siLLy puPPy PIKE 216 - WHEELS OF FERRIS is the 115th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2105 and yet another all instrumental album displaying the multi-instrumental talents of the masked man who loves chickens. This PIKE has seven tracks and clocks in at 29:57 only three seconds shy of the half hour mark. A noticeable difference is the album cover that displays a warning label obscuring some sort of standard PIKE cover.

“Saw See” (7:01) starts things off and immediately indicates that this is not another heavy metal album rather it starts out as another extremely slow and mellow dreamy echoey guitar release. It is similar to recent PIKEs that have the slow tempo, ambient background and a guitar lick that echoes, but wait! Just when i’m going OMG another guitar joins in with power chords and the tempo picks up as does the pace of the drumming. Despite the energetic outburst it reverts back to the slow molasses like melodic flow.

“Forgotten Factory” (2:46) picks up the pace and is a hard rocker with a slightly slick production to gloss it over as not to be too rough. It is a basic guitar riff, bass and drums that alternates with higher treble licks and solos. Decent but not outstanding.

“Lamp” (2:00) follows suit and pretty much is indistinguishable from the previous track

The title track reverts back to the slower ballady sound with a slow tempo, guitar melody that has a few rocking parts. Almost sounds AOR at times. Just add Michael Bolton vocals and you got an office hit. OK. Not fair. It has a little bit more bravado, perhaps a glam metal hit. Where’s Vince Neil when you need him?

Unfortunately this album continues with all the tracks sounding samey. It’s not a bad album but a rather bland one and at this point an unnecessary addition to a bloated discography. I’m finding very few of these PIKEs after the Halloween countdown to be worthy of existence. This one is surely no exception.