BUCKETHEAD — Pike 265 - Ride Operator Q Bozo (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 265 - Ride Operator Q Bozo album cover

Album · 2017 · Progressive Metal

5/5 · 2017-06-07
siLLy puPPy

BUCKETHEAD (as Bucketheadland) / Pike 265 - Ride Operator Q Bozo / 22nd release of 2017 / All instrumental / Contains 8 tracks with 7 titled “R.O.Q. Bozo” plus an 8th differently titled/ Clocks in at 31minutes 26seconds / everything played by Buck-buck-buckethead. Like many of these same track named PIKEs, this one’s playlist runs together fairly seamless merely passing the melody baton onto the next track

“R.O.Q Bozo 1” (2:35) begins with dissonant jangly guitars and then bursts into heavy metal riffing but remains dissonant and has a jangly distortion. From the din a sizzling guitar solo erupts but quickly becomes suffocated by more jangly angular guitar riffs. Enter the thrash riffing and then it changes up again. Guitar, bass and drums are smokin’ hot

“R.O.Q Bozo 2” (3:13) sort of runs into first track but has a mid paced tempo with staccato grungy riffs but picks up steam. Remains somewhat dissonant and down tuned. Very alternative metal feeling. Picks up intensity at end

“R.O.Q Bozo 3” (2:50) starts off more thrashy but then subdues into a quiet murky passage with jangly licks and atmospheric accouterments. Metal riffing returns along with strange off-kilter guitar licks that are sorta in their own world. The progressive time sigs are off the hook

“R.O.Q Bozo 4” (3:47) begins with more heavy riffing but is joined by some energetic guitar sliding action which offers a strange counterpoint. The slides become guitar solos and the jangly riffs seem even more dissonant, down tuned and alienating. After a quieting down it becomes some sort of nursery rhyme type of riffing for a short while and then erupts back into heavy riffs, guitar slides and more loud cacophonous outbursts

“R.O.Q Bozo 5” (3:46) basically continues but offers an energetic outburst of riffing before slowing down and letting fuzzy guitar distortion do some “talking.” This one is all over the place but is sort of a call and response between intense metal riffing sessions with slower jangly echo chamber segments accompanied by very freaky guitar licks

“R.O.Q Bozo 6” (4:16) changes abruptly with a subtle funk element but quickly becomes overpowered by dissonant heavy guitar riifs, pyroclastic eruptive guitar solos and a bass and drum fast enough to melt fingers. Angular rhythms and filthy distortion meander all over the place ratcheting up the intensity and the musical tension is thick. Also included are reverb freak outs and all kinds of whizzing up and down the scales in both the riffing and solos like there’s no tomorrow and some weird circus rhythms towards the end

“R.O.Q Bozo 7” (3:59) is a more “normal” type of track at first with a recognizable melody but the dissonant squad overpower it quickly and then all kinds of forces fight each other for domination. It just gets weirder and weirder as guitar solos, different riffs, tempos, dynamics and everything vie for ultimate control. It changes up often and any structure has been replaced by utter chaos. It’s literally an orgy of different sounds

“Ramp Ahead” (7:00) is the only track with a different title and likewise is the only track with a totally different feel. After the frenzy that was the “R.O.Q” train that ended in a total cluster fuck of unhinged musical offerings, this one is a nice little “normal” type of alternative metal track with a recurring melody that is created from distorted guitar riffs, bass and drum at a slow to medium tempo. The distortion is heavy as each note reverberates into the future creating a wall of sound effect but somehow it all balances out. After a slower beginning it gets heavier and more thrashy but the melody remains locked into the riff changes and carried on even within the solo and lick action. The track remains “stable” throughout its 7 minute run and is the perfect sanity recalibrater after the intensity of what preceded

Yay! This is my favorite PIKE of 2017 so far. It is highly energetic, experimental and unrelenting in its delivery of A+++ weirdo instrumental metal. It has all the adventurous experimental elements i love about BH but also has a sense of control in that every element is carefully crafted and doesn’t feel random at all (well, ok it does sometimes :) The melodic elements and the chaotic dissonance are always hanging on a tightrope together and the tension is unnerving. This is a fine example of BH’s musical maestrohood and yet another testament to his otherworldly powers he derives from space chickens. Another golden egg has been laid!