Testament’s Alex Skolnick recently spoke with Ultimate Guitar’s ‘On The Record’ podcast on his brief stint with Ozzy Osbourne in the late 1990s, following Zakk Wylde’s extended stay with the vocalist. He remembered behind-the-scenes discussions with Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose, who claimed he was ‘done with Slash’ and tried to convince Zakk to take his position. Here’s what Alex had to say about the stories he’d heard: “There were all these stories — I had heard pre-sobriety Zakk Wylde was hanging out with Axl [Rose], and Axl was like putting him in a headlock and saying, ‘Yeah, I’m done, me and Slash aren’t getting along, you’re the guy, man!'” The guitarist also shared some rumors regarding the band and Zakk, saying: “So he [Zakk Wylde] was said to be joining Guns N’ Roses. But I’m not sure how much of it is true. But, oh, the madness.” Although Alex clarified that he wasn’t sure if the rumors were true, there were several years where Slash and Rose couldn’t see eye to eye especially when it came to creative vision that turned into disputes within the band.
For instance after the ‘Use Your Illusion’ tour, Slash released an autobiography where he talked about Axl’s tardiness. However, the singer shared with NME in 2013 that he was let down by his bandmate for his false portrayal of him by saying: “In my opinion, ‘The Illusions’ lineup comments that I’ve read in the media or in Slash’s books were primarily public gamesmanship, strategy, and politics on their part.” Alex Skolnick’s appearance on Ultimate Guitar’s ‘On The Record’ podcast can be viewed here.
