“You were on the verge of expulsion if you had any interest outside of metal.”

in a recent interview with This day in Metalguitarist Alex Skolnik addressed his departure from the thrash metal giants testament in 1992. His decision to leave was based on his desire to explore musical styles outside the narrow confines of the metal scene at the time.

Skolnik shared how the metal community back then was very restrictive, saying: “The metal scene was very insular… And there weren’t many references outside of metal. Now it’s a little different. I know a lot of people in metal bands, and I can bring up songs by artists that have nothing to do with that.”

He noted that showing an interest in anything other than metal could lead to alienation, a far cry from today’s more open-minded approach. “I can talk Zappa. I can talk Motown. I can talk about the classic Blue Note era of jazz records. But back then you were kind of on the verge of being deported if you had that much interest outside of metal. It was very strange. I mean, it was kind of a “youth thing” too. And people surpass that,” he recalled.

Reflecting on his decision to leave, Skolnik noted that his need for creative freedom was a driving factor. “I think I would have left anyway because I realized that I just needed space to grow as a musician,” he said. He admitted that tensions within the group at the time also played a role in making the split inevitable. However, when he returned in 2005, the dynamic changed. “The old version testamentit’s almost like a different band, I don’t think these guys today could deal with the guys they were back then. And I’m sure it wasn’t so easy to treat me in different ways.” Skolnik remarked, pointing out how he and the band members have matured since those early years.

Skolnik also emphasized that when he rejoined testamentHe made it clear that his musical path will continue outside the metal sphere. I’m going to do other projects that I want to keep improving by working with artists that may be completely removed from the metal scene.”