News |

Guitar World Column |

Interviews |

Pictures |

Album Reviews |

Gig Reviews |

Release Dates |

History |

Articles |

Setlists |

Upcoming |

Contact

Track Listing: Lebrontron Tonka Peeling Out Barnyard Banties Crack the Sky The Hatch Brooding Peeps Picking the Feathers

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Buckethead is the weirdest guitar virtuoso the rock world has ever seen. So whenever he brings forth a new addition to his unbelievably prolific catalog, it's an exciting time for me. "It's Alive" is his thirty-first, yes thirty-first studio album. From what I've read, I've come to gather that it's the first in a series of albums collectively called 'Buckethead Pikes'. The number of albums intended for this series is unknown as of now, but interestingly it's the first album in four years to include a picture of him, and is the shortest Buckethead studio album in terms of duration. Buckethead never disappoints when it comes to the music itself, and this album is further proof of just that.

"Lebrontron" is the album opener, a track dedicated to basketball player Lebron James. It's a heavy, fast, up-tempo tune with an abundance of mesmerizing guitar segments. Its varying patterns keep the tune interesting throughout its duration. "Tonka" sounds much like a straight-up thrash metal tune, which should delight all the 'metalheads' that choose to listen to this album. But of course, the Buckethead touch is there with some weird guitar effects thrown in the mix at various points in the song. "Peeling Out" is nothing other than a short little doodle, after which comes "Barnyard Banties". The plethora of sounds and styles this song possesses within itself boggles my mind. It just reinforces Buckethead's reputation as a one-of-a-kind songwriter. How can a musician not run out of ideas after thirty albums? Buckethead defies all logic.

"Crack The Sky" is another tune dedicated to a basketball player, Blake Griffin the honoree this time.It's soft, dark and thought-provoking in some parts, while fast and heavy in others. The music is nothing short of brilliant, and if the shred solos here don't make you air-guitar, nothing will. "The Hatch" comes across as a completely different tune. Its down-tuned, slow, jazzy, robotic sort of feel will certainly take the listener by surprise and it might take a couple of repeats to even understand what this tune is trying to musically convey. "Brooding Peeps" is a very rich and powerful tune, perhaps the sweetest track on the album, and one that's sure to take you into an imaginary theme park of your own. The sheer variety of music Buckethead is able to encapsulate into a mere five minutes is just incredible, and this song is a classic example. All I can say about the insane closing track "Picking The Feathers" is that it ends the album in a way that's perfectly fitting for such avant-garde style of musicianship.

Overall, I would call "It's Alive" as a 'typically untypical' effort by Buckethead. He has once again delivered the goods with an album that offers something new and different as compared to the previous thirty albums. It's always hard for me to pick favorites in a Buckethead album because every single note is so damn amazing, but at this point I'll force myself to pick three favorites, Lebrontron, Crack The Sky and Brooding Peeps, but I know full well that I enjoy the entire album from start to finish every time I listen to it.

A ridiculously amazing composition.

Tweet