According to Alex Skolnick, Michael Schenker was as significant as Led Zeppelin.
When Dee Snider recently said on X that Schenker was a big influence on the Bay Area thrash scene, a user noted that aside from Kirk Hammett, they don’t believe Schenker had a major impact on the Bay Area thrash scene. Then, Snider suggested that Skolnick would know best. The guitarist replied to him, explaining:
“Absolutely, Dee…I’ll just add that Schenker’s influence was 100% direct (w respect to KH, whose solo style I always thought owes more to very early Lifeson) EVERYONE in that scene had a copy of UFO’s ‘Strangers In the Night’ & the MSG debut disc at least. Those discs (cont)…”
Skolnick continued in a second tweet:
“… were as important as ‘Led Zeppelin II’ or ‘Paranoid’ for us. I have licks of mine I can point to that are direct Schenker quotes. And to this day, me, [Gary] Holt (Exodus/Slayer), [Phil] Demmel (Machine Head/Kerry King) & others sometimes break out Schenker riffs & licks during soundcheck!”
What Did Snider Exactly Say About Schenker?
Alex’s reaction was a reply to Snider’s recent verbal exchange with his fans on X. When a user asked Snider where Schenker ranks among all-time guitarists, saying he’s a genius but often overlooked in rankings, the frontman responded:
“Well, he was an influence on Eddie VH and the primary inspiration for every guitar player in the Bay Area thrash scene…so I’d say he’s pretty f*cking important!”
When the same user replied to the rocker, saying they agree and didn’t know about the Bay Area connection before, Dee said:
“Oh yeah. Just ask Kirk Hammett.”
Hammett and Schenker collaborated on the latter’s ‘Resurrection’ album. Schenker previously revealed that Hammett’s involvement came about because he wanted to jam with Michael after admiring his work for years. They met through mutual connections and eventually recorded together in Hawaii, with Metallica’s management supporting the collaboration. Schenker described Hammett as a fan-turned-friend.
You can see all the tweets below.
Absolutely, Dee…I’ll just add that Schenker’s influence was 100% direct (w respect to KH, whose solo style I always thought owes more to very early Lifeson) EVERYONE in that scene had a copy of UFO’s “Strangers In the Night” & the MSG debut disc at least. Those discs (cont)…
— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) June 19, 2024
2) ..were as important as Led Zeppelin II or Paranoid for us. I have licks of mine I can point to that are direct Schenker quotes. And to this day, me, Holt (Exodus/Slayer), Demmel (Machine Head/Kerry King) & others sometimes break out Schenker riffs & licks during soundchecks!
— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) June 19, 2024