BUCKETHEAD — Pike 261 - Portal To The Red Waterfall (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 261 - Portal To The Red Waterfall album cover

Album · 2017 · Progressive Metal

4/5 · 2017-04-14
siLLy puPPy

BUCKETHEAD (as Bucketheadland) / Pike 261 - Portal To The Red Waterfall / 18th release of 2017 / All instrumental / Contains 4 tracks / Clocks in at 28minutes 59seconds / everything played by Buck-buck-buckethead

“Portal To The Red Waterfall” (17:16) is by far the longest track swelling 2/3 of the album. The title track begins with a heavily distorted metal attack only instead of smooth thrashy riffs it consists of choppy jittery freaked out time signatures but settles into a groovier more regular style of riffing but the irregularities jump in and out unpredictably. While the bass tends to stay at a tense mid tempo phase the guitar solos wail around but it all picks up again. This is one of those extremely progressive metal tracks that mixes up riffs and lets them play for awhile all the while throwing in some proggy chops that are designed to impress. After a four minute run of heaviness, the track slows down and creeps along with guitar fills and then picks up in an alternative metal stint for a while. Around seven minutes it changes it up into a circus like style of guitar and then a little post-metal sludgery with more progressive time sigs. The track goes through many metal styles but stays fairly progressive throughout its long length but depute its whopping seventeen minutes plus manages to keep the flow going and my interest in tact. I would call this mostly in the progressive sludge metal world reminding me of Intronaut at times but it definitely jumps around into other styles often. While melodies have hooks they slightly tweak around and derail into something else but somehow it all hangs together. Nice

“Spirits” (3:48) offers a little breathing time after the previous intense workout. This is one of those super mellow ballad types with clean guitar, slow bass, ambient background and mere cymbals providing percussion. The melody is pleasant and the echo effects on the guitar are pleasing. The tones are warm and cozy and the complete opposite of the title track.

“Roundtable” (2:39) jumps back into distorted metal and a speedy tempo with heavy riffs and a nice melodic development. It also has some jittery proggy meanderings but mostly sticks to the classic metal riffing.

“Crayon Factory” (4:56) is an even faster metal track with super speedy riff workouts and heavier distortion. Drums and bass are merely subordinate noise makers but all sounds good and who wouldn’t want to see where Crayola products are born?!! Nice track that isn’t super original but delivers an intense instrumental metal workout where every lick and riff are of good taste.

Another good PIKE! While i’m not quite as in awe of this one as the previous, the title track is excellent and the remaining tracks are good. The diversity of this one is nice but i’m happier when the entire PIKE goes down the rabbit hole and offers up the most avant-garde noisemaking possible!