Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick is featured in a new installment of Ultimate Guitar's On The Record. In the clip below he looks back on the time he played in Ozzy Osbourne's band for only one show and, despite getting some good feedback, he didn't get the gig. The show in question took place some time in 1995 and Skolnick came after Zakk Wylde's long run with Ozzy. He was ultimately replaced by Joe Holmes.
Skolnick: "That was completely surreal. At that point, I think I was already sort of on my path towards just taking a few years off, just to study and to see where that took me. And I would have been happy just being a lesser-known guitar player playing breweries and coffee shops, bopping around colleges on the east coast, I don't know, music theory teacher, jazz guitar, teacher, whatever. But then that Ozzy call came through, and that was one rare gig. I would just have dropped everything for it because it's Ozzy, and I didn't even know that at the time Geezer was playing with him. I flew out to this audition and there's Geezer. Half the band is Black Sabbath. Whatever happened — this is really, really cool."
"It was a really interesting experience. I was surprised at how dysfunctional it felt. Most of the band didn't seem to know what was going on. They knew they were auditioning people — 'We tried this guy, we tried that guy.' Apparently when I played, it went really well. And they stopped auditions and wanted to do a live show. And then, the live show — I think Ozzy had a sore throat. So the whole thing was canceled. It was planned, and then it was canceled. And then it was planned again, and then it was planned again... (laughs). And then I remember Geezer getting really annoyed. 'What am I doing?' And he would actually be gone in about six months."
"Finally, the show did get called. It was on, and it was so last minute there was some miscommunication about getting the equipment there. I think only one of the techs and the drummer at the time, Deen Castronovo, and me — we had to load the equipment in the truck. This Ozzy Osbourne, this arena act. There's got to be this machine where everything's taken (care of). and suddenly, I'm like, in high school, huffing gear."
Read the complete transcript here. Check out the interview below.
Nuclear Blast is proud to announce that the complete Testament catalog has been acquired and the band signed for an additional three albums in the future. The signing took place before the band’s fiery performance at Hellfest this summer. Fans will now be able to listen to the band's seminal albums The Legacy and The New Order on the DSP of their choice.
Chuck Billy states, "After a long history of making music and Testament teaming up with Nuclear Blast in 2008 with The Formation of Damnation to the current release Titans of Creation, we have taken it to the next level and have reclaimed our 6 albums from Atlantic Records and have delivered them to Nuclear Blast to be re-released. Along with the Atlantic catalog, Testament will sign a new 3-album deal with NB worldwide. We are so grateful to be with the Best Heavy Metal label in the world that will spread Testament's Legacy."
Eric Peterson comments, "We signed with NB back in 2008 and it’d been a perfect fit for us ever since then. Incidentally, our older catalog with Atlantic Records - The Legacy, The New Order, Practice What You Preach, Souls of Black, The Ritual, and Low - have returned to us and we feel it’s a great new start to have NB Release these albums again with some new unreleased artwork, photos, etc. Also, we will be signing a new three-album deal with them! So the future for Metal is looking very, very bright! Cheers!"
Tommy Jones Nuclear Blast US Label Manager adds: "One of my favorite guitars as a kid was my dark red Ibanez Saber (540S) with the wizard neck. I purchased that guitar to sound like Alex Skolnick who played that model and color back in the day. So all these years later to be signing those OG, genre-defining Testament albums that were such an early influence like The New Order, Practice What You Preach, and Souls of Black, as well as new Testament albums to Nuclear Blast, is completing a full circle for me. Truly an 'If the 15-year-old me could see this' type of moment. It’s time to continue 'The Legacy' with Nuclear Blast!”
Stream The Legacy here. Stream The New Order here.
Catch Testament live:
September
17 - Anaheim, CA - Metal Injection Festival At House Of Blues
October
31 - November 4 - Miami, FL - Headbangers Boat 2023
