BUCKETHEAD — Needle in a Slunk Stack (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Needle in a Slunk Stack album cover

Album · 2009 · Avant-garde Metal

4/5 · 2017-10-08
siLLy puPPy

File under: loony bin weirdo music - the sequel (add the metal please)

On his 26th album and 4th and final of 2009, the chicken lover known as BUCKETHEAD did something rare and followed up one style of an album with another of the same. NEEDLE IN A SLUNK STACK (derived from the famous phrase ‘needle in a haystack’) directly follows in the predecessor “Forensic Follies” footsteps and once again utilizes xenochrony using recycled samples from previous releases, however unlike the “Follies,” this one includes original drum tracks unlike the recycled percussion. The individual tracks are listed on Wikipedia for which albums they borrow their elements from but the lion’s share come from “Inbred Mountain,” “The Elephant Man’s Alarm Clock,” “Slaughterhouse On The Prairie” and “Island Of Lost Minds.” Like the last album this one features BUCKETHEAD on guitar, Dan Monti on drum programming and the painstaking production tasks performed by Monti and Albert.

Stylistically this one is actually quite different because of the fact that the percussion is totally original allowing the samples of guitars, electronica and other accoutrements to layer over the beat which allows a more free flowing style rather than the rather strangely stilted staccato flow of “Forensic Follies.” That is not to say that all that freakiness doesn’t emerge here and there but there are more periods of “normal” BH sounds! Overall this one is simply less choppy (relatively speaking) and even has full on metal attacks such as on “Carcass Cable” on all the way through it is entirety which while the guitar riffs are recycled contain enough heft to create decent head banging tracks. To make this one work differently than the previous there is a lot of effort placed on the drum programming which i have to admit is handled quite beautifully with intricately precise time changes that are incredibly executed with full metal fury.

This is obviously one for the most adventurous of musical rollercoaster riders in BUCKETHEADLAND. These unorthodox xenochrony effects would even leave its inventor Frank Zappa wondering what kind of sonic assault he has been subjected to however like lots of bizarre avant-garde music, this one is based on an underpinning of blues riffs, funk or whatever and then dropped out leaving only the strangest elements to be heard. The metal riffing tracks are the easiest to digest but there is certainly more flow in this one. Personally i find this stuff fun to play guitar around since the “normal” elements have been subdued, it’s a free-for-all for creative improvisation sessions. While i wouldn’t expect to want to hear another album so soon after one of similar ilk, NEEDLE IN A SLUNK STACK approaches the sampling process in a totally different way which displays the different forks in the road by simply replacing the sampled percussive parts with totally original ones. Another underdog i’ve adopted in my collection of the weirdest and sickest music to be heard! Not as out there as “Forensic Follies” but not far behind :)