When it comes to guitarists who left a lasting mark on heavy metal, Jake E. Lee holds a special place. His work with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s, particularly on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, cemented his reputation as one of the most innovative and fiery players of his generation. After Ozzy, he went on to form **Badlands**, a blues-infused hard rock group with vocalist Ray Gillen, before stepping back from the limelight in the 1990s. For years, fans wondered if Lee had walked away from music for good. But in 2013, he surprised many by returning with a new project, Red Dragon Cartel — a band that came together not through elaborate planning but through a casual conversation that sparked an unexpected new chapter in his career.
In a recent interview with Guitar World, Lee recalled how the group took shape almost by accident. “It was real casual. About two years ago, Ron \[Mancuso] just approached me about doing something. I hadn’t done anything in a while, and I can’t say I really had any plans to,” he said. At the time, Lee had been living quietly in Las Vegas, far removed from the high-pressure cycle of recording and touring. Mancuso, a producer and musician in his own right, saw an opportunity to coax Lee back into the studio. He floated the idea with **Kevin Churko**, the respected producer known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch, and Disturbed, who also operates a studio in Vegas. Both Mancuso and Churko agreed that if Lee was willing to pick up his guitar again, something special could happen.
Lee admits he was hesitant at first, but the suggestion planted a seed. Over the years, he had collected countless riffs, song fragments, and half-finished ideas, stockpiled in notebooks and on tapes, waiting for the right moment. “He \[Mancuso] had been talking with Kevin Churko, who has a studio here in Vegas, and they both thought it’d be interesting to see if I was interested in playing. I had ideas that I’d saved up for the last 15 years or so, and Ron and I started to go through them,” Lee explained. Those forgotten pieces of music suddenly had a chance to breathe again, and before long, they became the foundation of what would evolve into Red Dragon Cartel.
The early sessions were loose and exploratory. With only Mancuso and Lee writing and recording, there was no fixed lineup to shape the project’s identity. Rather than rushing to assemble a traditional band, the two embraced flexibility. Their solution was to follow the model of artists like **Slash** or **Carlos Santana**, who often invite different vocalists and collaborators to bring variety and freshness to each track. “Since we didn’t have a band, per se, and it was just the two of us writing and recording, we figured we’d just do like a Slash or Santana thing and reach out to different guys to see if they’d want to sing on different songs,” Lee recalled.
That approach gave Red Dragon Cartel its distinctive flavor. The debut album, released in 2014, featured a mix of established names and emerging talent, with guest appearances from Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Paul Di’Anno of Iron Maiden fame, and former Badlands singer Darren James Smith, who would eventually join as the band’s touring vocalist. This collaborative spirit not only allowed Lee to reintroduce himself to the rock world but also showcased his ability to adapt and thrive in a modern music landscape that thrives on cross-pollination.
For fans who had waited decades to hear new material from Lee, Red Dragon Cartel was both a nostalgic reminder of his past brilliance and a bold step forward. His signature guitar tone — sharp, melodic, and filled with bluesy aggression — remained intact, but the project also allowed him to experiment with new textures and songwriting dynamics. It was a testament to the fact that while Lee may have been absent from the public eye, his creative spark had never really faded.
Looking back, it’s striking how casually the idea was born. A friendly suggestion from Mancuso and a little encouragement from Churko was enough to convince Lee to revisit the music he had been quietly holding onto for more than a decade. What began as a tentative experiment quickly transformed into a full-fledged band with a dedicated following. For Lee, it was proof that inspiration doesn’t always require a master plan — sometimes it only takes the right people, the right moment, and the courage to step back into the arena.
Today, Red Dragon Cartel continues to stand as a reminder that Jake E. Lee’s story is far from over. More than just a comeback vehicle, the band represents renewal, collaboration, and the enduring power of great guitar-driven rock. Fans may still associate him most closely with his years alongside Ozzy, but with Red Dragon Cartel, Lee has carved out a new identity on his own terms. His return wasn’t a dramatic, headline-grabbing announcement — it was a quiet rebirth that slowly gathered momentum until it became undeniable. And for a guitarist who has always let his playing speak louder than his words, that feels like the perfect way to step back into the spotlight.
Leave a Reply