Buckethead

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Mosh said:
Pike 267 - Throacic Spine Collapser: What's with the sudden endings in the tracks?

Not a bad Pike at all. His rollercoaster themed Pikes tend to be pretty exciting and this was no exception. I liked the short song format, the sudden endings were pretty abrasive but then again it fit the material. Some shreddy/noodly moments, I think I enjoy those more now that I've taken some time off from his music. Nerve Stability at T6 had a really awesome build, one of the Pike's highlights. The closing track was also atmospheric Buckethead at its finest. Buckethead's albums in general are usually especially good when there is a sort of theme. This Pike had that and for the most part it worked. I could absolutely see this being the soundtrack to a rollercoaster, much like the previously mentioned Roller Coaster Track Repair (although not quite as good).
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This release it basically a suite in all but name (tracks #1-6). The naming isn't helping this listener though. I'm increasingly finding this type of material really difficult & I'm not sure if I'm even close to your assessment here. None of this is stellar, that I'm sure of; & all of it I need to be in the mood for. So, production is decent; tick. Outlet Syndrome starts off all big-riff fuzzy then goes to shred+bass mode. That can be okay, but in this case the cut-up structure pulls this one down for me. It has this cool lead section mid-track (~1:35) but it's not enough to save it from being another throw-away three minutes. And the blues/funk passage late on doesn't add anything for me (3*). Sprain is more of the same. There are several delightful little slow interludes on this one, but all of this is sandwiched between big-noise fuzzy boredom & meaningless shred plus some upbeat... something (3*). T4 has an interesting big boomy early section; it crunches along nicely but it's buried in more repetitive heard-before stuff. Again, small glimmers but not enough to raise this in my estimation (3*). (There's a decent track buried on here somewhere!) T5 has started & I've barely noticed. Nice little bit of early funk-slap & crazy lead section; this is bordering on decent. But it's all a bit bluesy boring too (3*). Now T6 is better; start is close to being... epic. Still needlessly broken up with more bluesy nonsense, but there's lots more to like in this track than not. The quiet, moody bits on this one are good too (4*, just). Complete Shutdown starts off all shrill (lead) & fuzzy (rhythm) again; nothing too annoying here but overall just not, again, that interesting (3*). Thoracic Park is a real step-up; production/mix is dirty, but that wah 70's-style is a huge about-turn from what we've just heard. Twin guitar lead section! Then a decent throbbing riff section. There's even a melody here somewhere & a "solo". I dig this little number a lot (4*). Rejuvenation Chamber. What to say? Nothing like anything else on this Pike. Possibly my favourite track of 2017. Hell, this is possibly one of my current favourite Buckethead tracks. That melody ghosting in (~3:25) just gives me the goosebumps. Stunning. A true "hidden gem" if ever there was one.
Mosh said:
Pike 268 - Sonar Rainbow: Going back to a longer song format. Love the buildup in the opening title track. Lots of great atmosphere before Buckethead really gets going with a ripping guitar solo (he played a similar sort of solo during Animal Behavior at the concert and it was awesome).

The Maddening of Mercury is even better though. Some relentlessly heavy stuff here. The riffs are brutal and the melodies are sinister. Some eerie guitar noises top it off. One of his best compositions in recent Pikes.

Debris continues the mood of the previous song but with a more syncopated angular riffing. Short but good stuff.

Venomous Fog is back to the atmospheric melodic style of the title track, although there are still some heavy moments sprinkled in. Very dynamic track.

And a very dynamic Pike overall. One of the best this year. Don't miss it.
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Sonar Rainbow twinkles lightly in with lovely subdued melodies & then an emphatic riff begins. Everything is dripping with melody & purpose. Simple stuff in some respects, but everything flows effortlessly here & the early heavy riffing is glorious. The lead work is superb throughout too. Excellent track (5*). The Maddening of Mercury thunders in aggressively, with interesting wailing lead work over the main sludging riff; pretty crazy stuff but really fits. And brutal & sinister really does sum up this track. Loads of excellent little sections & riffs; love this track (5*). Debris is short & neat, but probably the weakest track on this Pike. Pretty heavy with decent melodic parts. Totally solid little number (4*). Venomous Fog has a fairly unconventional feel to it at the start; quite un-Buckethead lead parts going on here & throughout. A fairly developed rhythm melody running through this one & the usual exemplary quiet-to-heavy transitions too. Great track with so much going on; listen out for the lovely little soft guitar harmony section late on (5*). Overall, this Pike is awesome.
Mosh said:
Pike 269 - Decaying Parchment: Lots of variety here. Some crazy atonal shredding but also some melodic stuff (mostly in the first track). I really like the last track where he piles on a bunch of overdubs. I'm usually not fond of that sort of thing but it's pretty cool in this context. One of those Pikes that has something for everyone, although I wish there was a bit more mellow stuff. That opener was such a tease.

This is a very weird selection for vinyl. It's a good Pike, but Sonar Rainbow is much stronger. Not sure how this stands out among nearly 300 other contenders for vinyl release.
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Is is epic. Beautiful melodies combine with heavy reverby rock goodness. A real dynamic reverie-feel track; love it (5*). The Maps Inside starts & you know this is going to be thoughtful & melodic; it's subdued & slightly downbeat but strangely uplifting & another track that makes my mind wander in quiet reflection. It's like those melodies are trying to tell you something. Huge lead part rips in mid-track; Bucket is tearing it up here. Another great track (5*). Wings of a Dead Moth is a pretty decent heavy number. Only Buckethead could combine that bizarre little circus/fairground lead section at the beginning over those thundering riffs & it make any sense! Second half is one big awesome solo section with a great mix of atonal tap madness & melodic passages (4*). Pillar shows that you can just have a lead guitar+bass & it feel complete & well balanced; just need that melody to be compelling. Think I originally had this a 5* but it's perhaps not quite that good. Good stuff though (4*). Twister is full of those wonderfully lyrical pull-off hammer-on lead lines that Buckethead does. This is a lovely, lovely track. Maybe I got mixed up and this was meant to be the five-star track! Nearly (4*). Yeh, loads of overlays sometimes comes across a bit of a studio gimmick; but here, with Decaying Parchment, it's all in service of the Buckethead madness. It's demented stuff, but I love it (5*). The 4* tracks on this Pike are all on the high end of that rating; they could easily be 5* on another day. As you say, the whole release just has so much variety. Superb stuff.
Mosh said:
Pike 270 - A3: A noise Pike? If I'm not mistaken, there hasn't been one of these since the 31 Days Til Halloween gauntlet. He's really come a long way since then, this is by far the best noise album he's made. There are some melodic moments that are really sparse and creepy sounding. The atmosphere is perfect. This is a moody album and it's obvious he put a lot of thought into it. None of those needlessly abrasive noises that ruin the atmosphere of earlier albums, everything seems carefully placed. This gets a half recommendation. I liked it a lot, but I don't know if it's enough to win over those who don't like the style. Personally, I would put this on a Halloween sound track (most of his actual Halloween albums wouldn't make the cut).
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I agree with almost all of what you say. It's better than almost all the Halloween stuff & if you pay attention you realise this is very well planned & worked through. It's hard to describe how impressed I am with the first track, A3. Integrating a guitar into this kind of music generally, as opposed to just utilising other scary key sounds, is quite difficult I think (without loads of effects); the Halloween run showed that it's hard to pull off. At first I started listening to this & thought "this is a good effort in this vein" (first 2-3 minutes); but the more I listened to it (as the track progressed) the more I thought this is pure genius. Of its kind, this is certainly the best dark/ambient piece he's done I think. The atmosphere is spot-on. That tiny uplifting section towards the end is exquisite (5*). Liquid Mirror isn't quite up to the same dizzying heights but it's good stuff; a bit more best-of-the-Halloween territory. A lot more discordant & unsettling (4*). Love that he's able to release stuff like this.
Mosh said:
Pike 271 - The Squaring Of the Circle: The title track is awesome. The rest isn't quite at the same level of quality but it's still very good. Lots of great riffs and jams, some really well thought out moments that remind you that more thought goes into these Pikes then you would think. Also some sonic variety, mostly in the guitar tones. Love the different sounds in Decake. The only song that wasn't doing it for me was Scalp Assail, the rest is well worth checking out.
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The Squaring of the Circle is huge. Big ripping lead lines full of wailing angst over steady heavy rock rhythms. His distorted tone on a lot of these recent releases has been really good; kinda crunchy. The light-to-heavy transitions are great here & he keeps the non-stop soloing pretty short this time too, with the track running in at just over seven minutes (5*). Second track, Osirion, is also a great track. Big, reverby, heavy, great melodies, superb soloing; the full Buckethead package. Even a three-part(?) guitar harmony ending (5*). Scalp Assail is a bit of a step down; that buzzy rough sounding tone is back. Structurally this is also a bit manic; jumping about plus frantic shredding here & there. Not a patch on tracks one & two but decent enough & has plenty to hold my interest (4*). Fork feels like a step even further down the ratings ladder, although the better tone has returned. There's nothing terrible here, but in the past the only thing about these rocky tracks that really pushed my interest was a Bucket rock solo; which is always enjoyable. This doesn't have that & as a result just feels very insubstantial overall (3*). Mosaic Silk is better stuff. A lot of melodic chord work going on here with a sprinkling of nice lead work to balance it out. Some nice solos too (4*). Decake has a really messy/wobbly tone but it works quite well here. Not a great deal going on; just wee bits here & there keeping you interested & preventing this from being something poorer (4*). A slightly front-heavy Pike with those two standout first tracks, but solid overall.
Mosh said:
Pike 272 - Coniuncito: A one track Pike, another thing that hasn't been seen in some time. This is ambience unlike any of Buckethead's previous ambient/noise Pikes. Much more calm and minimalist. Very Brian Eno-esque. It w as relaxing and perfect for background music while reading. I love this kind of thing but, like A3, it's not for everyone. This would go on a background music playlist for sure.
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Was surprised he had a second stab at ambient so close to the release of A3 just two back. This is, as you say, even more stripped back & sparse. I absolutely adore this. Buckethead has released stuff like this before under his DCK moniker; but I always wondered if he had the chops to put out a release himself (i.e. without the help of Bill Laswell & his full studio apparatus) of real quality. For me, this answered that (5*).
Mosh said:
I try not to get too enthusiastic about recommending Pikes but I really enjoyed all of these. They had variety and it felt like Bucket was experimenting more than usual. 2017 has really shaped up to be one of his best years. After listening to these, I'm more confident in Bucketheadland 3 and look forward to how he finishes off the year (surely there will be some more Pikes to come?).
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I thought this was a great run, Thoracic Spine Collapser aside. Great variety & some great quality. The ambient stuff was the real highlight for me.

THE REVIEW-OF-REVIEWS IS COMPLETE!!!! :yey:
For now...
 
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I have isot and will probably listen to it at some point.
 
Mosh said:
I have isot and will probably listen to it at some point.
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Good luck with that...

I can't find anything later, in terms of your reviews, than the above btw. You wouldn't have reviewed Pike #275, as that only landed the other day; but did you also review #273 & #274 that I've missed?
 
I haven’t yet listened to those. Funnily enough, just yesterday I was thinking about when I would get around to that. I try to do these when I’m actually in the mood for some Buckethead, rather than force myself.
 
Mosh said:
I haven’t yet listened to those. Funnily enough, just yesterday I was thinking about when I would get around to that. I try to do these when I’m actually in the mood for some Buckethead, rather than force myself.
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No, that's fine; just wanted to make sure when I complete the above that it is indeed the "review of reviews" up-to-date & complete. I can then maybe (finally) get on to some sort of "Top" list for Foro. Maybe.
 
It's Buckethead & Bob, but who's on drums? Not Pinchface apparently, since that'd be Deli Creeps...
... and this is "Hook & Pole Gang"! ::)


He'd just joined GNR at this point. Damn, where'd that tone go?
 
@Diesel 11
@Mosh
@Forostar
:ok:

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Christ, I haven't listened to Buckethead since June, outside of Bermuda Triangle. Let's rectify that!

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I'm gonna review this track-by-track.
  1. "Lafayette's Landing" - Slow... quiet... building... mesmerizing... it takes an eternity, and yet it's always plodding forward... methodical... precise... and holy Christ, is that banjo? This is a very different Buckethead... very different but damn is it good. It picks up momentum with every second while still remaining slow and steady, a stroke of genius.
  2. "Whale On This" - We're still slow... actually, I thought for a moment we were still in the same track. Wait, there's a lull... now we're building up in something. Quiet but methodical strokes, aiming with a purpose. A change-up... we're in another lull... ticking... the strumming comes back... slow strums... simple, yet effective. Now we pick up again. Louder now... faster now... this is interesting, I feel like I'm listening Buckethead play ABBA and completely reinvent it - nope, we're in a faster bit now, strumming continues... we pick up, and slow down - nay, 'twas just a change-up - hold on, we've stopped. Ticking again. Effective. Slow... The strumming returns, slowly, effortlessly. Picking up momentum now. Random? Or just as it should be? We slow again - no... are we picking up? Simple, one-by-one... strumming increases, faster and faster, and slows. Yet continues now... string-by-string... Faster now... yes, faster, faster! And louder and louder! The string-by-string strumming increases, madness, enormous, changing here and there, get louder in a climax...! Then stops, switches gear, slows down, quieter, simpler, and then we're back into some ticking... simple plucking. Fast here, and maybe there... Building up again... and slowing... I feel as though at any moment I should see the forehead of the White Whale appear from out of the abyss. Ticking... methodical, interesting, intricate, the strumming returns... slows, heavy... ending now... one-by-one...
  3. "Four O'Clock For Dub Down" - Rattlers... we're out beyond the sand, beyond the desert, west is where we go. Rattlers... the banjo drones on... plucking now... rattlers... going down, down, down, deeper into the canyon... going up? Up? Up and into the sun? Down... and down... yet up... up and further up... we make our way into and out of our abyss... Plucking speeds up, tensions heighten, the walls close in all around... sun scorches our backs... the sound increases - no, slows - no, increases - no, slows - there, and there, and there, and there, and there! And slows... rattlers... and then a lull... slowly now... with meaning... simplicity...
  4. "Spinal Clock" - Tuneless but methodical, returning now... in and out, our sound streams forth... out and in... workers, miners... our just the clock, ticking away our hours? There comes back a sound, the sound... and departs... departs, the miners are working harder now... wheels turning - something snaps out of place!! It's losing itself! Dear god! The clock, the canyon, the miners, the system collapses... no, or does it? Rolling, rolling out, menace, dread, rockslide, fear, yet no one utters a damned word... fate creeps up, steadily, hauntingly, the course is set, you can't change it now, menace, forward, forward, forward, forward - loses its way, no - forward, forward, forward, closer now, closer, and a lull... no, there it is again... no, it's gone... but something remains... no, it's back now... coming back... someone's knocking... open the door... no, mustn't stir up the fear... and we're gone...
  5. "Overnight The Animatronics" - Slowly creeping back in, then increasing in pace, yes, increasing - no, a lull... slowly... a childhood dream returns - blast, it's been shattered, shattered, shattered by fate! Stricken down - no, there it returns... hold on, emptiness... water torture... and the entire bucket is poured out on top of you... drip... drip... you sit and wait, fate will soon overtake even the strongest of men... there, your mind slips, slips, snapping, breaking in half, and the nails are hammered in... and slowly, slowly, trapped, unable to break away... speeding up, speeding up... slow, no, fast now... and then slow, steady, thump, thump... dripping... dripping... speeding up... and slow, no, faster, louder, the sound will drive you insane.... there is no escape - and it stops, but the creaking remains, a system... a system of something, rusted, weary, the clock ticks out into the night...
  6. "Gelatin Nerve" - Thumping. Thumping. Thumping. Eternal. Unceasing. Perpetual. Continuous. No end is in sight. Forward. Forward. Plodding forward... and no stopped... a twang of something... a lull... darkness... quiet... not a sound... no, there it is... there! It grows,,, grows... or? It comes alive... It... it... a creature of blackness... lurking behind - now, emerging, closer, closer, you can see nothing, but you can feel, feel, oh, you can feel everything. Fear. Hairs are rigid... it's closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, no breathing can be heard... silence... no, there - a heartbeat. You feel trapped. Afraid to make a move, or a sound, in fear... fear... the beast remains...
  7. "Spinal Cracker" - The chains holding the system together are moving, pulling up the ancient gate... the castle, in ruins, or was, our last remnant of a time... glorious time... the portcullis is moving, higher, higher... an entrance - no, what the fuck was that?! Whoever is coming in is unfriendly - fear, fear FEAR!! You run, you're trapped in the castle, stop the madness! Fucking - you run, trapped, walls, the unseen presence will - stop, fear, mad, FUCKING LEAVE US ALONE - no you're trapped, help, stop, run, damn, it's coming for us, for us all, no one is safe, no one will escape, it plods forward, never ending... methodical steps, methodical... no, the jester is in the ring... no, you're mind is wandering, the being comes, comes, no, a jester, no, what, I - you're in a torture chamber, the inquisition stands rigid - no, where have you been? The castle is your grave, the being slides forward - your mind is breaking in two - shit shit shit shit CHRIST, stop, stop stop, stop, stop, get away get away get away... no no no.... there it is, there it is, there it is, there it is....... it's right on you....!!!!! Silence.
  8. "Skeleton Dance" - An ancient circle... these hallowed grounds remain... drawn in the stones, the strumming continues, calling all, calling all... the boned ones emerge, skeletons in the darkness leave behind their lifelessness and trade it for eternity. The fire blazes, they dance, dance into the night. Around and around and around they go... not a one caring about themselves, not a one caring about their deaths, they simply dance and dance and dance, faster, slower, the skeletons jump around the fires, they haven't a worry. It's been a long time since they felt like this... this... bliss... they'd searched for so long... and we exit the scene, eternal beauty unveiled.
  9. "Bayou By You" - The swamp is thick, the boats can't go through, yet the old man keeps his post. He'd staked his claim here years ago, and despite the vines, despite the overgrown, despite the muck, he lives deep in the heart of the bayou where no one can get to him. He keeps on... he strums away on the banjo his father had given him years ago... the banjo that's been controlling our lives... controlling our thoughts... controlling our emotions... setting forth the story... and he strums faster and loses himself in the music, drawing the curtains closed... for us and Spinal Clock....
I loved this. It's such an involving album. It feels long, but you've gotta commit yourself to looking at it, and it weaves together stories you never expected to hear. I had no clue what I was in store for with it, but damn. Each song tells its own story:
  1. Eternity
  2. The Call of the Wretched Sea
  3. The Desert
  4. Fate
  5. The Torture Chamber
  6. The Cave Beast
  7. The Castle Ruins and the Unseen Marauder
  8. The Skeleton Dance
  9. The Old Man of the Bayou
Not a moment wasted. Everything is methodical and precise, and you really need to devote yourself to it. "Spinal Cracker" literally scared the shit out of me, and "Skeleton Dance" was beautiful, and everything else was controlled, magnificent, effective, emotive - it was great. It plays on darkness and silence and uses a banjo to bring both out perfectly. Speaking of which, what a brilliant choice for an instrument. Such a great reinvention of something that often gets stale from lack of differences. Just amazing.

Overall, you've gotta set your mind to it to get this album, but when you do, damn is it incredible.

Rating: 9/10*

*I could probably have it higher but I'd need to relisten to the previous albums to compare.
 
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After so long, I'm feeling rather emotional... this is my final album before I hit the Pikes. What a run. Let's see how good Bucket's tribute to MJ is...
  1. "Captain EO's Voyage" - Quiet, smooth, melodic... this one doesn't seem to be at Bucket's forefront, but it's quite beautiful and I hope the rest of the album keeps it up.
  2. "Light" - I like the opening sounds here... seems to be some buildup happening. And there it is - the drums kick in, and it's getting even better. Hmm, a space where the drums drop out but continue to show there presence. And now they're back, keeping the melodious guitar in line. And it's climbing back up now, closer and closer. Definitely feels very spacey. Nice cool guitar bit here. And now it seems to have evaporated into the kind of thing that opened it, but there's some nice guitar bits - wait no, the guitar and drums are back for a cool ending.
  3. "Infinity Appears" - Nice spacey feeling song, good guitar stuff going on. Cool moment here... and now it slows again. The drum sound is very nice so far. And we're rising again, with Bucket doing a spaced-out but beautiful piece of music. And continues to rise, gaining traction and getting better and better. A lower guitar tone now help keep it interesting. A bit of a speed up and we're done.
  4. "Stained Glass Hill" - Nice opening bit. Continues for some time, all the while setting a translucent scene, before rising a bit. Is that a piano or keyboard I hear? It's very nice, helps to bring out the mood a bit more. The guitar and piano mix quite well. And something here sounds like a xylophone or something similar... great, helps light up the track. Out of the lull and into a fine ending.
  5. "Trails of Moondust" - A nice opening bit, what with the maracas and the tambourine. The guitar stuff sounds nice. Now we're climbing up a bit, as drums start to make their presence known quite nicely. And then it gets quieter again, but the guitar is still building all the time. And now drums return and guitar continues, in a very "Comfortably Numb" kind of moment. I like this guitar part quite a lot. And now we're into a typical Buckethead thing, as the guitar and drums head towards climax. And then we end nicely.
  6. "Star Chasing" - Nice guitar opening before drums enter and we plunge into a cool piece of music. Spacey, sounds nice. And now drums drop out but hit in again as the guitar only continues to get better. And now we're back into the opening thing again but with drums now. I'm really liking this track. And now the drums leave and the guitar is by itself and it's really groovy in a magical way. Drums return and the song keeps getting better. It changes direction just slightly and then we head towards a great ending.
  7. "Dancing the Dream" - Nice opening, before quieting a bit but returning louder than before when it kicks into gear again. And then it's quiet again, with some guitar keeping up the mood. After an interval drums enter again but keep their distance from the guitar, before finally getting back in, and it's quite groovy in a cool way. Changing a little and continuing straight on course, we continue to head on further within to the heart of the album. And then we drop out and float away into space...
  8. "The Siphoning Sequence" - Cool beginning as guitars start to come in, after which drums build up and we head into the song. It sounds really cool. Drums drop in and out for a bit as the guitar keeps grooving along. And then we're back on course with some really cool guitar bits. It's jamming but more than that, it sounds magical. Drums build up, and the guitar continues to get better. As it heads downward the guitar continues to stay cool, and the drumming keeps it in beat before building up again to a cool jam of a session. And then it quiets down a little as Buckethead keeps up the grooviness but also the majesticness.
  9. "Chase The Darkness Out" - Really groovy bass here, and the guitar melds well with it. The drumming sounds great, too. Actually, all three of those instruments sound awesome together. Damn, we're really building up here guitar-wise. No, now it's just bass and drums for an interval before the guitar rejoins in a great form. Building higher in pitch now, before quieting.
  10. "Backwards Footprint" - Nice, ambient music. The drums sound fantastic, as does the bass and guitar duo. Cool sound, cool vibe, and damn those drums are good. Short but sweet.
  11. "Tarantula Crossing" - Beautifully spooky-ish stuff. Holding that guitar in motion, suspended in air. Cool sound. Feels rather hairy, I think, which makes sense given the title. Smooth. Don't find too much to say about this one, but it's very nice. Cool ending, too.
  12. "Tears In The Mirror" - Cool opening here. Haunting. Almost reminds me of something off Bermuda Triangle, but not electronic and twisted differently to fit the album. No, I think I've lost that now. This is definitely a CEOV track. Mind-melding... A wavey bit... Really nice closer, brings the theme and the album to an appropriate end.
I'm surprised it's already over, honestly. Really nice 41 minutes. Not my favorite Bucket album, I think, but up there. A lot of the songs were pretty much ear candy and I'd love to experience them in a better audio system. The drums were outstanding, they sounded really good. All told, a strong album, an excellent album, a great finale to the non-Pike string. (Of course, there's still Electric Sea and 5-13 10 31, but I'll get to those when the time comes.)

Rating: 9/10
 
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