'John 5' going solo: former Marilyn Manson releases new instrumental CD 'Vertigo'

NEW YORK (Shrapnel Records) - John5 is best known for his tour-of-duty with the controversial Marylin Manson. "I had a great run with Marilyn Manson. It was a lot of fun and it was a really great experience, but I've got a lot of other stuff going on. I'm busier now than I was on tour," explains John5. A lot of stuff going on indeed. While playing with famed guitar guru Les Paul in New York, Paul gave John5 some good old-fashioned advice. He told the player to venture out with his monster playing ability and go solo. Influenced by Les Paul's advice, John5 is unleashing solo project aptly named Vertigo.

John5's signature brand of crunching metal & Delta dynamite pickin has been a long time in the making. At 7 years old, John5 picked up the guitar and was influenced by all the sounds his father and radio subjected him to. 'My Dad listened to country and bluegrass, which directly influenced me. I used to watch Hee Haw and loved the guy on the banjo. Of course KISS was another defining factor in my playing. I love it all,' exclaims John5. Vertigo is the bastard child of this intriguing combination of influences.

Vertigo is deemed caustic and aggressive, but the disc also covers a range of diverse music, far detached from Manson's style, including bluegrass, jazz and classical. Rearranging 100 year old country standards like Sugar Foot Rag and Sweet Georgia Brown, John 5 recorded these treasures pursuant to a younger generation being a cross between heavy rock and aggressive country. "I'm so proud of this thing," John 5 said. "Marilyn Manson's music is somewhat limiting, so I sometimes felt like I was watching a porno movie and couldn't get off. It was really frustrating. Now I feel fully satisfied." Vertigo is his first release under his own name and marks a return to John 5's roots as a guitarist. It is also the first instrumental guitar album of his career.