Alex Skolnick recently shared insights about the advice he received from Joe Satriani during their guitar lessons in a new interview on the ‘Axe Lords’ podcast.
Skolnick recalled how Satriani told him not to copy Yngwie Malmsteen too closely. Explaining the reason, he said, “Part of the reason Joe’s advice was so good is Yngwie plays the way he does because of who he is as a person, and he’s way over the top. Yeah, there’s many stories. I don’t have that many stories personally. When I met him, he’s been nice, but it’s just been like quick encounters. But there’s no shortage of Yngwie stories.”
“My favorite quote of Yngwie is he talks about some of the first recordings he did and being told by the producer, ‘Maybe, you should play less notes. Less is more.’ And he said, ‘Less can’t be more. How can less be more?’”
When the interviewer said he didn’t start Malmsteen’s guitar lesson videos in fear he couldn’t play that way, the Testament guitarist confirmed, “Nobody can play just like him. I mean, really, nobody can play just like anybody. But it’s really useful to look at how some of the licks are constructed.”
Skolnick spoke about being influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen during the 1980s in a 2023 interview with Guitar Player. He recalled Satriani’s advice at the time, “Joe kind of told me, ‘That’s fine, but don’t get too into him. Don’t try to sound like him because, in a few years, there will be somebody else who’s the hot guy.’ Which is funny because a few years later, Joe was the guy everybody was talking about.”
He added, “People were learning everything on ‘Surfing With The Alien,’ but I tried to keep my distance because I remembered what Joe had told me. It was kind of funny, really. Joe was a great teacher and a huge influence on me, but I knew I shouldn’t try to sound like him. He was doing his thing, but it wasn’t supposed to be my thing.”
Skolnick made his debut with Testament in 1987 on ‘The Legacy,’ receiving mostly positive reviews. Remastered versions of the record and its follow-up, ‘The New Order,’ saw release in July 2024.
Testament is currently on the European leg of the Klash of the Titans tour, supporting the reissues. The shows will last until December 15.
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