by Dan Skiba
— Staff Writer —
John 5 is arguably the most eclectic, innovative, hard-working guitarist as there is in any genre of music. Fans of Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson have enjoyed (some of) the talents that John 5 possesses with his axe, but the truth is John 5 can pretty much play any song in the Manson/Zombie catalog in his sleep. That truism leads to the logical extension of John 5 into a true solo “artist”, which allows him the opportunity to delve into various aspects of Metal, Blues, Flamenco, and Serial Killer Country genres (amongst others) with no worries about album sales or record company pressures and influences.
So far, John 5’s solo work has been 100% instrumental and has showcased his favorite flavors of the moment, earning him wide critical acclaim along the way. Over the past 15 years, John has assembled quite an inventory of solo records … each with its own personality. So, what could John cook up new with his new Invasion release? How about the addition of lyrics? Yep, you better believe it … John 5 incorporates lyrics into a small handful of tracks on Invasion, but only to a minimalist degree. You’ll have no problem singing along to be sure, and you won’t need a lyrics sheet to follow along, but the inclusion of lyrics of any sort is quite a development for John 5. Bottom line is it works …
Metal and Hard Rock has fostered many solo artists, but most of them are shredders, and truth be told, there often isn’t much difference to be found from one to another. John 5 has always been “different” in his playing and approach to his solo releases. Plenty different. And, Invasion is no exception. This is a must buy for John 5 fans, and for newcomers to John 5’s eclecticism, you’ll likely find a number of playing techniques that will literally blow your mind.
Genres: Instrumental Metal, Serial Killer Country
Band:
John 5 – Guitars
Ian Ross – Bass
Logan Miles Nix – Drums
Tracklisting:
Invasion
I Am John 5
Midnight Mass
Zoinks!
Howdy
Crank It – Living With Ghosts
Cactus Flower
I Want It All
I Like The Funk
Constant Sorrow
Label:
Independent
Website:
http://www.John-5.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8.5 / 10)
