Buckethead Pike Album Reviews

A review of Pike 255 'Abominable Snow Scalp' by Buckethead, released March 9th 2017

Good evening everybody, today we're back with another slice of guitar hero Buckethead's Pike album series, with Pike 255 'Abominable Snow Scalp'. So, let's begin. Woo!!

Released March 9th 2017, Pike 255 was the 2nd of 5th albums released that month, with the title abominable Snow Scalp no doubt a play on the Abominable Snowman. And for those who don't know, Abominable basically means horrible, gross & disgusting. Nice.

Pike 255 kicks off with it's title track 'Abominable Snow Scalp'. And what an opener. The pacing is excellent,
there's several outstanding solos and the guitars tone is fantastic. It also has some brief acoustic noodling midway, followed by a feel good section nearer the end of the song. Unfortunately the drum track is extremely flat and generic, which is so disappointing because the song really is outstanding and deserved much better. Still, for composition and guitar work, it's a 5 star gem.

Track 2 'Floorascents' is next. An enjoyable listen, it's certainly not as solid as the previous track and doesn't flow quite as well. There's some definite shades Led Zeppelin's 'Moby Dick' around the 1 minute 50 mark, followed by a cool solo to end the track. Good stuff.

Track 3 'Headless Reflection' is the albums longest track at 6.5 minutes and see's Buckethead in super shred mode. The entire song is made up of countless shred sequences and though it might not be a song you'll instantly replay or come back to often, it's one you'll instantly admire for it's skill.

Track 4 'Pluriverse' immediately locks you in with it's opening groove, hit's some really nice foot stomping moments throughout and builds nicely. The ending riff is easily it's most memorable but is far too short leaving you wanting more. Nonetheless it's another solid track.

Track 5 'Crater Ridge' is the albums second longest track at 5.5 minutes, and feels like about 5 totally different songs blended into one. What starts as an 80's power ballad solo turns into a shred attack, which is then followed by some middle eastern sounding licks, then some dark acoustic noodling transcending into a feel good outro. It's excellently done and definitely a track that has grown on me over time.

Track 6 'Door Along the Wall' is the albums shortest track at 2 minutes but don't let the length put you off. Like the opening track the pacing is excellent, there's some nice riffage and the shred guitar is kept to a minimum. Like track 4 it definitely should've gone longer but it's in and out and serves its purpose.

The album concludes with Track 7 'Pincushion'. Multiple heavy riffs intertwined with super clean shred guitar. The shred isn't anything you haven't already heard from track 3, but like the previous track its kept to a minimum and used effectively. A suitable end to a good album.

Overall, Pike 255 is a fairly solid Pike. The guitar tone and sound throughout is absolutely fantastic and really elevates a majority of the songs. The title track is easily the album standout, an instant classic and the rest of the album doesn't disappoint. At times it might get a bit too shreddy for some people, but other than track 3 'Headless Reflection' it's used sparingly. The one big obvious let down of the album is the drum tracks that are really poor, flat and generic, which is a such a shame because the guitar work is top notch and deserved much better.

After adding up the rating I gave for each track, It came to a respectable 65.5%, which I'd categorize as Good. And you can find my song ratings and breakdown on our website natternet.com

So, what's your rating for Pike 255? 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 255 is 35. Then times it by 100.

Pike 255 'Abominable Snow Scalp' RATINGS (out of 5)
1. Abominable Snow Scalp  *****  (5)
2. Floorascents  ***  (3)
3. Headless Reflection  *** (3)
4. Pluriverse   ***¼  (3.25)
5. Crator Ridge   ***¼  (3.25)
6. Door Along the Wall   **¾  (2.75)
7. Pincushion  **¾  (2.75)

Album length: 29:22

Total = 23 out of 35 (Album = 65.5%, Good)

1-20 % = Poor
20- 40 % = Below Average
40-60 % = Average
60-80 % = Good
80-100 % = Awesome

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Buy the Album HERE