Buckethead Pike Reviews
A review of Pike 6 'Balloon Cement' by Buckethead, released April 12th 2012
Good evening everybody, today we're visiting one of Buckethead's more experimental, off the wall albums, Pike 6 'Balloon Cement'. So, let's begin. Woo!!
Released April 12th 2012 Pike 6 has a run-time of just over 30 minutes and is comprised of 12 tracks. Like many of the early Pikes it was sold with it's original cover art, which was illustrated by longtime Buckethead collaborator Frankenseuss.
The album opens with its title track 'Balloon Cement''. Controlled shred madness mixed with guitar popping and growls. Certainly not a song for everybody but this one doesn't go too far off the rails.
Track 2 'Red Water Colors' see's Buckethead mixing overdrive blues guitar with more ferocious shred and popping in line with track 1.
Track 3 & 4 'Transport Void' & 'Thistle Museum' are more in the same vein as tracks 1 & 2 but with both tracks under 45 seconds each they fail to add anything new to what's already been played. And not songs you'll ever revisit again.
Track 5 'Alligator Eye Viewer' goes into all out killswitch assault and feels more of a jam than a thought out composition that for me doesn't quite flow and misses the mark.
Track 6 'Veil of Tinfoil' is the second longest track on the album at just over 4.5 minutes and is easily one of the albums best tracks. It doesn't go too far off the wall like previous tracks but does slightly lose it's way nearer the end of the song.
Track 7 & 8 'Chestplate' and 'Vast Mound' once again see Big B going Killswitch crazy. Clearly he's having fun even if it loses a majority of the albums audience. Its very obvious at this point that this album isn't for everyone, nor is it meant to be. Buckethead's just enjoying himself.
Track 9 'Replacement Nail' begins with yet more of the same until the 1 minute mark when it really kicks into a groove and delivers an enjoyable track. Glorious blues rock, It's the albums best song by a country mile. And as a side note, the track is mislabeled on Buckethead's bandcamp as 'Replacement Shell'. So there ya go.
Track 10, the comically titled 'Shatter Shell' is the albums longest track at just over 5 minutes. The track has it's moments before kicking into some Death Cube K style darkness around the 2 minute mark until the songs end. Not bad.
Track 11 'Bridge to Borg' is more in line with the short chaotic tracks 7 & 8. With a runtime of less than a minute it doesn't really go anywhere and is another of the albums disappointments.
And the albums final track 'Evaporate' locks onto a groove early on but at just over a minute fades out and the album ends with some dark ambiance. A disappointing way to end the album.
As hard as it is to say, I didn't enjoy this album when it first came out and after revisiting it for this video, my feelings towards it haven't changed. It's definitely not terrible, but it certainly isn't memorable. And it's not an album I'll be revisiting anytime soon.
After adding up the rating I gave for each track, It came to a disappointing 37.5%, which I'd categorize as below average. Track 6 & 9 are the clear standout songs whereas the rest are more for a niche audience who will enjoy the off the wall guitar popping, effect driven side of Buckethead.
So, what's your rating for Pike 6?
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 6 is 60. Then times it by 100.
Buckethead's Balloon Cement isn't for everybody but it might be for you!
Pike 6 'Balloon Cement' RATINGS (out of 5)
1. Balloon Cement ** ½ (2.5)
2. Red Water Colors **¼ (2.25)
3. Transport Void * (1)
4. Thistle Museum *¼ (1.25)
5. Alligator Eye Viewer *¼ (1.25)
6. Veil of Tinfoil ***¼ (3.25)
7. Chestplate * (1)
8. Vast Mound *½ (1.25)
9. Replacement Nail ***¾ (3.75)
10. Shatter Shell **½ (2.5)
11. Bridge to Borg * (1)
12. Evaporate *½ (1.5)
Album length: 30:11
Total = 22.5 out of 60 (Album = 37.5%, Below Average)
🤘FIND OUT WHAT THE FANS VOTED HERE🤘
1-20 % = Poor
20- 40 % = Below Average
40-60 % = Average
60-80 % = Good
80-100 % = Awesome!
Buy the Album HERE