Newsflash! Heavy Metal band Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has deviated from the most carnal rule of metal which is “never leave your own musical backyard,” and ventured out into no man’s land, also known as Jazz. With definitive hooks and beats propelled by thumping lyrics, Skolnick taking the freeway overpass to the unstructured and laid back realm of Jazz is considered virtual taboo. Somehow he has managed to slip into Jazz with a great deal of ease and unrestraint. The Alex Skolnick Trio has shown they have the ability to sneak into Jazz under the radar, but is their newest collection of songs, Last Day in Paradise, a reflection of a new or old sound?



Skolnick has taken his Michael Hutchence (INXS) good looks and formed the Alex Skolnick trio, producing their second collection of instrumental Jazz. Matt Zebroski and Nathan Peck are the additional two rock ‘n roll chiseled lads that make up the trio and are willing to tackle grassroots Jazz without the sharp edge of metal. Not exactly new to this game, the trio will be walking this path for the sixth time as Last Day in Paradise is one part of a decade-long collaborative.



With that said, I didn’t feel as though this CD was particularly outstanding, original, boundary pushing or unique in any specific way. Songs seemed to blend into each other, which would not be the Alex Skolnick Trio’s goal as they have implemented collaborations with some music heavyweights that are known for their specific style. An example of this is Steven Rinkoff, who produced Meatloaf’s Bat Out Of Hell II; another example on the other end of the spectrum would be the track “Western Sabbath Stomp” that the Trio had originally produced for Attack Theatre which is a modern dance company. The collaborative spectrum was wide, but the sound spectrum appeared to be no different. Simply put, the subtleties were too subtle, and as a result the album had a feel of blending all together.



Mercury Retrograde

Last Day In Paradise

Tom Sawyer

Shades of Grey

Pactica Lo Que Predicas (Practice What You Preach)

The Lizard

Channel 4

Revelation (Mother Earth)

Out There Somewhere

Western Sabbath Stomp