BUCKETHEAD — Pike 52 - Factory (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 52 - Factory album cover

Album · 2014 · Metal Related

5/5 · 2016-09-08
siLLy puPPy

BUCKETHEAD - PIKE 52 - FACTORY

11th album out of 60 in 2014 and 82nd overall

All sounds brought to you by Buckethead and all instrumental

This one has 10 tracks that clock in at 29:45

The tracks are short and are all titled “Factory” followed by “Q thru Z”

Weird! Wild! What?!!! The tracks basically run into each other although they are different. At first!

“Factory Q” (2:28) is a somewhat funky hard bluesy rocker. Somehow the timing and mood are slightly distorted creating a very strange alternative reality. There are different passages and then different layers of different guitar parts over each other that kinda go together but are kinda at odds. This is actually a very strange experience! Even gets industrial :o

“Factory R” (2:49) transitions seamlessly but is obviously a totally new track. It has a much slower feel. It remains alternative rock in nature with industrial accoutrements. Another very cool track as it keeps the same general melody but changes up the genre. It ranges from heavy rock to cello heavy chamber rock and then switches to metal and then to very freaky avant-garde and then to bluesy hard rock again. In short it changes often and goes left field. I love it!

“Factory S” (3:26) begins as purely the blues but then adds an alternative rock veneer. It follows suit and changes things up frequently. That means each instrument: guitar, bass and drums changes genre style independently of each other to create a kaleidoscopic sonic event. Cool!

“Factory T” (3:43) is distinct as far as knowing when the track begins. After the previous jumps into the avant-garde, this one bounces back into a bluesy rock but then quickly becomes dissonant spacey post-rock. Oh my! It eventually jumps back into other rock genres including funk, hard rock and the instruments indecently choose their genres but then jump back into Tempos are also malleable :p

“Factory U” (2:48) kinda continues from previous tracks by keeping the overall melody but changes up tempos big time. Once again the instruments sort of sync in and out of genres together. The album seems to be getting weirder and weirder! This one incorporates some harder rock / metal but just as i’m getting into it goes full acoustic 8/

“Factory V” (3:17) takes us somewhere new. It totally goes full distortion filled weirdness but then quickly becomes light and fluffy and then solos erupt. Damn. We’re in a Salvador Dalí painting again. I know it. It then erupts into a sizzling heavy metal solo at full speed and then totally slows down into funk. At least for a few seconds. This one is a roller coaster ride

“Factory W” (2:52) starts out as a funky rocker that has weird time sig changes. It seems reality is becoming even more distorted. Things happen and then morph. At least there’s a melody to keep me grounded! Echoey distortion ensues. Music nerd’s paradise ;U

“Factory X” (3:05) breaks into bluesy hard rock and then weird, i mean weird indescribable sheet. It becomes funky again. There’s a haze of Hendrix in the guitar sustaining department. Also a very 70s funk scene comes into play at various times

“Factory Y” (2:40) more weirdness. more weirdness. more. MORE. mOrE. MoRe. mmmOrrrRe

“Factory Z” (2:37) spacey and i very weird!!!

F-reekin

A-mazingly

 C-atchy

 T-hough

 O-uta

 R-eality

 Y-EAH!

My kind of melodic avant-garde fantasies come true! The Mr Bungle effect BUCKETHEAD style