Customer Reviews

The Art Of Malice

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another good album from John 5 although somewhat mellower than previous ones, still some good stuff there. As usual, he includes a CW/BG tune this time "Steel Guitar Rag" played slowly like you might be used to hearing it then at blinding speed. I really like John 5 and I have all his albums. I think it's because he has Country roots and plays so well as a shredder.

OK GUITAR PLAYERS GO AND BUY THIS CD ASAP.THIS GUY IS JUST SO UNDERATTED ALL THE BIG GUNS VAI,GILBERT,SATRIANI RATE HIM AS HUGE.HE GETS BETTER WITH EVERY CD,THATS WHAT WE CALL MUSICAL GROWTH.BUY IT NOW.

HE IS LIKE A METAL VERSION OF STEVE MORSE. HE IS AN AMAZING GUITAR PLAYER HIS TALENT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

If you take a fast look at the cover, I'm sure you wouldn't believe the quality of the musician we are talking about. This kind of image it's making him very well known in a sense, but is taking away serious music listeners, and it's ashame because John deserves attention. You wouldn't believe the guy with the mask, making such an hard face is one true great musician and probably more than anything else a clever guy. Probably this quote can take you a little nearer the idea, ... "... I would love to be Steve Vai or Satriani or Yngwie. They're great, they're my heroes, but I didn't want to clone them. What they do is amazing. I just didn't want to copy them. I wanted to make a name for myself." This guy wants to play his own thing and he does. This is great I mean, if you surf the Youtube, you see thousands of people trying to clone this one or that one, and so of course they will never get anywhere. John is different. Of course he is already an established musician, with a long story behind him, but what separates him from the rest is his originality. A lot of people can play better than him in each different styles he approaches, but in the end he's great in his own right and when you listen to him you can say, "I'm listening to J5 because I love J5" not because you're listenining to the new Yngwie, the new Vai or whatever. Having a personal voice is the ultimate goal for a musician. So I appreciate J5 approach very much. It's the right one. The music is not all that strange in the end, in my opinion: the only truly peculiar thing is that he is able to play rightly, a couple of very different styles. Metal and country and that he loves to play them both. Nothing wrong with that for me. He doesn't play them in the same song by the way. Very seldom a country quote is taken inside a metal territory and viceversa. He tends to keep the two things pretty separate for the most time. So when you listen to this album you are under a kind of scottish shower if you know what I mean, the cold water, then the hot one, then again the cold. It's strange! ; It's like being at the Ozzfest one minute and the other one in the middle of an Albert Lee concert! Strange uh? But, don't be scared, in the end I found myself really enjoing the album. And I think it's not because I'm accustomed to jazz, country, metal, rock, fusion and whatever in between. It's because the music is good. Nothing more, nothing less. That's my consideration and my interest in this album. The musical ideas are good. It's a simple compliment, but it's the only thing I can say here. Before the listening I would consider the project of recording such a bizarre mixture of style a nonsense (a sort of Steve Vai meets Manson meets Albert Lee-Jerry Reed kind of thing), ... after a couple of listenings I appreciate this "Malice" a lot, and I find it extremely brilliant. With just a couple of albums (the ones that I own at this moment) J5 has immediatly become one of the musicians I admire the most today, and believe me, I wouldn't believe a week ago and it's not a simple task (if you look at my reviews you can understand why, I appreciate the very best). I just want to hope that he will continue to evolve, sonething his heroes (Yngwie, Steve and Joe) stopped doing many years ago. That's the way to go J5! Rock on!

PS (The only thing that I personally don't understand is the "Fractured Mirror" version which is totally identical to the one recorded by Ace in the eighties in his solo album. It's just a tribute J said. I personally would love to hear his interpretation of that song, some super impositions of ideas of his over Ace music. But I don't know, probably it's only my taste).

This guy is really good! He is right up there with Paul Gilbert in talent, (but with a much darker vibe). I love the diversity as well... all of his songs have their own idenity and never run togther like some instumental rock albums. It's got a little of everything!

JOHN is AMONGST the king of kings here. A monster shredder indeed. His music is very up beat and exciting for the ears and mind.So get glued in my friends. To were he's at and enjoy the ride.

Purchase this CD now! Go sign up for the fan club now! [...]
You will never be disappointed with a John 5 CD.

The talent encompassed in this cd reflects John's eclectic interests and brings in all fans of any of his previous works, his picking is so underrated Steve Vai and Slash agree.

Thats all i have to say, just buy it! Now!