Guitarist John William Lowery, aka John 5, has been making a name for himself in the Rock-n-Roll world over the past two decades. Beginning his career at the age of eighteen as a session and studio musician for TV commercials and productions like Baywatch, John worked with David Lee Roth and soon joined forces with Marilyn Manson, creating perhaps one of the best lineups the band ever had. Having presently been the lead guitarist for Rob Zombie a decade now, John 5 began his path into a solo career in 2004 with his debut solo album Vertigo. Now balancing time between touring, writing, and recording with Rob Zombie, he has found time to put together a slew of solo albums over the years. Vastly different from what he plays with Zombie, his solo material can best be described as a hodgepodge of styles John 5 has itching deep down in his soul. In fact, he has stated, “This is the music I play backstage on tour, driving everyone crazy.” Ranging from Country, Blues, Bluegrass, Spanish guitar, Folk, Metal, and everything in between, John 5’s skills and influences are impossible to put in a box. Staying true to himself, in 2014 he returned with his seventh studio album titled Careful With That Axe. Possessing a double meaning, John 5 has stated, “Everything means something on this record, even the title. When I got my first guitar, you know, be careful with that axe, you don’t know if it will bring you happiness, sorrow, pain, or poverty. It also has another meaning, a lot of the song titles revolve around some axe murderers and things like that so everything has a meaning with this record.”
With that said, of course Careful With That Axe is an album for guitar-lovers, but it is quite more than only alike Instrumental/Guitar Rock players which flooded the genre back in the ’90s. Recorded in Los Angeles’ Doghouse Studio with drummer and co-producer Rodger Carter, and gathered around by bass-animal Matt Bissonnett, the album is a journey through all the genres and styles a musician can create with an electric “egg-slicer“ like Rock/Metal, Country, Jazz, Classic, and Spanish picking.
While John 5 played bass himself on previous albums like God Told Me To (2012), and instructed drummers to just keep the beat, on Careful With That Axe he benefits from interaction with the musicians, to construct a kind of band- and live feeling. Surely the Telecaster-sound and playing of John 5 is in the focus in high-speed shredding songs like “This Is My Rifle,” which a tribute to Al di Meola. This adrenaline rush is also felt on “Flight Of The Vulcan Kelly,” John 5’s homage to Flight Of The Bumble Bee. More of the latter can also be heard on “Six Hundred And Sixty Six Prickers In Hell,“ which is also known as John 5’s solo part during Rob Zombie live-shows.
To be honest, Careful With That Axe has its strongest and most enthralling moments in excursions to non-Rock-genre tracks though. A perfect example of such is the introduction of a Spanish bodega sounding “El Cucuy.” Translated to “The Boogeyman,” great Spanish picking and a really magical performance make the song shine with beautifully, careful struck notes. Meanwhile, the Country and Banjo textures on “Jerry’s Breakdown” or “Jiffy Jam” are exhilarating instrumentals as John 5 pays tribute to Country hero Jerry Reed. The metal-pound in the very down-tuned “Portrait Of Sidney Sloane” is equally impressive and, with or without gadgets, John 5 sprays a live-bar atmosphere with his amp setting, only using his signature Telecaster, a Marshall amp, and a Boss Overdrive pedal.
Careful With That Axe is an entertaining, diverting Instrumental album. However, those unfamiliar with John 5’s solo material may be in for a bit of surprise, but chances are if someone is purchasing this album, they know what the guitarist is all about. Careful With That Axe is about music, and nothing more. It is an album performed conclusively by an outstanding, and maybe, one of the most versatile guitar players in the modern Rock genre. Thumbs up for an album which reanimates the presumed dead niche of Instrumental-Guitar albums. CrypticRock gives Careful With That Axe 4 out of 5 stars.
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