iTunes! Shame on you!

You made THIS beautiful masterpiece a partial album!!! You're missing a few of the best songs!! *cough* Jordan *cough*

Buckethead is among the elite class of guitarists who can shred the competition to sad little bits without so much as dropping a pick. And he wears an upside-down bucket o' chicken over his willowy brown curls. Buckethead's creative and technical skills rival those of modern virtuosos like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Adrian Belew. To be more specific, we're talkin' about a bucket of KFC chicken, although on this album cover he dons a colorful fashion bucket (in case that term catches on, I coined it) that reads "FUNERAL". Oh, and he also wears a creepy white mask -- somewhere between Jason and Mike Myers. But boy can he play.

Enter the Chicken proves as much without a doubt. Yet Señor Bucket's 13th record in 16 years is different from anything he's done before. That And Friends appendage to his name is more than mere novelty -- Enter the Chicken is a collaboration album, in which our hero teams up with a small army of singers and songwriters from across the musical spectrum. First and foremost, the whole affair is produced (indeed, facilitated) by System of a Down's Serj Tankian, and released on his Sejical Strike label. Tankian also co-wrote and sings on three of the nine songs.

The result is more rock album than guitar album. Buckethead's guitar god histrionics are downplayed in favor of integrating his wizardry into traditional songwriting structures. The record is also an opportunity for Tankian to experiment with different genres. Except for the blazing metal opener "We Are One", his co-writes are of a mellower, more melodic nature than typical System of a Down fare. "Coma" is an ethereal, almost ambient number voiced by Azam Ali of the world music troupe Vas. Tankian's got back-up moaning duties covered, and all Buckethead has to offer is a basic riff that runs through the whole thing unchanged. Six minutes of this. If you're lucky, you'll emerge from your coma just in time to hear the chorus of the next song, "Waiting Hare", which features a kickass hook from Buckethead and sharp, emotional singing from Tankian. If it weren't for its chorus, this quasi-ballad, with Shana Halligan on lead vocals, would unravel into another uninspired bore.

Also singing and earning writing credits on Enter the Chicken are Saul Williams (poetry meets metal in "Three Fingers"); Efrem Shulz of Death By Stereo (metal meets more metal in "Botnus"); Maura Davis of Denali (the Evanescence-esque, yet rap-less "Running from the Light"); and about eight other folks. Told you it was a small army. Basically what we got here are a few decent low-key mood pieces sandwiched between some satisfactory metal and hard rock, with above-average lead guitar parts falling here and there amongst them. Axe-wise, the highlight is easily the instrumental closer "Nottingham Lace", in which Buckethead solos for four minutes over the chugging rhythm of a second guitar track. It's a memorable end to an uneven effort. But Buckethead fans have no right to be put off by Enter the Chicken; when you rock across almost two decades with a bucket atop your skull, you earn yourself a little leeway.

Buckethead is just amazing. Nottingham Lace is definetely the best on the album (I think so) although I do like Buckethead's collaborations with other artists, like We Are One, Serj Tankian is a great rock singer. A note to iTunes though - on the Kaleidoscalp album why can't you buy She Sells Seashells By The Slaughterhouse on it's own? And where is the album Giant Robot? Welcome To Bucketheadland will blow you away.

But, for now, Enter The Chicken will do. Buckethead - The Best Guitarist of the 21st Century?

This album is staggering. I am amazed at how a man who wears a KFC bucket on his head could come up with this. Each song has its own style, its unique sort of texture, from the grinding screamish metal of Funbus and Botnus, the energetic high-tempo madness of We Are One, featuring System of a Down's Serj Tankian, and the sheer brilliance of Nottingham Lace, which is one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard, to the more relaxed Waiting Here, which is the sort of thing you could consider someone's mother listening to, also featuring Serj, the opera-styled Coma, also featuring Serj, and sounding similar to Mike Oldfield's stuff, and Running from the Light, which you could get away with at a dinner party, and they've even crammed in some rap (albeit rap-metal), and unlike most rap, I like it. Amazing stuff. But try to avoid the Hand, it's rather scary.

Great album, very diverse. I would have been willing to pay for this album just to get Nottingham Lace, absolutely amazing track!!

Well some guy with a hat which is more at home in a landfill, a jason mask and to my surprise talent, imagination, diversity and chops to die for !!!!! Is Mr Buckethead the new Frank Zappa ? He seems to have some comedy in his live show and an understanding of music that our popular musicians of the day seem to ignore in favour of a catchy hook and tried and tested musak backdrop. If you are fed up listening to the same songs and enjoy music let Buckethead into your life, sit back, turn it up and tune in. If you play guitar i bet you will be more eager to learn that new scale after you hear this album !

Buying this albem was a bit of a gamble for me. But now i have it it takles its place at the top of my play list. Obviusly a SOAD fan, Buckethead use's his skills to produce a massively varried selection of music. From the fast paced attack of Botnus or Funbus to the slower yet equally induldging Coma and Waiting hare.

Bucket head is an amazing artist and i for one love this albem, i think you should to.