Alex Skolnick, emblematic guitarist of Testament, reveals that he was twice close to joining Megadeth, but his commitment to Testament and other factors led him to draw a different path.
Alex Skolnick: Two missed opportunities to join Megadeth
Alex Skolnick, known for his role as main guitarist within Testament, recently said in an interview with Eonmusic That he had had two distinct opportunities to join Megadeth, but that he had chosen to remain faithful to his original group. The first opportunity occurred in the late 1980s, while Megadeth was looking for a new guitarist before the arrival of Marty Friedman.
Skolnick explains: “I heard rumors at the time, and if I had contacted their management to say: ‘I really want to try my luck’, it might have been done. But at that time, Testament began to find his sound and his identity with albums like The New Order and Practice What You Preach. It seemed obvious that joining Megadeth implied a certain uncertainty. At this point, the group had already had three guitarists, and I knew that if we joined Megadeth, we did not know how long it would last. ”
This decision allowed Skolnick to stay with Testament, helping to shape some of the most emblematic albums on the Thrash scene.
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-Another opportunity during the Kiko Loureiro era
The second opportunity arose from decades later, during the Kiko Loureiro era in Megadeth. In 2010, Skolnick was contacted to replace Kiko at a few concerts, while the latter’s wife was waiting for a child. Skolnick was ready to go on stage and learned the songs, but finally, Kiko did not miss any show.
“I was on stand-by. I had learned the songs, I was ready. But finally, Kiko didn’t need to miss concerts. I have always had a lot of respect for the group and its members, but it was never further than a potential replacement position. ”
A decision that marked the Thrash scene
By choosing to stay with Testament, Alex Skolnick helped to cement the group’s place as one of the pillars of Thrash Metal. While Megadeth is known for his frequent rotation of musicians, Testament has benefited from the consistency and creativity of Skolnick, which has continued to excel in it for decades.
