Johnny Wore Black: Walking Under Water Pt. 2 review

  Johnny Wore Black is the latest band featuring Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson in the form of a collaboration. What may have started as a few songs has transformed into a beautifully diverse album that’s as far from what you’d expect from Ellefson as you can get. Walking Under Water Pt. 2 shows Johnny Wore Black- who works a main gig as a Hollywood stuntman- channeling a few different genres to create one of the more eclectic records of 2014. Joining Ellefson in the guest appearances are Croatian singer Sara Renar and soul singer Loretta Heywood, both of which add another dimension to their respective songs. Johnny Wore Black has worked as a stuntman in “Les Miserables,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Fast and Furious 6” and “Fury,” among others and he’s pulled inspiration from work in those movies and others, and it shows on Walking Under Water Pt. 2,  with the dark and ominous intrigue translating to perfection. Not only does Ellefson guest on the record but he co-wrote three of the songs as well. Produced by Johnny Wore Black (Jay) himself and mixed by David Bottrill- who’s produced Tool and Stone Sour- this is a record that isn’t over-produced and that’s strategically and masterfully put together. Following the release of pt. 1, which hit earlier in 2014, pt. 2 is a great follow up and is an album that any rock fan should have in their collection. Rating: 8.5/10 -Reggie Edwards