siLLy puPPy PIKE 215 - TEFLECTER is the 114th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2015. What is a TEFLECTOR you ask? Well so did i and when i type that word into a search engine the only results that come out are regarding this album, so it is obviously an invented word that probably has some hidden meaning but more likely than not is probably completely nonsensical. Still another PIKE in the endless stream. Another instrumental album where BUCKETHEAD plays all the instruments that clocks in near the half hour mark at 29:02. This one has eight tracks. The first is the title tracks and the rest are all “Q” with a countdown of numbers that follow (12 - 6). Another strange release from the masked man who loves chickens.

After the dreadfully dull and uninspired “Trace Candle” i’m so happy to hear the metal has returned. The title track starts things out with heavy metal riffing and then the solos soon follow. The riffs are pretty standard by BUCKETHEAD standards and the usual bass and drum accompaniment is certainly by the numbers but at least this rocks! A very unique thing in the PIKES happened. This track actually fades out before the next one begins.

“Q 12” begins with a fury. This is thrash metal, baby! Heavy riffing, thundering bass and drums and electrified genital soloing. Strange metal though as the riffing drops out and the soloing plays with the bass and drums going through a series of time sig changes. This one is pretty friggin’ cool! Short but sweet.

“Q 11” continues the same tech thrash approach and so does the remainder of the album as it bounces around from one thrashy, heavy riff after another trading off with spastic solos and interspersed with sporadic time sig changes at times to spice things up. Overall all this album sounds decent and a welcome heaviness after a few mellow albums but the tracks are pretty much carbon copies of each other and BUCKETHEAD has done better tech thrash such as on “Twisted Branches.” This one is pretty good but not one that wallows in greatness either.