John 5 – The Art of Malice released May 11, 2010 on 60 Cycle Hum Records/Rocket Science Ventures: mindovermetal.org/review-john-5-the-art-of-malice/

Rating : 3.5/5

John 5 is a jack-of-many-trades when it comes to guitar. We just heard some of his work on Rob Zombie‘s Hellbilly Deluxe 2 earlier this year, although that album wrapped up recording in 2008 (the year his fourth solo effort, Requiem, was released). I was apprehensive approaching The Art of Malice because I have not seen a color scheme like this since Jack Johnson‘s Curious George soundtrack. Thankfully, it is virtuosic yet listenable, humorous and heavy, with a unique stamp that is nearly complete.

Opener and lead single “The Nightmare Unravels” is the best, biggest, and flashiest original number here, where he pulls out all the stops to better slacken your jaw. The closest competitor is “Ya Dig?” (in sly salute to“Diamond” Dave), which features none other than Billy Sheehan (they both played with DLR, albeit a decade apart). But the obvious tribute is found in “Fractured Mirror” from Ace Frehley‘s eponymous solo album, which receives loving treatment on The Art of Malice. I never noticed how much that song reminds me of Ozzy‘s “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll” before now.

John 5 will surprise you, too. He reminds us that one of his toes always dips into country, as he demonstrates in “J.W.” (his first two initials, John William). And the slide guitar twang of “Can I Live Again” can wrench a tear from the driest eye. But my favorite smash into left field was certainly “Steel Guitar Rag”, which effectively transports the listener a century back.

“Portrayed as Unremorseful” gives more than one nod to Mr. Joe Satriani for the duration, and sidesteps intoLed Zeppelin‘s “Heartbreaker” for half a minute in the middle. I also like the feral cat yowls he elicits from his instrument throughout “Wayne County Killer” (named after murderer Chad Campbell). After revving up one last time in “The S-Lot”, “The Last Page Turned” lets you down easy with beautifully intricate acoustic work.

John 5 is an artist determined to flourish in the music world. By continuously challenging himself, he has shared the stage with musicians as disparate as Marilyn Manson and k.d. lang. On The Art of Malice, his signature sound (by way of Fender Telecaster) becomes all the more recognizable.

FCC OK
Try 1, 5, 7, 9

Review: John 5, “The Art of Malice”: http://www.mountainkingmusic.com/2010/05/review-john-5-art-of-malice.html

To be honest, I’ve been over the guitar god shred instrumental album for a long time now, but in recent years, I’ve become more and more impressed with the work of John 5 every time he pops up somewhere. That interest was enough to get me to give his new record “The Art of Malice” a shot.

Granted, there’s a lot of showy shredding here, as on any instrumental guitar record, but by and large the songs here are actual songs, not just a conveyance for John 5 to pack as many notes as possible into. Like any good tune, the songs here follow progressions and have solid hooks, albeit musical ones rather than vocal ones. 

Another thing that strikes me about this record is the great variety of moods and styles that clash here. There are rhythms and grooves on the record that just put a smile on your face, and there are reflective, melancholy moments. The genres represented pretty much run the gamut from old-fashioned down-home country to charging, bashing metal. Of course, what else would you expect from a guy that’s played for both Marilyn Manson and K.D. Lang?

“The Art of Malice” rocks straight out of the box with the catchy “The Nightmare Unravels,” which features the expected fast sweeping lead work. Then, the title track pulls in a little Spanish influence and the country twang from his Telecaster. It sounds a little like Roy Clark dabbling in Latin sounds. There’s definitely influence of guitar virtuosos who came before, particularly Joe Satriani on the high energy “Ill Will or Spite” and the crazy groove of “Ya Dig,” which blends elements of blues rock and country in a driving, high-octane shuffle.

There are plenty of those heavy rocking numbers here, including the big traditional metal riffing of “Wayne County Killer,” a personal favorite of mine. But, despite the cliché of the phrase, there really is something here for everyone. “J.W.” delivers a rockabilly boogie. “Can I Live Again” begins with a dark southern rock feel, reminiscent of “Floyd,” which he wrote with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and then moves into some soaring movie soundtrack-ish leads. “Steel Guitar Rag” is pretty much what the title says, with some wild old school country picking at the end. “Portrayed as Unremorseful” brings funk rock into the picture. “Fractured Mirror” is a trippy progressive number.

Album closer “The Last Page Turned” wows with an acoustic. It’s particularly striking coming at the end of a record that’s been all about shred, but John 5 proves with it that he’s just as good without electricity.

It’s almost insane how quickly this record goes from crushingly heavy to groove to twang, yet somehow it all flows. “The Art of Malice” proves John 5 to be as much a shredder as any of the guys that came out of the style’s 1980s heyday, but also a bit of a mad scientist, stitching together seemingly incongruous elements into an imposing Frankenstein monster.

Get “The Art of Malice.”

John 5 – The Art of Malice: Review by Dee Haley: http://www.backstageaxxess.com/index.php/cdreviews/244-fozzy-and-john-5-cd-reviews

John 5 of Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, Rob Halford and currently Rob Zombie fame, is about to release a new solo CD.  THE ART OF MALICE is John 5’s 5th album to date and it’s scheduled to be available on May 11th on 60 Cycle Hum/Rocket Science Ventures.

This CD is a showcase for John 5’s diverse guitar techniques.  The CD begins with hard-driving rhythms as the “Nightmare Unravels.”  Those rhythms continue from beginning to end. This album is an instrumental slice of guitar virtuosity.  It has everything from chicken pickin’ to shredding with some flamenco splashed in for good measure. The title track “The Art of Malice,” moves with the fluidity of a traditional Spanish dancer leading up to some serious shredding in “Ill Will or Spite.”

The next track, “J.W.” has a Junior Brown-esque rockabilly feel to it.  That rockabilly flavor comes back later on “Steel Guitar Rag” with hints of Stephen Foster’s bluegrass classic ‘Oh! Suzanna’ at the beginning of the track.  “Wayne County Killer” brings back the hard rockin’ riffs and is followed up with an impressive and true to form rendition of Ace Frehley’s “Fractured Mirror.”  As a huge Frehley fan, I can say with certainty that Ace Frehley worshipers will dig this one.

This guitar oriented CD wraps up with an amazing acoustic track called “The Last Page” and this album, in its entirety, portrays a phenomenal glimpse into John 5′s influences.  It’s all instrumental and with John 5, that’s all you need!!!
THE ART OF MALICE  is a must have for guitar aficionados.