PIKE 308 - THEATER OF THE DISEMBODIED

Looks like the coop is on full production mode lately as the chicken lover releases his sixth installment of the PIKE universe in 2022 in mid April. This is a trip to the theater! Grab your seats, ladies and gents! It's showtime.

This one features five tracks and are cleverly named with one part designating a "Row" and the next a "Seat #." The pace has been picked up as well as the last PIKE was a heavy alt rock album. This one blows the roof off the house with some serious metal distortion.

"Row B Seat 10" is a chunky chugging metal number with heavy guitar distortion, catchy riffs that meander from time to time and nice breaks. Somewhat familiar but sounds like BH has found a bit of mojo in a magic egg. Better than usual drumming and nice guitar tones. Even the 8-minute plus time length isn't bothersome.

"Row O Seat 21" luckily starts off differently as i get tired of cookie cutter PIKEs. This starts out with an airier guitar tone and heavy doses of atmosphere with guitar riffs in mid-tempo. This one is OK but makes me want to change seats to row N. Actually not bad at all!

"Row A Seat 4" is yet even more different with guitar stomps and some bizarre sliding action. Even the percussion is more like a freaky Yma Sumac jungle scene. This is the most avant-metal track of the PIKE and unfortunately the shortest. It has two guitar parts each doing weird things. This one is also fairly progressive. Wow. I like three tracks in a row. Say it isn't so!

"Row T Seat 17" starts with an echoey and distorted type of guitar flange. A few chords and then some chugging guitars begin. Nice mix of sustained chords and hyperactive guitar chugging. The drumming is insane on this one. Either a chicken is in the studio as a guest drummer or BH is getting better! This is a cool track too.

"Row T Seat 18" sorta starts off like the previous track. Drums syncopated to the guitar stomps. Backside atmosphere oozing in and out of perception. Chopping guitar mixed with breaks of silence and interesting time signature. Sort of the groove of Ministry's style of industrial metal but clearly in the alt metal realm.

Wow. My favorite PIKE of 2022 so far but nothing mind blowing. This is an above average listenable PIKE for sure but sort of pales in comparison to the older ones nonetheless. Having said that this is one that i would actually return to someday but considering how many more are already on that list this won't rank high. A slight return to form and a rare PIKE of recent memory where i actually like every track!!!!

3.5 but rounded down

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