BUCKETHEAD — Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse album cover

Album · 2001 · Avant-garde Metal

4/5 · 2016-06-05
siLLy puPPy

BUCKETHEAD caught the world’s attention with his stunning “Monsters And Robots” in 1999 and became known as the weirdest and most unique guitarists on the scene at the turn of the millennium. Back in the years before releasing an album every few days, this one took two years to be released coming out in the year of 2001, and SOMEWHERE OVER THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE is the sixth solo installment in the BUCKETHEAD odyssey. Never one to repeat or stand still for long, this album focuses more on BH’s obsession with melding heavy metal grooves with DJ electronica beats, loops and sound samples. The result of which is initially alienating, repeatedly mesmerizing and after several heavy doses of exposure actually addictive. While often rated one of the lesser releases of the early albums, SOMEWHERE OVER THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE is actually one of my favorite earlier BH albums.

The title is derived from the song “Over The Rainbow” sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie “The Wizard Of Oz” and the opening 38 second acoustic guitar intro is a psychotic instrumental version of that track but the real fun begins with the next track “Help Me” which unleashes a loop of a distressed entity repeatedly uttering the two worlds “Help Me” accompanied by a record skipping sound and some ambient background noises that is joined in by an electro drum beat and then some seriously heavily rocking distorted metal guitar riffs. The songwriting structure on this one is actually a style that would be used again and again especially on many of the releases in the Pike series that implement the tag team method of trading off styles and repeating them in a structured parade of styles, sounds and tempos that alternate metal, acoustic guitar, electronica, sound loops and effects. The metal is much more heavy on this release which at times is in the industrial metal zone but the guitars drop out enough to let the other sounds skank around enough to keep it from being classified as industrial proper.

Tracks like “Pin Bones And Poultry” utilize some strange and unorthodox musical scales and it is clear to hear that this is some bizarre world only BUCKETHEAD had managed to visit at this point in time. Other tracks like “My Sheeetz” utilize the famous echo guitar effect BH is now famous for. This track has a strong electronica drum beat accompanied by a melodic clean echo guitar effect. “Day Of The Ulcer” utilizes a scratching loop as the rhythmic basis with a down tuned dirty grunge guitar and slithering upper register guitar string abuses. The track becomes quite frantic and high energy in the middle but trades off with the downtempo style. “Burlap Curtain” is my favorite track here. It is basically two different tracks sewn together and both parts are addictive. It starts out with a looped effect that is joined by another looped symphonic effect and then by an electro beat. The guitar joins in and it’s a true DJ meets virtuoso guitarist jam session. The variations ensure and then around the three minute mark it abruptly changes into a strange electronica thing and then another electro beat joins in and a different virtuoso guitar melody develops. The groove is much more frenetic and upbeat and then a turntable scratching goes absolutely crazy which alternates with the guitar in a call-and-response mode ushering the track to completion. Both the turntable and guitar are totally off the hook and is one of the most compelling metal meets electronica tracks i’ve ever heard. The ending just gets weird! The rest of the album follows suit in style and the closer “Conveyer Belt Blues” is an acoustic guitar outro that mimics the intro.

Overall i love this one a lot although it’s not without its flaws. There are many timing faux pas’s that are obviously mistimed and there are some volume control dynamics that are a bit off the mark but as far as creativity and delivery are concerned this is simply a brilliant avant-garde metal album that mixes in aggressive metal energy with all kids of fun DJ techniques complete with tenebrous melodies, sizzling solos and dark soundtrack type tracks that represent the horrors of the SLAUGHTERHOUSE. This is one of BH’s most unique albums although many of these techniques developed here would continue on on future releases. Unfortunately this one is quite hard to get these days. It was originally released on both CD and LP but because of the fact that ownership rights are unknown means that SLAUGHTERHOUSE will most likely not be reissued any time soon. Under the radar in his huge discography for most but a personal Top 10 BH release for yours truly.