TESTAMENT's ALEX SKOLNICK: 'It Would Be Great' To Tour With METALLICA

During an appearance on "The Jasta Show", the video podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick spoke about the likelihood of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans one day touring with METALLICA. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the fact that PANTERA is out there with [METALLICA now] and just killing it at the stadium level… Yeah, even though, [PANTERA] did some real numbers as far as record sales in the '90s, but still, it's intense music and it's much closer to the sort of — I wouldn't say extreme these days, 'cause now music's gotten so extreme, but it's much closer to a lot of the more underground music and they're doing it at that level and proving that it works at that level. So you never know. "

He continued: "But whenever I run into the METALLICA guys, I'm not gonna ask them, 'Hey, man, take me on tour.' [That would be] ridiculous. I'd rather talk to Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] about movies. I'd rather talk to Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] about vintage Gibson guitars. I'd rather talk to Robert [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist] about Jaco Pastorius. James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist], whatever he wants to talk about.

"They're great guys, and they're so supportive," Skolnick added. "I mean, sure, it would be great. But also that's an organization now. Even if they want to handpick some lineup, they have [their management company] Q Prime [which oversees all of that]."

Last November, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy told Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast that his "number one" ambition "is to be able to go on tour with METALLICA, a band that grew up in our scene, our area, paved the way for this kind of music. We've never had that opportunity to perform a tour with them," he said. "We might have played a couple of shows and festivals over the time, but never got to tour. There's a lot of history there that I really don't know the answer why we never have, and maybe you could pose that question to them one day — why not? — and maybe I'll get my answer someday what the reason is. But that would be my number one, because I always look up to James as a vocalist, his style, whenever I write music. Even to this day, my go-to is, 'What would James do on this song? What would he do for this?' So they're a big inspiration for me. I'm glad that they're forging forward, putting in the time and not giving up either after this many years."

When McKaysmith noted that he "connects" with TESTAMENT's music more than he does to METALLICA's, Chuck said: "Well, it depends how old you are. I connect [with METALLICA's music] just because I know what they started from and what they've grown into. And, yeah, you're right — [METALLICA] is a supernova, and you can't slow it down and you can't look back. You've gotta kind of keep doing what you do. But I give them props for continuing on and not just going, 'You know what? I'm rich enough. I'm done.' And having the balls to play [the] music [they want] to make no matter what anybody has to say about it. As long as you're getting in that rehearsal room and it still gives you a chub, hey, more power to you."

Billy previously talked about his desire to tour with METALLICA in an August 2021 interview with "The Jasta Show". Lamenting the fact that TESTAMENT has yet to do a proper tour with METALLICA even though the two groups have known each other for more than three decades, Chuck said: "Whenever I'm asked, 'What is the one band you wish you can play with?', it's always METALLICA. It's, like, we grew up with these guys [in] the same era, but we never went on tour [with them]. I think a few years ago, we did three shows in Germany [with them] on a festival. It was funny, 'cause our band walked in and their band was walking, and we all kind of met in this hallway. And [we were], like, 'Hey, what's going on?' It was a like old friends seeing each other. I think it was James or Lars, they said, 'Oh my God. Look at you guys. You guys all still got your hair. You guys are big.' 'Cause Steve [DiGiorgio, TESTAMENT bassist] and Gene [Hoglan, then-TESTAMENT drummer] are all six-[foot]-two, six-[foot]-three. But it was great seeing 'em."

Billy went on to express his hope that TESTAMENT could still properly share the stage with METALLICA. "It would be great," he said. "And who knows? Maybe one day. Even the [San Francisco] Bay Area shows, when they do those special shows, EXODUS played, DEATH ANGEL played — a lot of people got to play. I don't know. I do know, because Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] — I don't know if you know the story — Eric actually married Kirk's [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] ex when they split up. So I don't know if that has something [to do with it] — [a] deep down underlying reason. That's the only thing [we can think of]. We're, like, 'What is it, Eric? What'd you do to us? Why did you date her? Now we can't play with METALLICA.' [Laughs]"

Back in 2017, Hetfield was asked in an interview with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People to name his favorite thrash bands that are not part of the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX). James said: "Oh, my God! There's tons of them. Well, EXODUS for sure. We grew up with those guys in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. Oh, and we stole their guitar player; that too. [Laughs] But, yeah, I think they're great. TESTAMENT… A lot of bands in the Bay Area, a lot of thrash stuff."

Photo credit: Fred Kowalo