Rodrigo Sanchez of Rodrigo y Gabriela on the Dimebag Darrell Tribute “Atman” Featuring Testament’s Alex Skolnick“Dime was a hero to both Gab and I. When Pantera’s Cowboys from Hell album came out in 1990, it was very important to us because Metallica was going somewhere else, and they were the premier band for metalheads everywhere. Dime gave us new hope. For an electric guitar player to come up with something that had never been played before that late in the game was incredible. He blew everyone’s mind.
“When we met Alex Skolnick on the road a couple of years ago, we talked about doing something together. When the dedication idea for this album came about, I knew we had to do something for Dimebag, and it was clear that the right person to collaborate with was Alex. He had met Dime a few times and told me stories about him. I rang him up, and asked him to come down and nail the solo. We spent time in the studio talking about the idea of the track, and how we perceived the solo. We told him that he had to mix in some of Dimebag’s style, and he starts off using some of Dimebag’s signature legato notes. I also asked Alex to mix in some of his own licks. I cited some of his Testament solos as reference, such as “Souls of Black.” I would say something like, “Play a run up and down using octaves,” and he was happy to oblige. It was an unforgettable session, and he played an amazing solo.” –
Jimmy Leslie