Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick addressed fan reactions to his political views in a detailed article.
In 2021, the rocker penned an article for New Lines Magazine, discussing the backlash he received for expressing his political opinions. He touched on fan complaints and the “shut up and play your guitar” attitude. He even mentioned being threatened by fans:
“Quite a few fans of Testament have threatened to stop listening to the band due to my mainstream, left-of-center views. These threats peaked after my most notorious moment: a self-produced, comedic rap video titled ‘Trump Sucks,’ released before the 2020 U.S. election. The track, heavily influenced by Zappa, was thankfully found hilarious by the other members of Testament.”
He noted his bandmates’ support despite potential concerns:
“Although I wouldn’t blame them if there was cause for concern, they’ve been generally supportive, and the adage ‘no such thing as bad publicity’ has held true. The band hasn’t suffered a noticeable decline in user engagement due to my political expressions.”
Skolnick Refuses to Support Right-Wing Views
Skolnick has frequently voiced his political opinions, which has led to criticism from Trump supporters. A month after sharing his essay, he discussed the issue with Newlines Magazine’s Faisal Al Yafai and Idrees Ahmad.
He explained why artists should be honest about social and political issues, why losing fans over disagreements doesn’t bother him, and why he created the rap song ‘Trump Sucks.’ He stated:
“I think it’s beyond politics because I’m not attacking traditional conservative politics. It would be different if this was the ’80s or ’90s and I was discussing lower corporate tax rates. Now, it’s disingenuous. The belief in the right-wing news echo chamber and headlines is troubling.”
He elaborated on the type of people criticizing him:
“Current headlines on Fox, for example, [President Joe] Biden gives a press conference, and one of the banner headlines on Fox reads: ‘Biden gives press conference full of lies.’ These are the same people who praised Trump’s public appearances. It’s disingenuous. The people criticizing me and threatening to not listen to my music are buying into that, and I can’t support that or pretend to.”
