siLLy puPPy BUCKETHEAD seems to have returned from a deep slumber where he was in the coop in BUCKETHEADLAND getting his mojo worked on. After over two decades of hatching hundreds of eggs, the chicken lover shocked his fanbase in 2019 with no a single release with the sole exception of a compilation of tracks that became the Sigil Soundtrack. 2020 has seen thus far only the release of “Pike 276 - Healing Inside Outside Every Side” which was one of those recycled slow ballady types lullaby albums, the type of which i’m not too fond of because they basically are an endless loop of been-there-done-that cliches.

Always one to mess with our minds and make database entries a complete headache, BH followed up with a new release titled UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS but with no comic book insignia in the left top corner to indicate it was a part of the PIKE series, we were left to wonder WTF. This album was instantly referred to as PIKE 278 - UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS but where was PIKE 277? Ugh. Going along with the flow this seems to have been adopted whether rightfully so or not as a bonafide PIKE so PIKE 278 it is. Now that may very well be the intention of an album titled UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS, huh?

This is in regular PIKE fashion hovering around 30 minutes (28 actually) and is one of those alternative metal styled albums that takes crunch alt metal riffing and adds a bit of pseudo-prog to the mix. The opening “Familiar Spirit” is aptly titled as it evokes countless prior PIKEs of this same style whereas “Where The Sun Sails And The Moon Walks” offers an alternating mix between clean dreamy guitar led space rock with heavier crunchier rock riffs that could easily fit in on AC/DC’s “Back In Black” album. Like every other PIKE this is vocal free with only BH playing guitars, drums, bass, keys, whatever.

“BooBoo Got His Black Belt” continues the alt metal craze only adds more electronic wizardry however this track definitely sounds like a gazillion other PIKEs from the past. “The Caterpillar’s Trail” is the lengthy beast on this one just shy of the 9 minute mark. It’s a nice slinking space rock track that employs typical PIKE melodies both acoustically and with clean soft tones of electric instruments. Nothing new but pleasant as usual. Definitely too long for its own good. “G.H.S. Live” as the title suggests is really a live track! It’s sort of a stomping groove beginning that gets all weird. It’s a good move because it shows how BH can animate some of these tracks into crowd pleasers.

Overall, a mixed back like most PIKEs. Some great moments, some generic ones and some that have already been done to death. Personally i think the last live track is the best of the lot but nothing on here is bad or unlistenable just average in the sea of PIKEs. Needs a little more oomf than the PIKE has to deliver and thankfully that’s saved by the “G.H.S.” track which doesn’t appear to be on any album in a studio format at least under this name. The chicken man has returned from the coop with many new hatchlings to promote. Bring em on, BH!