I don’t think a lot of you will feel any appreciation for Transformation, the new album by the Alex Skolnick trio. You might remember Skolnick as being the guitarist of the metal band Testament but after he left this band in 1992 he focussed on jazz instead of metal. Only on rare occasions you can hear a spark from the metal background. Actually you will have to wait until the closing track “Highway Star”, which can therefore be considered a bonus track, to be shaken up from the relaxed jazzy tunes on the album. Transformation is a collection of new and cover songs.

I’m usually not very fond of any covers whatsoever, but the way in which the arrangements of Pink Floyd’s “Money” and Dio’s “Don’t Talk To Strangers” are altered, it’s almost hard to notice that they are actual covers. This album will be interesting for jazz lovers and distinguishes itself from other jazz albums by the wide range of styles, from Latin acoustic to surf and blues. You won’t be disappointed after buying this one, Skolnick is quality guaranteed.