Skolnick Trio, Alex: Transformation

Guitarist Alex Skolnick left the seminal metal band Testament in 1992 to pursue a career in musical improvisation – most notably jazz. A dozen years later comes Transformation, an instrumental jazz-trio record featuring Skolnick's strong original material as well as reworkings of such heavy metal standards as the Scorpions' "Blackout," Judas Priest's "Electric Eye," Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" and Pink Floyd's "Money." A sequel of sorts to 2002's Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation, on which the Skol Trio covered KISS, Black Sabbath, and The Who, Transformation lives up to its title. Most of the tunes Skolnick rearranges sound unlike anything you'd expect but still remain fluid and melodic. Skolnick approaches them with respect but also with an open mind, confident that tampering will not impact the overall value of each song. Deep Purple's "Highway Star" – which features an incredible guitar solo that betrays Skolnick's metal roots – is practically the only song here recognizable from its original form. Instead, Skolnick, thumping double bassist Nathan Peck and patient drummer Matt Zebroski transform arena-ready anthems into vintage-sounding jazz-club compositions so authentic you can smell the cigarette smoke and cheap perfume.

Track Listing:
1) Transformation (5:53)
2) Electric Eye (5:20)
3) Fear of Flying (5:10)
4) Money (5:13)
5) Both Feet In (5:28)
6) Scorch (7:17)
7) Blackout (5:03)
8) IMV/The Trooper (5:18)
9) No Fly Zone (4:27)
10) Don't Talk to Strangers (6:00)
11) Highway Star (6:30)
Total Time: 61:50

Added: April 11th 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Magnatude Records
Hits: 2749
Language: english

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