[4] With it being his seventh instrumental studio album, John 5 desired to mix his process up from the past.

[4] For Careful with That Axe, he recruited a dedicated bassist, Matt Bissonette, to play all bass parts, and had a co-producer Rodger Carter play all drum tracks, with both players being more interactive in the process.

[4] Both were experienced studio musicians, with Bissonette having previously recorded with Elton John and David Lee Roth, and Carter having previously recorded with Lita Ford and Gene Simmons.

[5] John 5 described the album as having "a real live band sound" that covers a broad spectrum of different music genre.

[4] "El Cucuy" is Spanish for the "bogeyman", while "Portrait of Sidney Sloan", "Villisca", and "The Dream Slayer" all refer to specific real-life murders.