BUCKETHEAD — Pike 34 - Pikes (review)

BUCKETHEAD — Pike 34 - Pikes album cover

Album · 2013 · Non-Metal

4/5 · 2016-08-16
siLLy puPPy

PIKE 34 - PIKES is the 29th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2013. This is the long lost PIKE that went missing after PIKE 33 and when PIKE 35 was released without its appearance it underwent all kinds of speculation as to why it was skipped. Although it was still the same year, BH finally released PIKE 34 after PIKE 39. This is pretty much a continuation of PIKE 33 in that it not only has the same jack’o’lantern gracing the cover albeit on the left side of the picture instead of right, but it also an entirely dark ambient and experimental electronic album and a precursor to the entire “Countdown To Halloween” series that would appear in 2015. While BUCKETHEAD creates all sounds heard here, Dan Monti and Albert handle production. This one has NINE tracks all titled “Pumpkin Pikes” and numbered sequentially from 19 to 27. They sort of blend together to create one long electronic and ambient spookfest but they are different enough to hear exactly where one begins and the other ends. This one clocks in at 32 minutes and 49 seconds and all nine tracks are titled “Pumpkin PIKE” numbers 19 thru 27

Dark ambient indeed. This is not an easy to describe release. It is first and foremost a progressive electronic sounding album with a dark background drone, a screaming higher note that bends like Mr Fantastic and creates a horrific sense of dread. It also relishes in creating bloops and bleeps and strange electronic sound accompaniments amongst the chilling spine curdling atmospheric developments. This is a rather aggressive sort of industrial dark ambient. It has the dungeon effect where percussion sounds like some sort of industrial mechanisms punishing slave laborers in an endless tortuous manufacturing process but the synth sounds and ambient noises wrest the most deep founded fears from the soul and unleashing all the inner demons and fear factors. This is actually quite an effective electronic album and i find BUCKETHEAD to be a friggin’ master of this type of dark ambient creations and PIKE 34 - PIKES is a splendid example of his dark ambient ambitions. Watch out Lustmord, BUCKETHEAD is in town and his sheeeet is a lot more interesting.

PIKE 34 - PIKES is highly recommended to anyone seeking one of those dark ambient albums that has variety and the ability to actually make you feel in awe of the magnitude that scary sound effect music can provoke. This is probably one of the coolest of his earlier electronic albums and displaying a major talent that more than warrants his explorations into the 31 day countdown to Halloween series that emerged in 2015. Very cool. I love it! I would rather hear innovative ambient music any day over stale metal uninventive riffing any day. While i usually prefer BUCKETHEAD’s metal side, i find these ambient albums quite exhilarating and exquisitely composed where all the elements perfectly sally forth to create a splendiferous listening experience.