REGION

PIKE 166 - REGION is the 65th album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2015. Another PIKE that is all instrumental and exclusively performed by BUCKETHEAD. This one dips over the half hour mark at 33:08 and has five tracks all under ten minutes. I'm diggin' the colorful album cover as it has nothing to do with anything but is so very pretty!

The title track at 7:13 starts things off with a super beefy bass and a strange new feel. It kinda sounds like one of those alternative metal tracks but the production is different. The bass is super prominent, the guitar has a higher range and the drums sound somewhat real but also a bit programmed at times. This one has a mid-tempo and seems to hit some register that's unfamiliar. The guitar is sort of wah-wah-ing and has moments of super speed freak outs. While i find this one interesting at first it never really goes anywhere interesting and ends up being rather meh in the end.

Track two "Castle Stairs" at 5:37 seems to follow suit and start out as an alternative metal jam that has the bass and drum performing a repetitive loop while the guitars wail over them. Once again this is one of those tracks that just goes on and on and provides zero excitement for yours truly. Another meh.

Track three "River Of Liquid Fire" at 6:16 starts out with a somewhat slower than mid-tempo guitar and bass with drums joining in. Guitars kinda distorted. Ugh, i can already tell this one is going to be a snoozer. One of those that repeats and drags on. The riff plays then a slower guitar only arpeggio then back to the riff with guitar solo. All kind of bluesy and sounds deliberately slowed down. Heard this before. Yawn.

Track four "Clock Striking" at 8:42 starts out at a slower tempo and has a beefy bass and a bluesy distorted guitar. Kinda like a more modern distorted Hendrix type of ballad in the Stevie Ray Vaughan on valium mode. OK but not outstanding. Also kinda extends its welcome. Meh.

Track five "Ancient Desert" at 5:20 starts with a wah-wah bluesy guitar immediately joined by bass and drums. This is basically a ballad rocker that goes on and on and on and never does anything except repeat the same basic riff. Sometimes softer than others but same, same, same. Another snoozer.

I hate this PIKE. Total crap. 1 star