Enter the Chicken

Album Review

In between solo efforts, Buckethead has contributed to a diverse assortment of bands including Guns N' Roses, the Deli Creeps, Praxis, Giant Robot, and others. With Enter the Chicken, the guitarist's first project for Serj Tankian's Serjical Strike label, the System of a Down singer — doubling as producer — amasses a wide array of talent from the many corners of rock music. "Botnus," which includes Death by Stereo vocalist Efrem Shulz, and "Funbus" both take listeners on a wild, maniacal ride, but there is more than scorching metal on Enter the Chicken. If the dreamy soundscape "Coma" — with vocalist Azam Ali of the world music troupe Vas — is mesmerizing, the operatic thrash of "The Hand" surely slaps unsuspecting listeners around. Provocative indeed, but is this music for the thinking man? Probably not. After all, it's difficult to take a man who wears a KFC bucket too seriously. ~ John D. Luerssen, Rovi