LAST HOUSE ON SLUNK STREET

PIKE 174 - LAST HOUSE ON SLUNK STREET is the 73rd album released by BUCKETHEAD in 2015 and is yet another PIKE in a never- ending series. Like all of the PIKES, all instrumental tracks are performed exclusively by BUCKETHEAD and clocks in near the half hour mark at 28:50, however this one has more individual tracks than any other PIKE i've yet heard. This one has a whopping 16 tracks where the longest is only 3:35. Unprecedented!

It all starts off with the title track which immediately starts off with harsh jangly metal chords and then progresses into extremely fast and heavy riffing with a solo inserted. This is seriously brutal heavy metal going on here with elements of thrash, alternative and a little progressive time sig changes here and there but mostly a steady beat but can unexpectedly just turn into something else for a few measures and then back to the main riff. Lots of fast and furious soloing on this one.

Track two "What's On The End Of That Fork?" continues the brutal metal with a new riff and an industrial metal type of delivery with lots of cymbal action. Pretty much following the formula of track one with brutal riffs, power chords and sizzling solos.

Track three "The Cupboards Are" is a short little metal rocker that lasts only 1:01 but is hard and has progressive riffing.

By the time track four "There's A Stair Missing" starts and plays a bit it's becoming obvious that the pattern is repeating and all these tracks are all of the same style, namely play fast, play loud and brutal and alternate the riffs with power chords and sizzling solos. So that means i don't need to go through the list of every track to explain their differences because they are all pretty much of the same style with variations only in the riffs not tones, speed or noise level.

This is one that has great track titles. I would bet that "Unplugged Refrigerator," "Popsicle Sticks And Ketchup," "Clothesline With Stuff Hanging On It," "Doormat With Hole Underneath" and "The Mop's Got Something On It" have never been used as song titles in the entire history of music!

Basically this is presented like a punk album with short and caustic outbursts of aggression. I keep waiting for some angry young punk singer to start lashing out about the ills of society. Although the music itself isn't punk per se it has that feel to it. This album isn't bad but not one of my favorites either. It is a nice aggressive slice of metal mayhem but not a lot of diversity which some of the more interesting PIKES contain.