Listen to Testament’s Alex Skolnick cover Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now

Alex Skolnic, guitarist for thrash metal band Testament, has shared his unique instrumental cover of Dua Lipa’s recent hit Don’t Start Now.

Skolnic says he was challenged by acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela to “perform this song and put an original spin on it.” He recorded his response to the challenge from his studio. The version puts a downtempo spin on the song, complete with jazzier chord voicings and some looped solo sections. Skolnic explained further: “The original is an uptempo mainstream pop mega-hit that many would be dancing to in nightclub at this very moment were they not stuck at home. I went more for ambient/moody,” Skolnick explained, “which seems to fit the emotion being expressed in the lyrics, along with slower tempo (a bit inspired by Pink Floyd).”

Skolnick also noted that “there are a few parts I could’ve spent weeks on… but in the interest of expedience, I’m abandoning some of my usual perfectionism. I’ve been inspired by Brian May‘s recent posts where he proudly shares mistakes.”

Take a listen to the cover below:

Don’t Start Now is taken from Dua Lipa’s recent album Future Nostalgia, released last month, a record that blended elements of ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s dance-pop. Testament also recently released a record, Titans of Creation, released on 3 April.

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