Customer Reviews

Enter The Chicken

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm surprised by how negative people are being in response to this. People seem to expect that everything Buckethead does needs to be one big, long superhuman guitar solo. Well, plenty of that is here and if you want way more where that came from you've got Metatron, Cobra Strike, and on and on. What impresses me about this one is the range. It starts out with "We Are One" with Serj Tankian on vocals. Buckethead's robotic rhythms lend themselves perfectly to Tankian's manic themes, leading me to wish that Tankian would stay put with Buckethead, as I like this better than anything that System of a Down does. Then there is "Running from the Light," which evokes gospel singing and has something of the tender side of Buckethead that we heard on Colma. I like "Coma," another softer one, even better: the morbid lyrical theme works well. Then there is the prime death metal contained on "Funbus" and "The Hand." The vocalists on these really capture the insanity that should go with Buckethead at his wildest; Maximum Bob on "The Hand" is especially incoherent, sounding like someone who should be institutionalized (still can't figure out why his hand has the meaning to him that it does).

While this record doesn't necessarily blow your mind on a continuous basis, it is certainly a highly enjoyable and versatile piece to blast while you are in the car. I haven't enjoyed a Buckethead piece as much in years.

Buckethead refuses to be pigeonholed, except when temporarily joining washed up arena metal acts, and as a result most of the record-buying public has no idea what he's really about. Buckethead's longtime fans also don't know too much about this mysterious virtuoso, but his terrifyingly innovative and innovatively terrifying guitar work is a must for music lovers of the troubled-loner or misunderstood-genius persuasions. Buckethead is a master of many genres on guitar, most of them loud and scary, and his wide-ranging and earshredding licks can be deemed as bizarre as his getup, or as evidence of an evil genius at work. This album features a slew of cutting-edge singers to back up Buckethead's wall of guitar skronk, most notably System of a Down's Serj Tankian, who also produced. The singers add some structure that brings Buckethead's traditional instrumental strategy into the somewhat more easily understood realm of concise songs, and this new strategy actually works in building appreciation for his guitar mastery. Noteworthy tracks early on this album include the very SOAD-like aggro-angst of "We Are One" and the slightly electronica and very creepy "Three Fingers." The middle of the album unexpectedly mellows out with three very believable power ballads in which Buckethead shows some surprise sensitivity, culminating in the majestic "Waiting Hare." The final three tracks bring back the full-on guitar terror, and the fearsome genre-smashing groove of "Nottingham Lace" is a pinnacle of Buckethead's lifetime of guitar near-godhood. Not bad for a weirdo who can barely see through that mask. [~doomsdayer520~]

This album is absolutely amazing. While some older fans may be offended by this album (not all, but some), this album is definitely worth checking out. In terms of music, it serves as a perfect counterpoint to lighter, more shred-dependent albums like the classic Monsters And Robots. This album is actually more heavy, and is getting into very deep metal. However, thrown into the mix for good measure are other types of music to create the biggest melting pot of music you're ever likely to experience in an album whose length clocks in at a mere 41:24. Here are the tracks:

1.) and 2.) Intro/We Are One- This is basically one track, and will be reviewed as such. Here we have perhaps one of the greatest tracks on the album, and definitely a very heavy track indeed. Buckethead shows off all his talent here, from shredding to ripping to grinding to just plain noise. Serj's vocals perfectly fit the song, and most of the ambience in the song is not effects, but actually Serj's vocal overdubs. Very cool track, and the intro is also a nice touch. 5/5

3.) Botnus- From the heaviness of the last track comes death metal. Efrem Schulz provides death metal vocals over Buckethead's massive riffs. As a person who is not a fan of death metal, I found myself strangely drawn into this tune. Also strange, this song's "bridge", where Buckethead plays a soft guitar passage after the word "serenity", this song, perhaps the heaviest on the album, contains one of the softest and most beautiful music passages on the album. Truly a great tune, even for people who aren't fans of death metal. 5/5

4.) Three Fingers- A rap song, Bucket-style. With loops flying and guitar a'blazin', Saul Williams speaks and sings compelling vocals over a Buckethead attack of notes. Has to be heard to be believed. 5/5

5.) Running From The Light- Not for every fan, certainly. I'd put it as perhaps the most commercial song on the album, as if I heard it on commercial radio and didn't know it was Bucket, I'd probably hit the kill switch. Still, the song is fantastic, and makes for a great listen. 4/5

6.) Coma- Beauty. The vocals by Serj and Azam Ali are absolutely compelling and wonderful over Buckethead's arpeggios. Dan Monti's drum effects are also very well suited to this beautiful tune. Highly recommended. 5/5

7.) Waiting Hare- Serj and Shana Halligan sing awesome lyrics- Shana the verses, both the pre-chorus, and Serj the chorus- as Buckethead plays swaying ambience into a Tom Morello-esque chorus. This is probably the best song on the album, next to We Are One, Coma and Nottingham Lace. 5/5

8.) Interlude- A cute little ditty that gets its own piece, unlike Intro/We Are One, because its so off in a different direction. It's very nice, with a mandolin and a voice singing some very sappy lyrics. Makes for a good time, 5/5 for what it is: an interlude.

9.) Funbus- Probably my least favorite song on the album. Yes, there is shredding, but its very out of place on this album, and the growling chorus and twistedly fast verses are very hard to groove to. Although the "why has humor died in music" part is fantastic, the track is just too weak in my opinion. 2/5

10.) The Hand- One of my personal favorites on the album. Maximum Bob is an absolute freak, and Buckethead's tapping and shredding insanity does nothing to comfort one during the barrage of twisted vocals emerging from the man's mouth. The mix of the chaos of the track over the top of the intro from the beginning of the album is almost too crazy to be true. When Maximum Bob laughs, chills will run down your spine, as its coming from an absolutely insane place. The middle section feels like a fun house from hell, as Bob rambles to himself while Buckethead performs guitar pyrotechnics, and an opera singing tops the chillingly terrifying cake. Truly something to hear. 5/5

11.) Nottingham Lace- A Buckethead classic. I have loved this song ever since it was available as a download from Buckethead's website, and I am glad it has finally found a place on an album. After all the guest vocalists and musicians, its fantastic to hear a truly solo Buckethead track, where he is allowed to stretch out and show off his abilities over a compelling guitar loop. Buckethead at his best. 5/5

Overall, a wonderful album. Give it a listen, its more than worth the price.

Buckethead albums can be a hit-or-miss deal. His proficiency as a guitarist goes without argument, for he does stuff and displays a rage of sound that I could never HOPE to access, but I think he tends to really show his mettle in collaboration rather than on his own. Take his work with Praxis and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains and you will see a master in his element. On his solo albums, it seems to take a major talent to work off of to make his stuff really work. _Monster & Robots_ is an appropriately monster of an album, but stuff like _Bucketheadland_ and _Colma_ let the tall, lanky guy do a little bit too much of his own wandering.

But with _Enter the Chicken_, Buckethead is back to mush the faces of his nay-sayers in their own crap. And I feel that I have been appropriately mushed. His tracks with Serj Tankian of System of a Down bring Tankian's speed-metal vocal tempo to a new height, and Buckethead shows a precision and depth of sound even in speed metal. Buckethead has repeatedly been able to show off a guitar-god lick or two in most of work, with "Elephant Ghost" and "The Interworld and the New Innocence" being notable faves, but "Nottingham Lace" is one to rank right up there with all the other Buckethead guitar god tracks. The man (?) has an innate sense of the instrumental and can direct a song into wild directions without a single lick of vocals...but he is not averse to the voice either.

It is always good to find another classic Buckethead album. May he live to be a thousand.

There is some really great music on this CD. Even if your not a Buckethead fan this CD has something for everyone. I think if you started with this CD you might be dissapointed in the other stuff he puts out. And, if only want to hear someone wail on the guitar then most of his other stuff is better suited. I think in the end it comes down to the songs. You can be a great guitarist but if you don't have good songs to base your playing around it can get boring quickly. I remeber watching a G3 video and thinking. "A lot of guitar playing but very little music." Enter the Chicken has both, good music and great guitar. Highly recommended.

The biggest complaint I'm seeing about this CD is that the lyrics overpower Buckethead's amazing shredding. But, see, I don't exactly care. This is a great CD.

I only have two of his CDs, this and "Kaleidoscalp", but this one beats "Kaleidoscalp" by a long ways.

The CD starts out with a 15-second intro of Ani Maldjian doing a little chanting thingy. Nothing special, but it sort of sets the mood. Almost.

Except there really is no mood. It starts out as a little heavy metal, goes into almost hip-hoppish stuff, then into slower songs, and back into heavy metal.

Being a huge System of a Down fan, I was pleased to see Serj Tankian in the first real track, "We Are One". Although there are better songs by System of a Down with Serj in them, this is really good and is a high point of the CD.

Next up is "Botnus" with Efrem Shulz, the singer of Death By Stereo. I had never heard of Death By Stereo, but this was another high point of the CD, leading me to download a song by them. This is screamy stuff, so some people might not like it. More good guitar by Buckethead.

"Three Fingers" with Saul Williams is a track I just don't really get. Saul is an underground rapper person, and I don't think this track is anything to get worked up about. This song was on the "Saw II" soundtrack too, just to let you know.

"Running From the Light" starts off the slowness for the next few songs. Strong vocals by Gigi and Maura Davis, and Buckethead shows his slower side.

Next is the 5 and a half minute long masterpiece, "Coma". Vocals are by Azam Ali, which are beautiful. Buckethead also works out the picture perfectly, making this a high point. Serj Tankian also makes a little cameo on this.

Lastly in the slow department is "Waiting Hare" with Shana Halligan. She has a great voice and it looks promising that she could be popular someday. Serj Tankian and Buckethead are equally flawless, making this another high point.

Interlude.

NO MORE SLOW STUFF!!! Featuring Bad Acid Trip, "Funbus" is one of the greatest songs on this whole CD. Buckethead's guitar can only be summed up in "holy crap" and it's just awesome. Failure only happens from originality.

Ani Maldjian starts off with her chant again in "The Hand", which is probably the strangest song I've ever heard. Maximum Bob is going crazy the whole time. I can just imagine him twitching on the ground singing this. Ani Maldjian goes crazy too, but Maximum Bob outdoes her. Buckethead. Good too.

And now it ends with all Buckethead in "Nottingham Lace". Perfection.

All in all, my new favorite guitarist and the vocalist of my favorite band stand out the most. Maximum Bob gets a close third.

Top 5
5. Nottingham Lace tied with We Are One
4. Waiting Hare
3. Funbus
2. Coma
1. THE HAND

God, I can't get over that song. Well, soon I'm gonna be buying another one of Buckethead's[...]

Get this... NOW!

I expected great guitar work, and Buckethead delivers, but the album is also diverse and fun to listen to. Highly recommended. It leans towards the metal / shredding side of things, and has enough changes in the songs to keep you interested.

buckethead is the greatest guiarist who ever lived and doesn't get the credit, but this is an absolutly terrible album. I liked Nottingham Lace and the hand and i liked We are one, but the rest was either screamy or boring.(however the interlude was pretty funny). this was my first buckethead album, because i just picked a random cd and bought it (RLY STUPID IDEA) If u dont actualy like buckethead and you absolutly had to get an album of his get this, but if you like the instrumentals then get something else and download nottingham lace. Don't let this be your first album because a person who truly appreciates guitar would be automaticly turned off.

Having all of buckets albums from his work with praxis on, I think that this one might actually make him famous. His work with serj is phenomenal, good production, and vocals. Its an eclectic mix, sort of like monsters and robots only much much better. If you liked colma you should enjoy this one. The middle three songs are really mellow culminating with waiting hare, the best song on the album. I dont know where serj found this chick, but she wails. Unlike monsters and robots this album actually flows and has a sense of cohesion that is somtimes lacking in bucketheads albums.Did i mention great vocals? well i stand by that, this time around the lyrics dont sound as much like they were written by an acid casuality, they make sense, they arent quite as scary, in fact at times they are actually quite tender. All in all this is a great addition to my collection, if you are just learning about the man behind the bucket, or if you already love chicken, and want more meat and bones pick this one up.Bucket and serj, if youre out there, keep making these albums,please please please!

I loved this disc. The First and last songs are brilliant Buckethead at his best and very fresh. The soft songs in the middle, while very good, seem more like Lilith Fair.
The first & last songs more than make up for this. Maybe underneath that hard plastic mask is a softy?

Serge's vocals are a perfect match for Buckethead's theatrics.

The best Buckethead since Claypool's Bernie's Bucket Of Brains.
Amazing Guitar work at his best.