Alex Skolnick as guest judge for the first season of Shredders Of Metal
Banger Films has announced that international heavy metal icon and master shredder Alex Skolnick of Testament is confirmed as the celebrity guest judge for the first season of its new digital series Shredders Of Metal - the first-ever talent competition show for heavy metal guitarists.
Named by Guitar World magazine as one of the fastest guitar players of all time, Alex Skolnick is an original member of Bay Area legends Testament, one of the most influential bands in thrash metal history, who have sold more than 4 million albums worldwide. He holds a BFA in Jazz from The New School in New York and is a respected improviser of multiple styles, who has released several critically acclaimed albums with his own trio and various artists.
“As a fan of Banger Films’ unyieldingly high-quality output, from the Metal Evolution series to the docs on Rush and others, I was thrilled to be a judge on Shredders Of Metal,” said Skolnick.
Shredders Of Metal will see seven heavy metal guitarists compete in a series of challenges testing skill and creativity in front of three judges over six episodes. Each episode will showcase wicked shredding prowess and celebrate the mastery of lead guitar in metal music.
Joining Alex Skolick on the judges' panel is Sam Dunn, co-founder of Banger Films, an award-winning filmmaker and a global ambassador for the heavy metal community, and Daniel Dekay, lead guitarist for Toronto-based Diemonds and a host on BangerTV.
“I’m proud that Banger Films is creating Shredders Of Metal because it’s the first-ever metal guitar competition show created by metalheads, for metalheads,” explained Sam Dunn. “Blistering lead guitar is essential to the sound of metal - and it’s about time that a competition show honored this decades-old metal tradition. Bring on the shredders!”
Adds Daniel Dekay: “I jumped at the opportunity to nerd out over guitar with such esteemed company as Alex and Sam. It's poised to be a loud and intense competition and I can't wait to see whose licks reign supreme!"
The Shredders Of Metal digital series is produced by Banger Films with the support of the Bell Fund. It recently completed production and is preparing for a summer 2018 release. Details including the host and names of competitors coming soon.
