BUCKETHEAD — Pike 156 - Herbie Climbs A Tree (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 156 - Herbie Climbs A Tree album cover

Album · 2015 · Alternative Metal

3.5/5 · 2015-11-28
siLLy puPPy

PIKE 156 - HERBIE CLIMBS A TREE is the 55th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2015. Once again the one raised by chickens plays all the instruments and the album is all instrumental. The album clocks in near the half hour mark at 29:39 and has four tracks. This PIKE is unique in that it’s the only one so far to have an entirely different cover schematic. There is no comic book number box in the upper left hand corner and everything is in a unique font which makes this look like it’s not even in the series. But it is!

The title track begins things and at 9:07 is the longest track. As i was just thinking about Herbie Hancock when i started to play this, it seems like he was indeed the influence behind this one. This begins with a funky synthesized bass line much like the funk jazz found on his album “Headhunter.” It is also accompanied by a nice lead guitar that works around the funk bass line. Unfortunately the drum machine is back on cheese mode. Not bad for a funk guitar and bass but the drum machine kinda ruins this one cuz it’s so in-yer-face.

Track two “Sealed Room” at 7:05 moves on from the funk altogether and presents itself as an aggressive metal rocker. A rather classic 80s heavy metal riff that could find itself on a speed metal album bordering on power metal. Not sure where the demarcation line between the two is but this one is on fire. Fully metalized guitar riffs on speed with smokin’ hot bass and really smokin’ hot drums as well. They actually sound real on this one! This one shows no mercy as it picks up its intensity and becomes more like thrash metal with alternating classic metal riffs. Yeah, i’m banging my head to this one. Ouch! This is one of the hardest and most badass tracks i’ve ever heard from the chicken lover! Even some scorchin’ solos here and there. Towards the end it does lose its metallic veneer for a bit and have smoother guitars but then the aggression picks up again with some interesting riffs, palm muting and guitar fills. Excellent!!!!

Track three “Lone Lagoon” at 6:48 enters new territory once again. This one is much more laid back and has a steady bass and drums with a distorted guitar that is rather in the Floydian space rock camp. This proceeds in a very slow and nonchalant manner. Early Porcupine Tree comes to mind as well but this isn’t nearly as polished and maybe a little bit faster in tempo than either of the just-mentioned bands but similar in spaciness. I’m not finding this one very effective. It sounds a bit by-the-numbers and a little too fast paced for what it implies. Not horrible but fairly uninspired.

Track four “Moving Walkway” at 6:39 is another spacey rocker with a more metallic edge on this one. The tempo is sped up a little more, the bass a little beefier and the guitars alternate between a “space cry” and grungy riffing. The drums are not bad even though they sound programmed. The riffing is actually quite nice with how it alternates the spaciness with the metal and sometimes they overlap. The echo effect that comes and goes is a nice touch. I’m liking this one as well. Strange spooky guitar mixes at the end. Definitely liking it.

Hmmm. This is a tough one. There is a lot to like on this one but there are elements that hit me the wrong way. Let’s see i love the first track except the cheesy drums but love track two and like track four a lot. Track three is the only one that is meh but not totally lame. I guess there’s enough here to warrant a 3.5 because i would like to hear this one again.