BUCKETHEAD — Pike 21 - Spiral Trackway (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 21 - Spiral Trackway album cover

Album · 2013 · Avant-garde Metal

4/5 · 2016-07-02
siLLy puPPy

PIKE 21 - SPIRAL TRACKWAY is the 11th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2013 and the 51st overall solo studio album and released simultaneously with the following “PIKE 21 - Spiral Trackway.” This is another weird one with tracks clearly separated. There are EIGHT of them and this PIKE clocks in at 31:04 with BUCKETHEAD performing all instrumental duties and production handled by Dan Monti and Albert. This is another that was released both with untitled tracks and hand drawn art for the cover and with named tracks with the weird Picasso-esque album cover which is perfectly matches the music

"Spiral Trackway" (4:35) starts out with electronic percussion and sound effects and then gets joined by a distorted metal guitar riff and then changes it up every few measures. The guitar then drops out and weird electronic sounds accompany the percussion before a sizzling guitar solo joins in but after a bit it turns to a subdued mid-tempo space rocker with Floydian guitar licks and then back to weird avant-garde sounds and guitar solo. It continues to change it up unexpectedly and going wherever the wind blows. This one is pretty cool as it keeps a steady beat and somewhat of a recurring melody

"Center Platform" (4:36) starts out with eerie off-timed keyboards and then a steady drumbeat joins in which is then joined in by some strange distorted sound of a guitar i presume. Unexpectedly turns totally into an ethereal ambience without any other instruments for a while and then jumps back into bass and drum electronica with an guitar solo that joins in sporadically. After soloing a church organ and bass and drums clash and then a metal guitar riff replaces organ and then something else totally! This one continues to change it up

"Aluminum Hub" (3:43) begins with weird distorted something plus claps for percussion. The squealing guitar solo provides a freaky melody with electronic effects in its comet tail. This is another one that keeps an overall melodic development but mixes in everything unexpectedly. Another cool one and continues to change coarse without warning

"Fiber Optic Gateway" (3:39) begins with a steady electronic beat, bluesy clean guitar and a monstrous wah-wah sound but then becomes an atmospheric electronic rocker with frenetic solos dropping in the mid-tempo march of the track. Lots of weird electronic melodies that come and go on this one

"Solar Satellite" (1:04) is a slow clean guitar with cymbals keeping the beat and nothing else

"Symphony Of The Seed" (4:18) changes it up completely as it begins with a heavy down-tuned metal guitar riff at mid-tempo but then gives way to a funky bass with “talking” electronic effects. Spacey electronics and drums steal the show until the thrashy metal guitar returns. A solo joins electronic effects and then back to just weird electronica. Another wild ride that continues to change effects, moods and styles while keeping an underlying melody intact

"Micro And Macro World" (4:07) begins completely different with simply an acoustic guitar but then breaks into hard and heavy metal riffage in a mid-tempo range and then after a while turns into funk with a heavy bass line playing with electronica. The effects get more bizarre once the funk exits but soon joins back in. Yet another weird and unpredictable track in BUCKETHEADLAND

"Hyacinth" (5:06) begins with a guitar riff and electronic talking before it breaks into a full-fledged heavy metal rocker. It stays metal while changing the riffs up. After a while the metal drops out and the talking electronica accompanies a drumbeat. It changes again to metal and the two styles trade off. The two styles also mix and solos erupt here and there. This is another weird one that defies any expectations

This is the type of PIKE i like by BUCKETHEAD. Clever, creative and chock full of weird, wild and unpredictable musical expressions. I pretty much like every track on here but some are more interesting than others. Overall, nearer the top of my BH PIKE list but not as brilliant as the cream of the crop