Alex Skolnick tracking for Dark Roots of Earth: Powerslave (Bonus Track)

[@Seeingred21]

His worst take is miles better than most modern "guitarists" best attempts... Alex is one of the hardest working and most gifted musicians in metal. Hats off to you, sir!

[@scottashe984]

His lead work hasn't improved in 30 years..

[@scottashe984]

His lead work hasn't improved in 30 years...

[@EmJay.1971]

I second that. He’s a true ”musician”! Plus he seems to be a supernice guy 😊

[@metaldefender49]

@@scottashe984 your a fool. Most people that are great at something hit a plateau life. I can't say he's better than he was 29 years ago but he ( probably unlike you ) has rediscovered himself as a guitar player and can still capture other guitarist mind as a soloist . Alex is a fabulous guitar player and you have to be a fool not to appreciate that but to bother to criticize. Not to accept that because you think your opinion is superior to all lol

[@wob6776]

@@scottashe984 And it was better than 99% of other people's 30 years ago... what's your point? His phrasing, melodic sense and technique are ALL more proficient individually than most good guitarists, put together you get something pretty awesome.

[@7StringBlazer]

I'm glad the mistakes are shown. I think we forget that even the legends have to practice and they don't kill everything in one take.

[@ZJMusic1990]

7StringBlazer That’s very true. Everyone has to practice

[@taurusguy9305]

Well said

[@PeterVenkman_666]

You have to practice what you preach

[@eduardobraga7666]

Even his mistakes are great. kkkkkkk

[@antoniostojanovski9008]

Well said

[@TerrilynndeGuitar]

I think Alex Skolnick just became my favorite guitarist. I like his humility, and his joy joy for sharing music making.

[@gaelbgalbar9307]

+GuitarMaven One of the best, a great shrader.

[@bcardamone]

+GaëlB Galbar amen brother ... Skolnick absolutely rocks

[@aquabot]

That's right. I've started liking Testament much more since I started watching Alex's interviews a few months ago.

[@skogenhevner5677]

and he's so good !

[@dante777666777]

GuitarMaven his jazz fusion techniques are awesome..

[@Curranproducer]

super ballsy to show the missed notes and mistakes, Honest playing and working to get the take better!!! My Hero!

[@Crazytownmetal6]

He's, my favorite. Gary Holt is right there on top of my list as well.

[@TheRealAlexSkolnick]

That means a lot from you, Alphonse- thank u! A remake album would be amazing, and introduce your great music to a whole new generation. Of course, count me in!

[@wesweldon3712]

Thank you for busting your ass for my entertainment. I Met You in 2015 in Jacksonville, you and Chuck we're very humble. Stay true to yourself much love

[@i.c.y.]

Thank you Alex, for everything - for all the good times, all the screams, the licks. You truly are a guitar God. Thanks for being here in KZbin too. You rock!

[@mephesh]

Always the best 💪

[@MarkRushow]

I don't think I've seen anyone so enthusiastic about recording and so into it wanting it to be just perfect. lml,

[@sunnys3325]

Alex never disappoints. He will go down as one of the greats. Simply a phenomenal player and seems like such a cool dude

[@hinjurock]

I like the way he stayed true to the basic structure of the original solo, then added his own shred licks.

[@leoli6116]

Agreed. While I love Murray and Smith's original, some of the overly used pentatonics make it a bit cliche. Alex staying true to the original structure while adding own spin makes it perfect 😊

[@SlickEnz]

Alex is amazing. Hands down one of the best metal guitarists who's ever lived.

[@anthonyjohnson4734]

His solo on the song Souls Of Black is still one of my favs.

[@scorpions1965]

It’s so good it gives me eargasm

[@jaytarantino]

I was just listening to "Musical Death(A Dirge)" from "The New Order" and it still blows my mind to this day. The phrasing and melodies are perfect. It's even more incredible that Alex was 19 or 20 when that album was recorded. Great tone as well....

[@pineymusiccol]

his playing is so great..Skolnick was one of the best 80´s shredders!!

[@BigCatloveskitten74]

He is the best guitar player on the planet today :)

[@mute7116]

except it's not the 80s and neither is this album

[@chrisbrown3549]

Felipe Trejos Piney nobody plays w the emotion of Skolnick but the sadly deceased Randall William Rhodes.

[@georgekazanjian6147]

Pipe Trejos to this day is one of the top guitarist is any genre...just on another level

[@theotherhouse5910]

is

[@MrDantres]

Fantastic guitarist covering one of the greatest - Adrian Smith - while giving the solo his personal flavour! TESTAMENT and MAIDEN, two of my favourite bands put together 😎

[@juancarlosnunezf96]

This only has increased my respect for Alex's craft. True Master!

[@CAlanRobinson]

At 1:15 where he seems like he is having some difficulty playing this one line he wants to do... then busts into this cool sweeping lick just to remind himself "Ok... I'm still Badass!!" Alex you rock!!

[@Zakietos]

Revisiting this for nostaliga before i made a cover of this song, i now realize that what makes him the legendary Alex are those bends and vibrato, the very personnal touch that's extremely hard to reproduce (of course i tried, and kinda failed haha). Technical things like sweeps can be reproduced easily, but to sound like the Man, THAT'S the challenge. It's crazy how much you can put in perspective in regard to your own progress and revisit an old video that had marked you, and see what impresses you today, in comparison of what impressed you back then.

[@mephesh]

A pleasure to watch the greatest metal guitarist on the planet

[@christyvoros]

Powerslave is my fav solo ever EVER , Alex what an incredible take on it . So amazing that it betters the original . I can’t believe I just wrote that . What an amazing job you’ve done . Brilliant . Well done sir

[@Yupppi]

I freaking love this solo and video. Love to see someone get as much excitement from this kind of thing as me, just looking at how he smiles when he plays the solo. The first licks, the little nuances like the harmonic. And the rhythm through the solo, the ticking through the licks by right hand. So, so good.

[@peevee605]

Alex Skolnick.....the versatility of Steve Lukather in metal embodied. He's a legend. Love his attitude, tone and chops for days.

[@WEEKEND-AT-BURNIES]

Well said buddy

[@peevee605]

@@WEEKEND-AT-BURNIES thx buddy.

[@kevincarpenter3428]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that pulls those faces when listening to Alex play.he does it himself.what a maestro.

[@bruth6138]

This is a few years old but you still got it man. I remember getting "The Legacy" when I was 12 years old and thinking that the all other metal guitarists really needed to up their game. Awesome. Pretty much learned guitar figuring out testament riffs.

[@trudeth354]

How old was Alex when he recorded "The Legacy" album? maybe 18?

[@simongas]

God dammit! I can listen to that solo on a loop all day long xD

[@11DNA11]

I thought i was the only one :) By far my favorite thing in the song :) Skolnick is a phenomenal guitarplayer and this really shows it.

[@YaoEspirito]

Love those little touch-harmonics. Beautiful.

[@ligamentpull1]

It's hard to mimic the soul Adrian puts into his solos. That's why him and Murray are legends!

[@TheTrueFortress]

Well, Smith has recorded some of metal’s tastiest solos, no question. Alex shreds past him, but will never be so “creamy” in solo construction. Both guitarists are legends, deservedly.

[@samsmith3025]

True dat.

[@nigelsmith721]

The incremental improvements with each pass are what make this so watchable. We can see where it's headed and it's clear that he'll get there...and does.

[@DimebagDarrellFan820]

That is one of the sickest solos I've ever heard I had to keep rewinding it I love this version I'm gonna try and learn it note for note.

[@denmalski]

The take at 3:48 was the best, squealed every harmonic sharp and strong, he's awesome

[@jamespuga9]

Surely that can we hear on final mix 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@Mike4metal]

I love dark roots of earth! Killer album! Then again the mighty testament never fails to deliver a powerful album!🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@RycheForOrder]

Seen Alex with Testament around 91 with Megadeth and Judas Priest, thought his playing was great however I felt when he joined Savatage in the 90's his ability of being a musician really started to shine through. Some of his work with Savatage still blows my mind today, especially the live Japan video that was never "released" but is out there none the less...........

[@MagianCreative]

I suddenly want to play Powerslave.

[@WEEKEND-AT-BURNIES]

Darren Cook do it, Adrian's solo is epic and Alex's rendition, so fuckin good

[@himangkabora7445]

Alex is one of the guitar gods. Thanks for choosing powerslave a classic song with great guitar solos, truly inspiring

[@markgrafstrom1704]

Alex is a master...has become my favorite player! I practice his licks everyday and it has advanced how I look at the guitar and how I play. He is amazing!!

[@i.c.y.]

After that dry-run, when he says "let's rock" and just becomes 1,000 times bigger as soon as the backtrack kicks in.. that run at 1:50... that taste of picking, the slide in and outs... the man is a living guitar lesson. Long live Alex, be careful out there.

[@Replicator]

Alex is a living legend and one of the all time guitarist. Is a joy to watch this guy play guitar.

[@fjavimarti]

Such a great player! I has always liked his phrasing and tasteful licks.

[@BigCatloveskitten74]

I have listened all my life. My parents were even questioned by my school when I was 7. Today Alex is one of the people making it all worth it

[@PureMetalBanzai]

just goes to show how fucking Epic Iron Maiden is. love it

[@kennethviar7534]

Alex is the man - I remember when He filled in for Chris Oliva from local Tampa Based band Savatage !

[@MIZORAM_mafaka_hnamte]

*Savatage is such amazing band too !*

[@TheTrueFortress]

And the Sava album on which he appears, Handful of a rain, is amazing. As is the live release recorded on that album’s tour.

[@TheTrueFortress]

Handful of Rain. Sorry.

[@u4ikrob]

I really enjoy the approach by alex to technique and how he shows the session time spent by great guitarists. By definition musicians are perfectionists and a sour note can ruin a great performance to even the average listener. So many people dont realize the countless hours spent doing tracks over and over again to find the right take. These studio vids certainly makes me apprecaite the time spent even more refining the raw nuggets into the finely finished product. Thanks Alex for your time!

[@josemojicaperez4436]

Everyone who's cover a IM Masterpiece and my fav one is right to me... Alex do it so right and original.

[@diabeticmonkey]

I absolutely love his take. That beginning lick is killer

[@Bricklinsv1970]

Alex is the Man! Such a inspirational guitarist!

[@KorsAir1987]

One of most talented and my personal favorite metal lead guitar player of all time.

[@simultualism]

This solo is the reason I’m gonna buy a guitar and learn to play

[@johnunderwood3132]

He always was one of my favorite not only the was he plays but his love and determination for the best metal sound. Thanks Alex.

[@Zakietos]

here i am revisiting this timeless video in preparation for my next cover (of a cover) and i'm still in as much awe at my current level as i was 11 years ago when i 1st found this video, which to me is like a treasure. Videos of legendary guitarists trying out takes, making mistakes and being human is so valuable to me. I wish this was more of a standard.

[@comment.highlighted]

Thank you SO much for sharing with us the hard work that was put into the solo. I will appreciate it so much more when I listen to it 😁

[@yijapra]

Alex Great guitarrist, Testament was my favourite band when I was a teenager

[@i.c.y.]

awesome. cannot get enough of this video - thank you for posting this Alex. You are the best!

[@j.r.metalcomposer7452]

This guy is the best lead guitar player I've ever heard,frickin'ridiculous!😂

[@METALMIGHT18]

Wow, He feels EACH NOTE in the Guitar Solo ... Fantastic Player !!!!!

[@michaelprofita2878]

testament is my all time favorite band the members hold it down evenly tastefully and still in your face just listen ive been playing there music for years and still cant get enough of it.......

[@conradmadden8441]

Always loved his playing since over the wall, Alex has come along way since them

[@stalemalnes2562]

Great rendition of a true classic. I really like ths one. They've kept it true to the original.

[@Walamonga1313]

I've never been a Testament fan but Alex has easily become one of my favourite guitar players.

[@nicelynoise6457]

..whatever it takes...no real trash fan either,..but ballsy Fusion!🎸🎼💞

[@williamspinelli6601]

Such a breathtaking talent. Absolutely love watching him play

[@-Skaal-]

Testament style !!! Yeah !!!

[@Bricklinsv1970]

It's amazing to see Alex work. So intense and strict. He's one of the best in the business.

[@mojorisin7371]

Alex your such an inspirational player and compliment the song well capturing the soul of Adrian and Dave. You guys totally nailed this cover with the awesome vocals, thundering bass, intense technicality of the drums by Gene and of course the aforementioned, thanks Alex and long live Testament 🤘🏼❤️

[@franciscogonzalez113]

Always professional. Class act, mad skills.

[@metalmike570]

Excellent and 12 years later now. Still excellent I am improvong my leads (guitar), this is a great help. I saw Testament last February at Hollyood Casino and they rock hard!!

[@renatapetrelli]

One of my favorites guitarists. He can dosis feeling and heavy stuff on the same time. Glad i have met him once =)

[@kucebamsi]

You guys blew my mind with this cover and would like to see a vid of you playing it live. Thanks for doing it! :)

[@donchart1]

Loved watching you since i was a kid. Still can't get over how easy you make pinky bends look!...could never master that myself, lol.

[@Eaglerare]

this guy is a such a god of guitar. what an awesome watch. the hard work that goes into this holy shit. Respect

[@sbrave]

That double bass part at the end of his solo was sick!!!

[@szerminator355]

Skolnick has always been one of the greatest guitarist!

[@Geotubest]

I was just checking out Heritage guitars and that brought me here ultimately. Great job Alex. You're one hell of a guitar player.

[@blacktoothfox677]

Glad you went with the ESP family... But lovely to see you at work in the studio. Stay healthy brother!

[@metalmonti]

Cannot stop watching this what solo and what a player 🤘

[@virgult]

So cool to hear you play Maiden! Among other things, the first half of your solo in The New Order works spectacularly well as the first solo of the 4/4 part in Phantom of the Opera.

[@lsipahelut]

Every take he did sound great to my ears.

[@dopedpanda]

@TheRealAlexSkolnick Alex u are one my main influences as a guitar player Ive only been playing for a year and I want to thank you for your music that inspires me -Keep thrashing Zane

[@Lizard-of-Oz]

Alex Skolnick, John Petrucci, and Jeff Waters are not very mentioned as many other popular guitarists; these three guys here are a real powerhouse.

[@silure9502]

Love them all, but Waters bury them all.. This man is a terminator, a machine. There is no way his fingers are flesh! Live, he does not look at his gear.. He just rips everything with such ease

[@davemieze9021]

Yes!!! Thank you guys. This is much appreciated

[@rmp3648]

Had the pleasure of meeting Alex back in 07 or 08, I forget which. But no rock star attitude. Totally humble and a fun guy to shoot some pool with!

[@guitarherostyling]

one of my favorite guitarist all time👍

[@tattguy690]

You are prob the most bad ass guitar player brother. Love the emotion you hammer into that Les Paul. Saw you play on shredders. Funny when the judge smokes the entire competitors lol.

[@alexojeda9048]

One of my all time favorite Maiden songs being covered by one of THE best Thrash Metal bands of all time. \m/

[@amyhelie6061]

I just bought the LTD AS1 Skolnick signature such a sweet guitar

[@visualtimekeeper]

Man, all I can say is I'm 58 and always wanted to talk with you about everything.lol. I love your guitar style and lyrics are so awesome and righteous. Testament is one of best bands I have ever heard. Love that you love!

[@visualtimekeeper]

Good Maiden lead!

[@visualtimekeeper]

I know the other members are just like you. Ty for all the years!

[@Bobertchin]

Alex is awesome!

[@hazzpolo]

Testament is an underrated band, they are so much better and technically skilled than metallica. People who know guitar can understand this.

[@Rouwiinator]

+hazzpolo Yeah they are super skilled on their instruments especially alex who even studied jazz but what people often forget when it comes to metallica or sometimes music in general is how important songwriting skills most of the time and mr hetfield definately wrote good stuff at least to my ears.

[@hazzpolo]

Rouwiinator True, it is subjective. Metallica did write come catchy riffs, but I think Mustaine played a big role in shaping their tone in the early stages, then Hetfield kicked him out and took all the credit.

[@Rouwiinator]

to some degree sure I agree. But I'm happy things happened that way since Metallica did good stuff with him and we wouldN#t have Megadeth otherwise!

[@hazzpolo]

Rouwiinator Haha, yeah cheers to that for sure!

[@Goobid4]

i completely understand. hes my main inspiration

[@tdchagas02]

This is an original Adrian Smith's solo and Alex made him justice. Great version,with more technique,but i'll stick with Mr Smith's original one...

[@drewskidooo9954]

True, but they both still kick ass.

[@tdchagas02]

I agree.

[@11DNA11]

The original song is my favorite from Maiden, but Testament did them justice. Gave them a run for their money :) The song overall is a perfect cover.

[@MartyFriedmanRulez66]

Oh man of course, you're right, I'm so glad you could enlighten me with your unparalleled intelligence and mastery of rational thought and a well thought out and educated retort to my previous comment. Life is just better knowing I have been educated by such a brilliant man. Thank you so much.

[@cesarvalerio4292]

The legend! Greetings from Brasil!

[@CorentSudibyo]

awesome human being...

[@Julian-AJCP]

This is like Maiden on steroids. Great stuff!

[@crucifixmegabuster95]

wow, I was just amazed watching him pick out a track he recorded and wanna better himself. that's just great.

[@creator2986]

What a boss! Shredder extraordinaire with real taste

[@mikerukavina4551]

Absolutely love this song.

[@snicer1000]

Great meeting him 3 weeks ago

[@waderamer2020]

Workin it out, hell yeah. Thnx for sharing. Great job

[@maggotmusic757]

Really loved how he changed up the solo in this...also their cover of Animal Magnetism is brutal fucking heavy. Great cover of Dragon Attack as well by Queen

[@RedDirtRules]

great player! and that Kalamazoo Heritage sounds amazing

[@geirholte1222]

I come back to this video. So good. Best lead guitarist in metal? Might be.

[@R0kushi]

the guy's a beast at soloing, just saw him live with testament last week, dude was shredding like hell

[@satchbooggy]

I rather see them replace metallica :) Testament should headline a tour like that. And put Exodus in there too.

[@givemeajackson]

satchbooggy Testament, Exodus, Slayer, Kreator, Sodom. that would be the tour of a lifetime.

[@dkyelak]

satchbooggy and Overkill.

[@rickdeckard1075]

dkyelak and Blood on the Dance Floor....

[@larsbonnet17]

I saw this tour a year ago here in Finland. Testament was headlining. Exodus and Death Angel played first. It was awesome!

[@ctgslayer]

We’ll, we’re getting that plus one with DA now!

[@darrengooding4703]

Freaking amazing

[@ChicagoBeaver]

What a sweet way to hang out at home on my day off!!!! Alex smokes!!! It just makes me want to listen to Testament right now (after this video of course). Shredmeisters take a listen to this!