Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick is featured in a new interview with Italy's Poisoned Rock. He looks back on the band's early days and making the decision to leave in order to study jazz, which eventually led to the launch of the Alex Skolnick Trio. He also touches on his time with Savatage andthe Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Skolnick was with Testament from 1983 - 1993, and rejoined the band in 2005. He launched the Alex Skolnick Trio in 2002. 

Skolnick: "After Testament, I didn't want to be stuck just being the ex-guitarist of Testament. I was very proud of my work, but I know people try to put you in a category, and they say that's all you are. And I've always been very open as a musician; I don't need to just play thrash metal, I don't need to just play with thrash metal musicians. I moved to the East Coast, New York, and I met many different musicians. I studied music. I got a degree in music. I just really wanted to experience music at that level, which I might have done had I not joined the band."

Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante recently released the new video below, featuring a cover of U.K.'s "Presto Vivace".

Says Charlie: "U.K. were a late seventies British progressive rock supergroup. It featured singer/bassist John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, Allan Holdsworth and drummer Bill Bruford, who was later replaced by drummer Terry Bozzio. I can't tell you what their first two records and their live album Night After Night meant to me. The version of 'Presto Vivace' from the live album has always been a favorite of mine, probably because of Terry Bozzio’s drumming. I asked Alex (Skolnick) and Ra (Diaz) to rock this one out and they NAILED it. We needed someone to play this crazy keyboard part… hmmmmmm... WHO? Alex suggested Jordan Rudess, how AWESOME! Jordan was into it and he also NAILED it. I hope you dig this short but fiery blast of notes and hits; just an awesome display of musicians having fun!"