BUCKETHEAD — Pike 236 - Castle On Slunk Hill (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 236 - Castle On Slunk Hill album cover

Album · 2016 · Alternative Metal

3.5/5 · 2016-11-10
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B U C K E T H E A D

PIKE 236 - CASTLE ON SLUNK HILL

17th album by BUCKETHEAD in 2016 (released on Nov 4)

Clocks in at 31:56

ALL instrumental

“Corrider 1” (2:28) starts at a fast speed with a jittery guitar lick before breaking into furious heavy metal riffs. It then begins to switch up the riffs every few measures adding funk guitar, slow and ethereal harmonics and then trades off with blistering metal riffs. Despite the heaviness at times there is always a calm surreal feel as background synths emerge from the din. A quick but cool track

“Corrider 2” (8:15) starts out with the same heavily distorted guitar sound with some grungy chords and then breaks into a classic metal solo but then turns to some acrobatic wankery for a bit but ultimately becomes an alternative metal type of track but still changes things up often. It also continues a fast but not frenetic pace but has moments of slow downs as well. This one also has some guitar solo action although it quickly turns into a thrashy chugga chugga pummeling riff. Despite the different types of riffs that come and go it is basically an alternative metal type of track on a bit of speed with a few virtuosic guitar solos thrown in for good measure

“Corrider 3” (5:44) begins with another distorted guitar riff but quickly follows with a twangy guitar only riff and then trades off with the metal part and then back to the slow and twangy and then metal again. It stays hard and heavy for a while but continues the trade off between heavy and clean and mellow parts throughout

“Corrider 4” (2:43) begins even faster with a super speedy metal riff but the drums are quite relaxed and the speedy riff alternates with thrash and alternative type metal styles. A few time sig breaks change things up and then back to super speed and beyond. This one changes things up often in the metal world and remains highly caffeinated throughout its short run

“Corrider 5” (2:22) starts out slower yet still energetic with a bluesy metal riff but then becomes clean and pretty guitar and then more metal and different riffs. This one changes up timing and dynamics more than the previous track but still basically playing a different melodic riff in umpteen different ways plus short but cool solos

“Corrider 6” (10:24) is completely different after the speedfest. This starts out very slow and creepy with echoey spooky guitars, a zombie driven bass and molasses speed drums. It takes its time to slowly ratchet up the speed but always pulls back and slows down again with psychedelic guitar effects with only bass and cymbal action. The guitars are extremely echoey and almost sound like whale songs at times yet the bass remains a steady groove mostly while the drums can either accompany it or drift off into their own strange place. The track drifts on nonchalantly throughout its run but is a nice tripped out journey into some strange place. This is definitely cool space rock and the best track on the album as the other ones despite being nicely played exhibit the mixing of styles that has been played out fairly thoroughly on previous PIKEs. This one is fairly unique