siLLy puPPy PIKE 29 - SPLATTERS is the 19th album released in the PIKE series by BUCKETHEAD and the 59th overall solo studio album overall. This is yet another eclectic instrumental album that BH graces us with his instrumental prowess and production handled by Dan Monti and Albert once again. This one only has FOUR tracks and clocks in at at 31:03 and all tracks are titled SPLATTERS Parts ONE thru FOUR.

"Splatters 1” (10:28) starts out with a pyrotechnic electronica display accompanied by loose wire metal guitars. It meanders through electronically embellished metal and trades off with different aspects creating a strange robotic atmosphere at times. The solos and electronica mix up and a funky bass line appears intermittently. This is really a strange amalgamation of musical elements and actually works. Weird!

"Splatters 2" (3:41) begins strangely with a synth pop type of bass line and drums but has a slight funk edge to it that takes off with weird note slides and scorching lead guitars. This is a major metal crunchy weird track that alternates speed and effects but pretty much keeps an overall melodic march in tact

"Splatters 3" (4:05) starts with a really deep bass line that almost sounds like the strings are about to fall of the instrument and then is joined by a seriously altered grunge distortion and guitar solo. This one has an interesting melodic structure with quirky time sigs but really relies on all kinds of flashy solos and electronic wild embellishments. Pretty cool actually

"Splatters 4" (12:49) starts off with a slightly bluesy metal sound in mid-tempo. It drops and allows a funk bass that has sort of a show tune quality to it and then a guitar solo joins in and creates a plethora of tricks and trinkets up BH’s sleeve. This is a long track and it basically keeps an underlying melodic development but tweaks it in a very psychedelic yet aggressive way. It changes up the tempo and delivers harsh electronic weirdness to the overall sound. It’s rather like a Jimi Hendrix track on 21st century steroids. Not a bad track actually. It keeps things moving about and doesn’t allow the listener to get bored.

This one is pretty cool but not outstanding in the creativity department. While the instrumentals are off the chart cool, the actually songwriting isn’t amazingly stellar. I do find this to be a nice listen though as i didn’t get bored throughout the entirety of the album but at the same time it doesn’t quite elevate itself into the extreme avant-garde BUCKETHEADness that pleases me the most.