The concept of partying through the Bay Space’s thrash metallic heyday would possibly recall to mind scenes of beer-fueled mayhem, shredding guitars, and sufficient debauchery to make a rock ‘n’ roll biographer weep with pleasure.

However not for Testomony’s Alex Skolnick, who says he used to “sit within the nook practising scales” as a substitute of indulging within the “chaos” of all of it.

Wanting again on his early days of navigating the Bay Space, Skolnick – who was simply sixteen when he joined Testomony and eighteen when their debut album, The Legacy, got here out – shares a priceless life lesson for aspiring musicians: Don’t get caught up within the occasion scene only for the sake of it.

“That Bay Space scene might be chaos, however as a result of I used to be so shy and likewise as a result of I used to be the youngest member of Testomony, I’d sit within the nook practising scales and making an attempt to study,” the guitarist tells Steel Hammer.

“There’s a spot for slicing free, however even again then for me it at all times made sense to have fun when there was one thing to have fun,” he provides. “For those who’re simply letting free each evening, which is what was taking place within the band at that time, it’s simply ingesting for its personal sake. I might by no means sustain anyway so I didn’t strive!”

As a self-admittedly “painfully shy and socially awkward” teen, Skolnick says that even “going onstage was a trial” when he first began – although issues would ultimately get higher with observe.

“On the first gig, when there was a clear intro or a component the place the band wasn’t enjoying full-on, my fingers would shake a lot I might barely hit the notes,” Skolnick recollects. “For those who’re fortunate sufficient to get to the purpose the place you’re on tour, enjoying evening after evening, there’s nothing like that that will help you recover from it, nevertheless it was nonetheless very scary.”