JOHN 5: The Art of Malice

Produced by Chris Baseford and John 5

Released: May 11

To anyone not that familiar with John 5's work beyond his teamings with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, the idea of him as a solo instrumentalist may come as a surprise. But long before he changed his surname to a numeral, he was swinging the plank with David Lee Roth, Lita Ford and others, and The Art of Malice is his fifth solo release since 2004.

5's number five showcases the depths of his talent and the diversity of his playing that his work with Manson and Zombie may not so clearly display. Not surprisingly, he chooses to open with the brisk metal of "The Nightmare Unravels", immediately showing his chops as a lightning-fast and clearly innovative player. He is quite a breathtaking guitarist, but if the whole album had been like this it would become very boring very quickly. Fortunately, John 5 breaks up the shredtastic array of face-melting arpeggios and scales-based fret-blazing with other moves. On "Can I Live Again?" he adds some cool slide playing and on "J.W." and "Steel Guitar Rag" he steps out with some blues and ragtime workouts (not to mention the country feel he invokes in "Wayne County Killer"). The Art of Malice also serves as something of a tribute to the guys who influenced him: "Fractured Mirror" is an Ace Frehley cover and "Ya Dig" -- featuring Billy Sheehan -- is a Van Halen-inspired piece. Combining the solo from Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" with the riff from "Rock and Roll" in "Portrayed as Unremorseful" is also a clever touch.

Whatever one may think of the other bands he's played in (including Halford's 2wo, by the way), there's no doubt that John 5 is a spectacular and talented guitarist. The Art of Malice doesn't exactly break any rules when it comes to instrumental shred albums and doesn't have the same cross-over appeal that Vai and Satriani do, but guitar fans will certainly dig it.

1. The Nightmare Unravels
2. The Art of Malice
3. All Will or Spite
4. J.W.
5. Ya Dig?
6.  Can I Live Again?
7. Portrayed as Unremorseful
8. Steel Guitar Rag
9. Wayne County Killer
10. Fractured Mirror
11. The S-Lot
12. The Last Page Turned

Rating: 75%

ROB ZOMBIE: Hellbilly Deluxe 2

Produced by Rob Zombie

Released: February 2, 2010

For a while it seemed as if Rob Zombie had forsaken his musical career in favour of auteuristic film-making, but after more than a year sitting in a can somewhere, his fourth solo album has at last seen the light of day. Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool is the logical companion to his 1999 effort and is a direct return to his signature sound after the darker and unpopular Educated Horses album.

The original Hellbilly Deluxe was one of the most rambunctious albums of its year of release, a fun and catchy if imminently disposable slice of gaudy schlock rock. Its "sequel" -- if the word can be used -- tries to be the same yet doesn't quite pull it off. Recycling the original's campy, B-grade, sexploitation-film style artwork and the standard trashy grooves he's used on everything he's ever done, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is pretty much the same style-over-substance vibe of stripclub horror metal as before, but without all the hooks. Where the first Hellbilly was dominated by memorable, shout-along tracks like "Dragula", "Meet the Creeper" and "Superbeast", this one doesn't really stick in your head. "Sick Bubblegum" gives it a go, but after the fifth or sixth "Yeah, motherfucker, yeah motherfucker, yeah!" it feels as if his heart just isn't in it. "Werewolf, Baby!" (one of two --two! -- songs about werewolves) is a throwback to the punkish grooves of White Zombie and the bluesy acoustic guitars of "Mars Need Women" are a nicely interesting touch.

John 5 does some very cool 60s surf-guitar inspired work on "Werewolf Women of the SS" which results in the catchiest song on the album, although it's a bit late in the playlist to save the rest of it. "The Man Who Laughs" is pretty hook-y too but Zombie overplays his hand (naturally) by including a pointless, not-very-interesting four minute long drum solo that totally ruins it. In the end, it's catchy enough, and it's Rob Zombie so there's fun to be had, but doesn't stand up to the first one.

1. Jesus Frankenstein
2. Sick Bubblegum
3. What?
4. Mars Need Women
5. Werewolf, Baby!
6. Virgin Witch
7. Death and Destiny Inside the Dream Factory
8. Burn
9. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs

Rating: 62%

ROB ZOMBIE: Hellbilly Deluxe

Produced by Scott Humphey & Rob Zombie
Released: 1998

Recorded and released almost immediately White Zombie's fate was sealed, Rob Zombie's first solo album was panned and pilloried in almost every review I saw of it, so I knew it just had to be well worth a listen. And I was right.

Departing not a jot from the musical direction and style of White Zombie, Rob and his buddies Riggs, Blasko and Tempesta plunged the listener into a world of complete Z-grade horror schlock, infested with vampires, ghouls, walking dead and assorted shambling creepy things and it was all done with an infernal sense of impish fun that the likes of Marilyn Manson seemed to have completely forgotten. Starting with a couple of tunes laden with samples and heavy syncopation, Hellbilly Deluxe quickly moves up a into overdrive when "Demonoid Phenomonon" surges forth with some cool and heavey second-hand Ministry riffs and the tone is set for some typically Rob Zombie party music. And the artwork within is pure genius.

Sure, he plunders the industrial scene mercilessly, shamelessly ripping off everyone from Ministry to Manson to Reznor to his own previous band, but unlike the others Zombie seems to be having a truly riotous time. It's shallow and tacky schlock horror-rock, but that's all it was meant to be: Hellbilly Deluxe is just 13 tracks of pure party music, something like cock rock for the 90s to be cranked and enjoyed without any need to put the brain into gear.

1. Call of the Zombie
2. Superbeast
3. Dragula
4. Living Dead Girl
5. Perversion 99
6. Demonoid Phenomonon
7. Spookshow Baby
8. H0w to Make a Monster
9. Meet the Creeper
10. The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa the Whore
11. What Lurks on Channel X?
12. Return of the Phantom Stranger
13. The Beginning of the End

Rating: 78%