist ALEX SKOLNICK Looks Back On The Last Few Months

Guitarist Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT, ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) has issued the following update:

"The big news is the our new [ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO] album, 'Last Day In Paradise' is done and available on Magnitude Records! It feels great to have this album complete, especially in the midst of the whirlwind of musical activity of last year. I have no doubt that it's our best album as a band and my personal best work in terms of improvisation and composition. We took some chances, tried some different ideas and it feels like an album we can all listen to and be proud of.

"As we gear up to tour in support of the new album, let me tell you what's been going on in all this time.

"After a busy August which included trips with TESTAMENT, including Bulgaria, most of last September was spent on tour with the trio road testing our new tunes. For the first week of October, we went into the studio for new album sessions. The next week, mixing every night, usually after rehearsing with the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA during the day, for the upcoming winter tour '06. The following weekend included a short TESTAMENT tour, with stops in Canada and the NY tri-state area. Was great to connect with all the Canadian TESTAMENT fans, many of whom had just seen me there with the trio a month earlier. The rest of the month was finished out with TSO rehearsals. A short time later, left town with TSO for preproduction and began our two tour of the U.S., our biggest yet, both in terms of length (two months) and size (all concert arenas). It was a great time. Highlights included playing with guest artists who were no less than classic rock royalty: Ian Hunter (of MOTT THE HOOPLE),Greg Lake (of EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER) and Jon Anderson (of YES). In fact, I'd have to count playing 'Roundabout' in front of 14,000 people in Philly with Jon as a career highlight (which included covering that solo acoustic guitar intro while he was standing right there next to me a 'most terrifying moment' but a terrific one).

"After the tour (and a short week or so of well needed rest,),headed out to NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) in Southern California to represent Heritage Guitars, D'Addario Strings and my new friends at Seymour Duncan pick-ups as well as meet up with the throngs of fellow musicians out there (NAMM is known for networking all day and crazy parties at night). From NAMM, flew back to NY for a whirlwind trip to work with Attack Theatre, a terrific modern dance troupe that incorporates live music, dance and multi-media (and was the inspiration for our new song 'Western Sabbath Stomp'). The show went terrifically and was more than worth the trip. Early the next morning, flew back out to the West Coast and met up with TESTAMENT guys for rehearsals, writing sessions and a show in San Francisco. This was the first with new drummer Nick Barker and he seriously kicked butt (and bass drum). This show was a warm-up for our trip a week later to the distant land of Australia. Somehow, after all these years and between all of our travels both as a band and individually, the land Down Under has eluded us all. It was so good to finally make the trip to Australia, although I could do without that brutal flight! I rarely complain about traveling and quite enjoy it (which is a good thing in my line of work). But try six hours to L.A., 14 hours to Sydney and 90 minutes to Melbourne. Add taxis and layovers and we're talking 25-30 hours straight travel! Plus that time difference. Oh my god — do you know what a sixteen-hour time difference feels like? Yech!! Fortunately, Australia is totally worth it. It's like this far away exotic place where English is spoken and the culture is very Western, yet it feels a billion miles from home.

"Being in almost a half a dozen musical projects leaves little time for hobbies, and one of the few I've been able to develop is wine-studying, tasting, collecting. On this trip, I found that Australian wine's are among my favorite (and this coming from someone that grew up not far from Napa and Sonoma counties).

"As I write this, TESTAMENT is in Arizona and we just played Poland, Hungary and Texas (strange routing, yes). Soon, the trio heads out for a week tour, of the Northeast highlighted by our CD release gig at Knitting Factory in New York. One of my favorite all-time guitarists, Jim Campilongo, who plays with Norah Jones in THE LITTLE WILLIES, will be closing the evening. And things will be be kicked off by newcomer Kelli Rudick, a young solo artists I stumbled upon in a small venue in NYC. She has to be heard to believed.

"Speaking of new, interesting aritists, I'm also really excited about RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, an amazing acoustic guitar duo from Mexico. I was blown away by their performance on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' — some of the most graceful Spanish guitar styles and unique rhythm techniques. I was pleasantly surprised to see them mention the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO on their MySpace page. It turns out they're big fans (and vice versa) and we're going to meet when they play in New York soon. They've asked me to jam with them backstage so I'm going to start warming up right now....

"The second half of April and early May will be really exciting int a musical sense and a culinary sense as well. TESTAMENT plays multiple shows in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Then I fly back and after a day of rest, return to South Korea with the Broadway concert 'Jekyll And Hyde', which has gotten very popular there. Can't wait to dive into bul dak, or fire chicken, a recent dish which has surged in popularity in Korea. It is extremely spicy, just the way I like it. : )

"After Korea, and a week or so at home, the trio heads out for two-week-plus tour across the U.S. We're planning to head all the way to Texas and hit various spots in the Midwest and Southern areas along the way. Those dates are still being booked and will be [announced] soon."