Buckethead Pike Album Review
A Review of Pike 248 'Adrift in Sleepwakefulness' by Buckethead, released February 1st 2017
Good evening everybody, today we're back with another deep dive into guitar hero Buckethead's Pike album series, with Pike 248 'Adrift in Sleepwakefulness'. So, let's begin. Woo!!
Released February 1st 2017, Pike 248 was the 1st of 6 albums released that month alone. With the albums title 'Adrift in Sleepwakefulness' meaning to be somewhere in a state of being asleep and awake.
Pike 248 kicks off with it's longest track, the over 6 minute 'Half See'. A slow crawl jam, it has some excellent chord progression helped along with subtle underneath dream-like ambiance and synthesizer swells, which feature throughout the album to great effect. A Solid opener.
For track 2 we go from the longest track to the shortest, with the 3.5 minute 'Dreaming Frequencies'. The overall melancholy vibe and build of this song is fantastic. The previously mentioned synthesizer swells work perfectly. The guitar tone is outstanding and the ending solo is subtle but glorious. I absolutely adore this song and from me it gets the perfect 5 stars all day, every day. Perfection.
Track 3 'Empty Scroll' comes next. Another well paced track, the shift in direction at just over 1 minute and later at 2.5 minutes is excellent. Enjoyable riffage, easily accessible. And the fact that I gave this song the lowest rating of the album speaks volumes on how good the rest of the album plays out. Solid track.
Track 4 is the albums 2nd longest track, the almost 6 minute 'Salvage the Fragments'. The screaming guitar opening of the song immediately locks you in and doesn't let up. Just like the previously mentioned 'Dreaming Frequencies' this is Buckethead showing why he is the greatest. And whilst 'Dreaming Frequencies' is low-key and subtle, 'Salvage the Fragments' is out there in the open. Packed full of feeling, tons of emotion. The guitar tone and bends in this one are absolutely mesmerizing. Another perfect 5 star classic.
The albums 2nd shortest track 'Stare into Trance' comes next. A feel good chill song, it's subtle but brilliant.
The 3.5 minutes fly by, the guitar tone is again fantastic and the pacing excellent. And although it's the albums 3rd best song, if it was on many other Pikes it would be the easy standout. Top notch.
The album concludes with it's title track 'Adrift in Sleepwakefulness'. An outstanding way to end an outstanding album. A feel good jam with several lead guitar cut-ins that will make the hairs on your neck stand up. Subtle brilliance.
Overall, Pike 248 is easily one of the best Pike albums Buckethead has ever released. It's clear that he put a lot more time and thought into this one, with the overall vibe and production value feeling far more refined.
It's one of the Pikes I've listened to the most since it's release and it never gets old. And whilst some people will happily wax lyrical about every Buckethead song and album being 5 star classics, all that does is take away from the albums that genuinely are. And Pike 248 is genuinely 5 stars. Unique and brilliant.
After adding up the rating I gave for each track, It came to a monumental 86%, which I'd categorize as 5 star Awesome. And you can find my song ratings and breakdown on our website natternet.com
So, what's your rating for Pike 248? Be sure to let us know.
To work out what percentage you'd give the album, rate each song out of 5 stars, add up your total and divide it by the total score possible, which for Pike 248 is 30. Then times it by 100.
Pike 248 'Adrift in Sleepwakefulness' RATINGS (out of 5)
1. Half See ***¾ (3.75)
2. Dreaming Frequencies ***** (5)
3. Empty Scroll ***¼ (3.25)
4. Salvage the Fragments ***** (5)
5. Stare into Trance ****½ (4.5)
6. Adrift in Sleepwakefulness ****¼ (4.25)
Album length: 28:18
Total = 25.75 out of 30 (Album = 86%, Awesome!)
1-20 % = Poor
20- 40 % = Below Average
40-60 % = Average
60-80 % = Good
80-100 % = Awesome
Buy the album HERE