BUCKETHEAD

Just in time for Christmas, BUCKETHEAD has released a nauseating coal-in-the-stocking crapbomb of a Pike for its 400th edition titled DECORATING. Just when you think this guy can't deliver something more nauseating than before, he continuously surprises.

DECORATING is basically a continuous 30-minute recycled loop of clean guitar. It's like a torture device for interrogation purposes during war time P.O.W. intelligence extraction. There have been many awful Pikes but i do believe this is the most awful of all.

I've grown tired of BH's never-ending stream of mediocrity and downright rubbish as even the more adventurous cool prog metal Pikes have become nothing more than recycled been-there, done-that affairs.

This one is so bad i would truly consider this to be on the playlist of hell. I would give this ZERO stars if possible so i'll have to give it as few as possible in zero's stead. The only thing worth DECORATING with this lump of caca is the trash can.

BH seems to think this is amusing? Seems like his legend is being replaced by an image of irrelevance since even the cream of the crop lately is rather ho hum compared to the legion of new music on the scene. No wonder that few if any have bothered even giving a single rating to the wasteland of live Pikes but these newer studio Pikes are even worse.

ZERO stars but will have to settle for 1

Honestly i don't see the point in instrumental versions of albums that feature lyrics. I've never been a fan and i almost always ignore such releases as they are nothing more than cash in on the diehards endeavors. Having said that even though i wasn't keen on listening to this, i have to admit that these tracks do indeed make decent instrumentals even if not as awesome as were with the myriad vocalists that appeared on the original ENTER THE CHICKEN. The original is one of my favorite older BUCKETHEAD releases and the fact he teamed up with so much talent was a major plus, something sorely lacking in the PIKE series.

This one doesn't feature twelve tracks like the original ENTER THE CHICKEN but rather only seven. This one is missing the "Intro," "We Are One," "Three Fingers," "The Hand" and a short "Interlude." It does feature the track "Shen Chi" which was only featured as a bonus track on later editions of ENTER THE CHICKEN. Actually there are a few vocals featured on this but only on the spoken word sample starting "Botnus," one of BH's most popular live tunes and for great reason, this one showcases BH's guitar shredding abilities as well as a serious riffing machine.

This release is sort of cheating in the fact that both "Nottingham Lace" and "Shen Chi" were already instrumentals on the original ENTER THE CHICKEN so really there are only five stripped down vocalless selections. It seems odd to find an all-instrumental pick of tracks of a 17-year old album but considering BH just lost a bunch of expensive guitars perhaps he's cashing in to replace them. While i was expecting to hate this instrumental album i was pleasantly surprised that it works somewhat although i still much prefer the original. Another glaring reality is that the material here makes many of the more recent PIKEs sound like generic crap. Luckily there aren't a lot of vocal-filled BH albums so i doubt this will be a trend.

Well i guess BUCKETHEAD is trying to cash in on some live recordings to replace all those stolen guitars that he lost in recent times. Suddenly a flood of live releases are finding their way out of the coop and for the first time BH has released several live releases simultaneously. Following the odd PIKE out album cover of "Live From A Boombox" comes another set of live numbers titled CARNIVAL OF CHICKEN WIRE.

This one features six tracks and keeps it under a half hour of playing time. A lot of these tracks have been featured on other live releases such as the feisty opening "Jordan" which seems to be a crowd pleaser. After the energetic opener BH slows the tempo down a bit with "The Interworld And The New Innocence" which emphasizes those famous echoey guitar sounds and then builds up steam to a bluesy rock shredding extravaganza. 
 "Redeem Team" picks up the pace again with a melodic guitar riff. The track picks up pace and becomes a crunchy alt metal rocker. "Toy Store" features a nice processed guitar effect sound. This one features some interesting technical workouts. It merges perfectly into another long time crowd pleaser, "Welcome To Bucketheadland" which is basically a BH anthem at this point. "Siege Engine" finishes this release off with an energetic guitar performance but the track itself is rather generic and monotonous.

Overall this is an OK live set but not as interesting as "Live Sprinkles." Basically the track selection is not that wonderful and although everything is interesting to hear in a live setting, i'm not a huge live album fan in the first place and BH doesn't do anything remarkable to distinguish from the studio recordings. It truly seems like cashing in is the modus operandi du jour. Oh well. Another PIKE i will never be revisiting.

2.5 rounded down

I absolutely knew once the floodgates were opened for live releases to come out as PIKEs that there would be an incessant flow and it turns out i was correct. PIKE 326 has emerged as another live release titled LIVE FROM THE BOOMBOX. The album cover is notable for falling completely out of character from the comic book PIKE design. This simply features a photo with a BUCKETHEAD and a BOOMBOX photoshopped and posing on a slap of concrete on the shore.

Unlike the previous "Live Sprinkles" which was a staggering 50 minutes long, LIVE FROM THE BOOMBOX clocks in at a standard PIKE running time of around 30 minutes which is personally all i really have an attention span for PIKEs these days so thank dog for that. This one features only six tracks but there are some crowd pleases on board here. The picks are mostly out of the alternative metal camp with "Big Sur Moon" and "Flare" leading the way. BH feistily performs with passion.

"Gory Head Stump" is a bouncy fun number with an incessant bouncing groove that also keeps the energy high however it wouldn't be a BH live release without a slower number, in this case a classic live number in his playbook called "Soothsayer." Although it starts out mellow it climaxes with a scorching guitar solo. Likewise "Ghose of Broken Eggs" dishes out some psychedelic wah-wah pedal effects in the beginning and slowly ratchets up the blues rock intensity. The concluding "Fountains of the Forgotten" closes the PIKE with a bit of energetic heft with squealing guitar licks and heavy metal fortitude.

This is a decent LIVE PIKE that features some excellent material from BUCKETHEAD's vast canon but at the same time there is nothing super compelling about this release either. It's an OK half hour of live energy but not something that beckons a return visit either. Nice but only good and not much else. Considering the number of LIVE PIKEs coming out i'm sure there will be a whole lot more where this came from.

BUCKETHEAD is back with one chicken attack after another. LANGUAGE OF THE MOSAICS is the 24th PIKE of 2022 and there are still fourth months left in the egg hatchery! While BH is throwing in some live albums here and there this year, this one is a bonafide studio album that features BH's most intense and energetic guitar wankery. This is experimental, progressive and avant-garde as well as pedal to the metal head banging splendor.

This one features seven tracks all titled "Mosaic" plus the corresponding number. This is also one of those blitzkrieg PIKEs where all the tracks run into another. This one is primarily metal oriented with crazy fast tempos, face melting guitar workouts and crunchy riffing however this one is also one of those shapeshifters that allows various stylistic approaches to seep in. Any given style usually takes a few bars before changing it up but then again BH is full of surprises.

This one is truly for the tech guitar lovers. Those who crave wild unapologetic frenetic guitar abuse and love those roller coaster compositional approaches where hairpin turns and upside down loops are guaranteed all but the most adrenaline seeking junkies out there lose their lunch and run far away. Unlike some of BH's most avant-garde PIKEs of the same ilk, this one is more on the melodic side with catchy riffs and traditional heavy metal compositional approaches but then there are those weird crazy turns towards the bizarre and experimental.

Personally these are the types of PIKEs that suit me best however many of these exist at this point so this is just one more in a large collection. There's not really much to distinguish this one from many others that have come before which is why i can't rate it higher. At this point even PIKEs of this caliber which showcase BH's most technical workouts have been done to death. I just wish BH would up his game in the compositional department or start playing with other musicians and make a totally unique band. Oh well. This is a very good PIKE but not to the point where i will probably ever feel the need to revisit it.

3.5 rounded down

Well i knew once BH opened the floodgates by releasing live releases under the PIKE series that it would trickle and then flow like a firehose but this is where we are at the latter stage of the year 2022 and BH has done it once again by release PIKE 324 as LIVE SPRINKLES which showcases some of the better tracks of his massive canon. Not sure if these were all recorded in one concert or individual from various sources (my guess is the latter) but the entire experience is fairly cohesive.

No idea who's playing the instruments other than BH on guitars but i just got back from several trips and really don't care. What's amazing about this PIKE is that it extends well beyond the 30-minute-ish mark and seeps over 50 MINUTES OF PLAYING TIME!!!! Yes, that's right! Not that it's unheard of. The earlier PIKEs varied in length with some equalling playing time before a sort of uniformity emerged. Whatever the case i'm very loath to experience PIKEs these days and only do so because i signed up to review every album so 50 minutes didn't excite me.

Having said that, this one isn't really that bad at all! Even though i'm a BH fan i have had bad experiences with live performances and a majority of the PIKEs simply are OK but don't excite me beyond belief. This one has actually captured me unexpectedly and reminds me of what live rock music is supposed to evoke, namely diversity of moods and a thrilling reinterpretation of studio compositions. LIVE SPRINKLES does just that. BH brings these studio recordings to a live setting and makes them shine as best as he can.

BH compositions are easy to get lost in. All the more so because they are instrumental. What's cool about LIVE SPRINKLES is that BH actually took the time to place each track in a way that made it all the more impactful. All in all it doesn't even matter where each track came from in the vast universe of BUCKETHEAD. These live recordings bring them all back to life in an interesting manner where everything connects. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I immediately wanted to give this 2 stars just because it was 50 minutes long! Ugh. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. Probably not quite brilliant enough for a huge "essential" tag but certainly worthy of best of BH live.

3.5 rounded down

Anyone who keeps up with BUCKETHEAD is aware that recently he had a number of his prize guitars stolen out of his musical coop. He quickly set the alarm and asked his fanbase to look out for any signs of hot chicken guitars on the loose. Turns out someone actually recovered one and this PIKE is a tribute to that fan who saved the day. At least one chicken axe was returned to the coop.

THANK YOU TAYLOR is a nice musical tribute to the loyalty of a fan who cares. This PIKE features seven tracks and ranges from "1T" numerically up to "7T." Musically speaking this is one of those assembly line PIKEs that features of the alternative metal style. You know, recycled guitar riffs from a gazillion PIKEs that came before and accompanying bass and drum performances. In fact this really could just be a PIKE from the past given new packaging!

Not really much i can say about this one because musically it's fairly generic although recorded nicely. The ambient backdrop is pleasantly mixed with the alt rock / metal and gives it a gentler than average feel. While a tribute to a fan is a very welcome gesture especially when a prized guitar is retrieved from a thievish miscreant stealing eggs from the coop, if i were the recipient i'd hope for a more personalized approach than the canned package delivered.

Oh well. A personal thank you in musical form is nevertheless a very appropriate gesture from an artist to a fan who saved the day despite the overall lack of creative mojo imbued within it. Perhaps i'm just a rabid dog with too much vitriol in my critic but i callz em as i seez em. Generic PIKE, brilliant gesture and we all thank Taylor who that may be! Hope this person loves this PIKE more than i do :D

2.5 rounded down

The only consistency in the world of BUCKETHEAD is that you will NEVER know what you will get with each and every subsequent release, which at this point are MANY! Dude has nearly 370 releases as a solo artist alone and if you count the multitude of collaborations the amount is staggering. A true workaholic but the problem with so much output is that it's virtually impossible for a newbie to break into this alternate musical universe. One of the reasons i started writing reviews for EVERY BH release (what was i thinking? :D) is that i really wanted to find the cream of the crop (which there are many gems) even though that meant wading through seas of mediocrity (which there are more). Sort of sums up the modern world of music, doesn't it?

Anybody who is familiar with my reviews will by now understand that i do not dig those lullaby PIKEs that showcase a few chords and go on like a music box from hell in perpetual yawniness. Yeah to each their own but i am thoroughly BORED by those uneventful musical invitations. On the contrary i want fast, aggressive and uncompromisingly avant-garde. Hey, i'd listen to death metal for aggression alone! Well BUCKETHEAD is doing good in 2022 with his latest PIKE universe installment PIKE 322 - DOCTOR LORCA'S WORK coming out as the 20th PIKE of the year! BH seems to have a rotisserie of elfin assembly lines like the Santa Claus of instrumental experimental rock / metal / folk / whatever however once in a while he throws in a real curve ball that actually warrants repeated listens and utmost respect.

PIKE 322 is thus far my favorite PIKE of the year. This is an instrumental journey rather than an instrumental random fashion show. Unlike the majority of PIKEs in recent years, this one is actually compositionally competent! BH loves to lull us into slumber, at least those of us who consume every possible release. We are beginning to think he's ready for the nursing home and then suddenly a miracle happens! Yes, that means dude is still virile (hopefully without blue pills of course!)? Fortunately DOCTOR LORCA'S WORK comes off as a veritable modern classic work of instrumental progressive metal. While many of BH's high energy metal deliveries of recent years are truly in the avant-camp, this one is a bit more structured and focused. Now i do love me some freakin' awesome out there music but i also enjoy an overarching cohesiveness.

While many PIKEs are really a single track in structure but not so in listing, DOCTOR LORCA'S WORK simply presents itself as a sole listening experience. What you can expect on this sensational PIKE is a labyrinth of progressive metal run amok with one interesting and fascinating mix of guitar solo led metal morphing into something completely different but everything connects in a logical manner after all is said and done. This is prog metal that bands like Animals As Leaders only dream of. Yeah, this sounds like BUCKETHEAD in the instrumental wanking department but the compositional fortitude has taken a huge leap. Having said that it's most likely that the next PIKE will be some limp dick lullaby album that's been recycled 22 times in order to cash in. Ugh.

This album is exciting. It goes through many ch-ch-ch-ch-changes that add up to an exhilarating sum of the parts. Structurally it's not unlike many other PIKEs as far as how they are presented but there is an effort to present the sums of the part in a more acceptable sum of the part scenario. BTW the title of DOCTOR LORCA refers to the Filipino horror film of 1969 (the year BH was hatched) which refers to a mad scientist named Dr. Lorca who created human / plant mutants with chlorophyll blood out of the local natives. The film was later syndicated to television as Tomb of the Living Dead. It was also briefly known in certain states as The Mad Doctor of Crimson Island. This would be a great soundtrack if it existed all the way back then.

4.5 but since this is so good i'll actually round up!

The PIKE train just keeps rolling along in 2022 as BUCKETHEAD seems to be continuing his mission as most prolific guitarist in music history and on this edition of chicken hatchery theater we are delivered a soundtrack titled PIKE 321 - WARM YOUR ANCESTORS. Now does this title refer to a chicken hatchery where eggs are incubated under a heat lamp? The mystery continues.

This PIKE features two long tracks that just miss the 28-minute mark and after a couple lullaby albums BH is back with some heavy alternative rock gusto. As the title suggests, the ANCESTORS are WARM but not smoking hot. This is a pretty generic PIKE if i you ask me although there is some great guitar playing along with cool tones and timbres.

The title track is one of those all too familiar alternative heavy rock tracks that features an incessant flow of guitar riffing, a bass accompaniment and rather uninspired percussion. There is a slight ambient to be heard frosting the background. The track is 11 1/2 minutes long and sounds like a gazillion others from the PIKE past. Personally i find this style rather boring and even more so since this recycling program shows no end in sight.

"The Crystal Mountain" is the perfect title for a psychedelic space rock sound in vein of The Boredoms but no such luck here. This is basically another heavy alt rock track in the vein of the title track only a tad heavier with more oomf in the guitar riffing. The percussion is also less steady and features a few tricks and trinkets to spice things up a bit. Still though nothing on here warrants a 16 1/2 minute playing time. It's also a product of an intense recycling program if you have delved heavily into the PIKE world, you'll know of what i speak.

This PIKE is just yet another insignificant stop on the incessant PIKe highway. Like most of these types of PIKEs, it's neither inoffensive nor inspiring. Just another series of slight variations off of never-ending themes. It's OK but honestly not one i'll ever revisit beyond this initial reviewing session.

2.5 rounded down

And the roller coaster ride continues as BUCKETHEAD releases one PIKE after another under the guise of BUCKETHEADLAND, the mythical paradise amusement park where roller coaster rides last for hours, well except when they break down in the middle of the ride and you're stuck there for a few hours. Oh well.

Now this is something new. This is the first time BH has released an alternative version of a PIKE and in this case it follows the PIKE that was released previously. "Pike 319 - Dreams Rememberred" has been reworked and turned into PIKE 320 - DREAMS REMEMBERED VERSION 2. Well i was ready to get all aggro on this assuming it would be another pointless attempt to cash in on that which has been exhausted to death. I was wrong.

Yes this is a mellow one. Lullaby music for sure but whereas the previous DREAMS REMEMBERED rubbed me the wrong way, this one actually totally propels me in a totally different direction. Why? Good question. Simple answer: the ambience. As with the previous version this one is one single track that lasts just under 28 minutes.

Indeed the ambience is what it was missing. I do love mellow floaty dreamy music but the last PIKE was way too stripped down for my tastes. Yep, the ole chickin' lover has indeed done something i never considered possible and that is to reinvent a PIKE that i hated and turn it into something that i actually like (but far from love have ya). This one exudes the same simplicity and all that but it actually works because the element of ambience draws you in to a different world.

These two PIKEs are a case study as to why an idea may or may not work. Yes, i know music is subjective but there are some commonalities to be found (or perhaps that is a thing of the past). This music is simply constructed and doesn't work when presented as a stripped down guitar, bass and drums lite. What totally flips this for me is the intricacy of the ambient embellishments which gives the other instruments a new sheen.

Music like this is supposed to be transcendental and the previous PIKE did not achieve that for my ears. This one takes the same basic music and adds a dreamy ambient glow and for some reason transforms it into what the chicken lover probably envisioned in the first place. I actually like this one. I really do~ ha! Still not my favorite BH style of playing because i'm basically a hyperactive freak in search of avant-metal chimeras but finally a mellow PIKE i actually enjoy! Hallelujah!!!