Brian Carroll better known by his stage name
Buckethead, is a
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists. His music spans such diverse areas as
progressive metalProgressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
,
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
,
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
,
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
,
bluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
,
ambientAmbient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, and
avant-garde musicAvant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
.
Buckethead used to wear a
KFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange
bumper stickerA bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles - although they are often stuck onto other objects...
that read
FUNERAL in capital black block letters, and an expressionless plain white costume mask. More recently, he switched to a plain white bucket that no longer bore the KFC logo, but has since switched back to his trademark
KFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
bucket. He also incorporates nunchucks and
robot dancingThe robot is an illusionary street dance style – often confused with popping – that attempts to imitate a dancing robot or mannequin...
into his stage performances.
An instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his
electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
playing. He has been voted number 8 on a list in
GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time" as well as being included in
Guitar World'sGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
lists of the "25 all-time weirdest guitarists" and is also known for being in the "50 fastest guitarists of all time list".
Buckethead performs primarily as a solo artist. He has collaborated extensively with a wide variety of high profile artists such as
Bill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
,
Bootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
,
Bernie WorrellGeorge Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
,
Iggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
,
Les ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
,
Serj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
,
Bill MoseleyWilliam "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
,
Mike PattonMichael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
,
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
,
That 1 GuyMike Silverman, better known as That 1 Guy, is an American musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band, singing and using a variety of homemade musical instruments.-Early career:...
, and was a member of
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
from 2000 to 2004. Buckethead has also written and performed music for major motion pictures, including:
Saw II,
Ghosts of MarsJohn Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is a 2001 American science fiction action horror film composed, written, and directed by John Carpenter. The film stars Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall, and Joanna Cassidy...
,
Beverly Hills Ninja,
Mortal KombatMortal Kombat Soundtrack is a compilation album featuring music by different artists to accompany the movie Mortal Kombat.- Album information :...
,
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation-Tracks :In order by movie appearance#"Theme From Mortal Kombat "##Main title sequence##Liu Kang vs. Shao Kahn#"X-Squad "##Shao Kahn's invasion on Earth...
,
Last Action Hero, and the main soundtrack of
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The MovieMighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie: Original Soundtrack Album is the licensed soundtrack to the 1995 Twentieth Century Fox film Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie...
.
Early life
Buckethead began playing guitar at the age of twelve. He had been quoted as saying, however, that he did not become serious until a year later when he moved from Huntington Beach, CA to Claremont, CA. His playing began improving by taking private lessons from various teachers at a local music store, Styles Music. His early teachers included Max McGuire, the late Johnny Fortune (1943–2006), Mark Hammond, Pebber Brown and Paul Gilbert. Buckethead played a tribute to all his early teachers when the Deli Creeps played a show at Styles Music's 25th anniversary. Buckethead then later began making demo recordings of both his playing as well as his writing styles, which would be released as acoustic albums in the future.
1988–1994: Early solo career and Praxis
In 1988 after leaving the band Class-X, Carroll entered a song called "Brazos" into a
Guitar Player magazine contest. It was a runner-up:
In the same year, the magazine's editor, Jas Obrecht, came to know of Buckethead when Brian and his parents left a demo recording at the magazine's reception desk for Obrecht. Impressed with this demo, he rushed into the restaurant where Buckethead and his parents were having lunch and encouraged him to make the most of his talent. They soon became friends. In 1989 a song called "Soowee" by Buckethead got honorable mention in another song contest. In 1991, Buckethead moved into Obrecht's basement (this is also where the "Buckethead in the Basement" footage for the
Young BucketheadYoung Buckethead Vol. 1 is the second DVD made by the guitarist Buckethead, released in 2006 by Jas Obrecht's label, Avabella.The material from this DVD was cut in half making 2 volumes of the DVD, Vol...
DVD was filmed). The song "Brazos" was eventually released on the 1991 demo tape of his band
Deli CreepsThe Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
, titled "Tribal Rites," and again as bonus material in Buckethead's
Secret RecipeSecret Recipe is a two disc DVD set by musician Buckethead, containing a compilation of video and music clips, photos, artwork and concert footage documenting the guitarist's first 13 years as a performer....
DVD in 2006. Luke Sacco was his teacher.
After his first two demo tapes, called
Giant Robot (demo)Giant Robot is the first demo tape by Buckethead or the album Buckethead had released as a solo album entitled Giant Robot in 1994. The demo tape loosely follows the same "abusement park" concept as his debut album ...
and
Bucketheadland BlueprintsBucketheadland Blueprints is a demo tape by Buckethead, containing supposed material for his debut album Bucketheadland . It was later re-released, due to popular demand, as both a limited edition and non-limited edition CD....
, Buckethead released
BucketheadlandBucketheadland is the debut album by musician Buckethead, released on John Zorn's Japanese record label Avant in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series Giant Robot amongst guitar riffs by Buckethead...
on
John ZornJohn Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
's Japanese Avant record label in 1992. Though available only as a pricey import, the record received positive reviews and earned some attention. At about this time, Buckethead fell into the orbit of prolific bassist/producer
Bill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
, himself an occasional Zorn collaborator; Buckethead (as a performer, producer, or composer) was introduced to Laswell with the help of Limbomaniacs drummer
Bryan "Brain" MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
, who gave Laswell a video of Buckethead playing in his room. Buckethead soon became Laswell's second staple guitar player, besides
Nicky SkopelitisNicky Skopelitis is an American guitarist and composer from Greek heritage. He is best known as a guitarist, but also performs on banjo, oud, lute, keyboards and other instruments....
.
In 1992, Buckethead, with Bill Laswell,
Bernie WorrellGeorge Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
,
Bootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
, and
Bryan "Brain" MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
, formed the
supergroupIn the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
PraxisPraxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
. Their first album,
Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)Note: Track 8 starts out with the Giant Robot theme, that is also featured on Buckethead's Bucketheadland album. The track also contains a version of one of the many themes Akira Ifukube wrote for Toho production's Godzilla films.-Personnel:...
, released the same year, was well-received. The project was Bill Laswell's concept, and has since involved other guests such as
Serj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
of
System of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, among many others. Buckethead did participate in all releases except the initial
1984-Personnel:*Praxis:**Bill Laswell: DMX, turntable, records, tapes, shortwave radio* Recorded and mixed at Evergreen Studio* Engineered by Rob Stevens* Composed, arranged and produced by Bill Laswell* Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk-External links:*...
release and
MoldMold is the fourth studio album made by the supergroup Praxis, released in 1998.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Praxis:** Alex Haas - Keyboards, Producer, Engineer, Mixing** Bill Laswell - Bass, Scratching, Producer** Pat Thrall - Guitar...
(1998).
In 1994, Buckethead released an album called
Dreamatorium-Credits:*Buckethead - guitar*Bill Laswell - bass*Robert Musso - Engineering *John Matarazzo - Realization*Robert Soares - A&R Coordination*Norman Saul - System Design...
under the name of
Death Cube K (an
anagramAn anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of "Buckethead"). The name was created by Tom "Doc" Darter to circumvent legal complications with
Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. About his style, the official FAQ says,
Science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author
William GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
later borrowed "Death Cube K" as the name of a bar in his novel
IdoruIdoru is the second book in William Gibson's Bridge trilogy. Idoru is a science-fiction novel set in a postmodern, dystopian, cyberpunk future...
(1996). Gibson explained the reference in an interview for
Addicted to NoiseAddicted to Noise was an online music magazine in the early days of the World Wide Web. Founded by ex-Rolling Stone editor and writer Michael Goldberg and online music pioneer Jon Luini, it published its first issue in January 1995 and was the first online magazine to include audio samples along...
:
Also in 1994, Buckethead released his second studio album,
Giant Robot, which features many guest appearances by artists such as
Iggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and
Bill MoseleyWilliam "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
. The name of the album came from the Japanese series
Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, is a manga and tokusatsu series created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It is similar to his famous Tetsujin 28-go , though Giant Robo has more fantastic elements....
, of which Buckethead is a fan. He also released two other albums with
PraxisPraxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
, their second and third studio efforts:
Sacrifist- Personnel :*Praxis:**Bootsy Collins - bass and vocals**Buckethead - guitar**Brain - drums**Bernie Worrell - keyboards**Mick Harris - vocals**Yamatsuka Eye - vocals**John Zorn - saxophone**Bill Laswell - bass...
and
MetatronMetatron is the third album of Bill Laswell and Buckethead's project Praxis. This album concentrates on the core band of Buckethead, Brain and Laswell, rather than featuring a large number of guests like the earlier albums....
.
According to
Anthony KiedisAnthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
' autobiography,
Scar TissueScar Tissue is the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers vocalist Anthony Kiedis. It was released in 2004 by Hyperion and authored by Kiedis with Larry Sloman, who compiled information and interviewed various parties associated with the plot line. The story follows Kiedis from his birth in 1962 to...
, Buckethead once auditioned to play guitar for the
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, shortly after
John FruscianteJohn Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
left the band, without having heard any of their songs. The band's bassist
FleaMichael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
noted that:
1995–1998: Collaboration work, movie soundtracks and Praxis
In 1995, Buckethead did not release any solo albums but collaborated with several artists like
Jonas HellborgJonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Mattias IA Eklundh and Buckethead....
and
Michael ShrieveMichael Shrieve is an American drummer, percussionist, and later, an electronic music composer. He is best known as the drummer in Carlos Santana's eponymous band, playing on their first eight albums from 1969 through 1974...
(
Octave of the Holy InnocentsOctave of the Holy Innocents is a studio album by Swedish bassist Jonas Hellborg, experimental guitarist Buckethead and drummer Michael Shrieve first released in 1993....
). He also contributed to several movie soundtracks, such as
Johnny MnemonicJohnny Mnemonic is a 1995 cyberpunk film, loosely based on the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson. The title character, a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information, is played by Keanu Reeves. The film portrays Gibson's dystopian view of the future with the world...
and
Mortal KombatMortal Kombat Soundtrack is a compilation album featuring music by different artists to accompany the movie Mortal Kombat.- Album information :...
.
Later, in 1996, Buckethead released his solo album
The Day of the Robot with the help of English producer
DJ Ninj and Laswell, plus another album with
BrainBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
and keyboardist Pete Scaturro on the small Japanese label NTT Records, called
Giant Robot. Both albums were printed only in small quantities and are collectors' items now. A second demo tape by the
Deli CreepsThe Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
was also recorded.
Also in 1996 several Sega Saturn television ads featuring a screaming mask-like face pressing through the blue orb of the Saturn logo was released, with music by Buckethead.
In 1997, Buckethead began working on the album
Buckethead Plays Disney, but the album has not yet been released. According to his Web page:
Also in 1997, Buckethead continued to contribute to movie soundtracks, appearing on
Beverly Hills Ninja and
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation-Tracks :In order by movie appearance#"Theme From Mortal Kombat "##Main title sequence##Liu Kang vs. Shao Kahn#"X-Squad "##Shao Kahn's invasion on Earth...
, the sequel to
Mortal Kombat.
Further releases were Arcana's second and final studio album
Arc of the Testimony-Personnel:*Nicky Skopelitis – guitar*Bill Laswell – bass, synthesizer, production*Tony Williams – drums, production*Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone...
and the one-off project
PiecesPieces is a band consisting of experimental guitarist Buckethead and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia. There is only one album released under this band name, the OOP Japan-only import I Need 5 Minutes Alone ....
, with
BrainBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
. Two live albums by Praxis, called
Transmutation LiveTransmutation Live is a live album compiled from a live Praxis performance in Zurich, Switzerland, in the summer of 1996. Transmutation Live features an incarnation of Bill Laswell's free jazz/rock/hip-hop collective...
and
Live in PolandLive in Poland is the first live album made by the supergroup Praxis, released in 1997.This album contains songs of their last two albums Metatron and Sacrifist, one song from Buckethead's album Giant Robot plus "Tarab" first heard on Nicky Skopelitis' album Ekstasis recorded June 29, 1996.The...
(featuring recordings from European concerts) were also issued.
Death Cube K released an album that year called
Disembodied.
In 1998, Buckethead released
ColmaColma is the fourth studio album by guitarist Buckethead. It was released on March 24, 1998, on CyberOctave records. The album was recorded for Buckethead's mother because she was sick with colon cancer, and he wanted to make an album which she would enjoy listening to while recovering.The title of...
, an album dedicated to his mother, who was sick during this time with colon cancer. The same year saw a compilation album by Praxis called
CollectionCollection is a compilation album by the super-group Praxis, released in 1998 by the label Douglas.This album does not contain any songs from their first album Transmutation and focuses more on the next albums Sacrifist and Metatron .The songs "Maggot Dream" and "Dark Hood" belong to Death Cube...
.
1999–2006: New projects, Guns N' Roses, and public recognition
In 1999, Buckethead released his fifth album, a collaboration with
Les ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
from the band
PrimusPrimus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, entitled
Monsters and Robots- Notes :* The songs "Jowls" and "Scapula" are both re-recorded versions of songs of the same names on Giant Robot .* The song "Night of the Slunk" has a similar riff as "Jump Man", but longer with less distortion....
— currently the best-selling album of his career. This album includes the song "The Ballad of Buckethead," for which his first music video ever was made.
Also in this year, he started three new projects, the first being the band
Cornbugs- Track listing of Cornbugs 2001 "Cemetery Pinch" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2004 "Brain Circus" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2005 "Rest Home for Robots" album :...
, a collaboration with actor
Bill MoseleyWilliam "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
, drummer
PinchfaceMichael Andrew Hakopian, better known as Pinchface is the drummer of the Deli Creeps, Giant Robot II, and the Cornbugs. He has also appeared on numerous Buckethead albums, such as Population Override and Giant Robot . He has also appeared on numerous occasions in Buckethead's Binge Clip Videos...
, and later keyboardist
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
. Another project,
Cobra Strike with an album called
The 13th Scroll, featured Pinchface, Bryan "Brain" Mantia,
DJ DiskDJ Disk is a San Francisco Bay Area turntablist of Panamanian, Colombian, and Nicaraguan descent. Born Luis Quintanilla on October 7, 1970, in San Francisco, Disk began scratching and mixing vinyl at a young age...
, and
Bill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
. Buckethead also recorded with actor
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
, whom he first met through a recording project called
Myth: Dreams of the World in 1996. Together they released
One Man's Meat-Credits:* Brigit* Buckethead* DJ Bonebrake* Exene Cervenka* Travis Dickerson* Adrian Esparza* Lysa Flores* Zak Marmalefsky* Hank Mortensen* Viggo Mortensen* Pilar Perez* Donita Sparks* Recorded live at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica...
,
One Less Thing to Worry About-Credits:*Players:** Ahmed Abdullah** Andy Armer** D.J. Bonebrake** Brigit** Buckethead** Exene Cervenka** Margaret Comer** Travis Dickerson** Danny Krieger** Luck** Duke McVinnie** Henry Mortensen** Viggo Mortensen** Sara P...
, and
The Other Parade-Credits:* Buckethead - guitar, bass, robot, weeping, and shuffling* D. J. Bonebrake - drums, chorus, vibes, ropes, telephone, marimba, and vocals* Exene Cervenka - guitar, chorus, flags, and dog chorus* Brigit - vocals...
. Those releases are quite rare now, but a compilation album called
This, That, and The OtherThis That and The Other is the first compilation album by the actor Viggo Mortensen, released in 2004. The album compiles songs from five of his albums: One Less Thing to Worry About from 1997, One Man's Meat from 1999, The Other Parade from 1999, Pandemoniumfromamerica of 2003, and Please Tomorrow...
was issued in 2004 to compensate for this. A reworked version of
Live in Poland by Praxis, called
WarszawaWarszawa is a live album made by the supergroup Praxis released in 1999 by the label Innerhythmic.The album contains 3 of the most influential members of the supergroup, bassist and producer Bill Laswell, guitarist Buckethead, and drummer Brain...
, plus the soundtrack of the movie
Mighty Morphin Power RangersMighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...
, also came out this year. Furthermore Buckethead offered fans to buy special half hour long "personalized recordings" for a price of $50 each. Buyers could choose content out of several categories.
A third Death Cube K release followed, titled
TunnelTunnel is Buckethead's third album under the name Death Cube K and the first to not feature Bill Laswell. Instead, it is one of the first collaborations of Buckethead and keyboardist Travis Dickerson...
, this time without Laswell but featuring Travis Dickerson instead.
In 2000, Buckethead released the second and last album by
Cobra Strike, called
Cobra Strike II - Y, Y+B, X+Y-Credits:*Cobra Strike:**Buckethead - guitars**SHePz - Bass**Gonervill - beats**O.P. Original Princess - voice**P-Sticks - beats*Recorded at TDRS Music and Buckethead's Coop*Produced by Travis Dickerson and Buckethead...
.
Buckethead achieved a higher public profile as lead guitarist for
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
from 2000 to 2004. He recorded the often-delayed album
Chinese DemocracyChinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
with the band and appeared live on stage in 2001 and 2002, including
Rock in Rio 3,
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's
Video Music Awards, and parts of the
Chinese Democracy TourThe Chinese Democracy Tour is a current worldwide concert tour by hard rock band Guns N' Roses to promote the group's long-delayed album Chinese Democracy....
.
Despite being a member of GN'R, Buckethead released his sixth studio album, called
Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse in 2001, and also his only
EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, called
KFC Skin PilesKFC Skin Piles is the first, and so far only Extended Play released by Buckethead with the help of Extrakd and Bryan "Brain" Mantia featuring quotes, movie samples , guitar shards, and beats. It was made for DJs as a scratch and remix tool, which is why the album was never released on CD...
. He also released two albums with his band
Cornbugs- Track listing of Cornbugs 2001 "Cemetery Pinch" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2004 "Brain Circus" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2005 "Rest Home for Robots" album :...
,
Cemetery Pinch and
How Now Brown CowHow Now Brown Cow is a 2001 studio album by experimental rock band Cornbugs. It was one of their original studio albums and is now out of print. However, the album can be found across their three compilation albums released in 2005 and 2006.-Track listing:...
. He joined two new projects, the first being
ThanatopsisThanatopsis is an American progressive rock band comprising prolific guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Travis Dickerson and drummer Ramy Antoun...
, with Dickerson, releasing
a self-titled-Personnel:*Buckethead – guitars*Travis Dickerson – keyboards, production*Kaedon Rye – drums...
debut album; the other one with Laswell and Japanese producer
Shin TeraiShin Terai is a Japanese musician and producer most known for his work with Bill Laswell and Buckethead. On his albums he combines ambient and electronic music with dub and avant-garde jazz.- Biography :...
, released as
Unison-Personnel:* Bass, Synthesizer, Effects - Bill Laswell* Engineers - Oz Fritz & Robert Musso* Guitar - Buckethead* Guitar, Sitar - Nicky Skopelitis* Ogran, Synthesizer, Clavinet - Bernie Worrell* Voice, Synthesizer, Loops, Beats, Effects - Shin Terai...
.
In 2002, Buckethead released three studio albums:
Funnel Weaver, a collection of 49 short tracks,
Bermuda Triangle, and finally,
Electric Tears, a calming album that is similar to his earlier release,
Colma.
When Laswell was not able to play with Praxis at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival, Les Claypool asked to jam with Brain, Bernie Worrell, and Buckethead, forming a new
supergroupIn the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
called
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie BrainsColonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains was an experimental supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia.-History:...
. The jamband experiment was successful enough to do some further live dates.
Later, in 2003, marking the release of his tenth studio album, Buckethead released the sequel of his debut
BucketheadlandBucketheadland is the debut album by musician Buckethead, released on John Zorn's Japanese record label Avant in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series Giant Robot amongst guitar riffs by Buckethead...
, simply called
Bucketheadland 2. Together with actor
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
, he did
Pandemoniumfromamerica-By Song:* "Den gang jeg drog afsted" - Buckethead , Viggo Mortensen , and Travis Dickerson * "Back to Babylon" - Henry Mortensen , Viggo Mortensen...
, and with
ThanatopsisThanatopsis is an American progressive rock band comprising prolific guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Travis Dickerson and drummer Ramy Antoun...
, its second release, called
Axiology- Personnel :* Buckethead – guitars* Travis Dickerson – keyboards* Ramy Antoun – drums...
.
In March 2004 Buckethead left Guns N Roses, according to his manager, because of Guns' inability to complete an album or tour.
Guns N' Roses' response after Buckethead's departure was as follows:
Since that time, his
cult followingA cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
in the
underground musicUnderground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
communities has steadily increased. He frequently performs at festivals and in clubs nationwide and often tours as the feature performer.
The year 2004 saw the release of three new studio albums:
Island of Lost MindsIsland of Lost Minds is the eleventh studio album by Buckethead, as well as his first tour only album. The album was originally only sold on tour but now widely available through TDRS Music....
, which was his first tour-only album being later re-released by
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
Population OverridePopulation Override is the twelfth studio album by Buckethead, but it could be seen as his first full collaboration with keyboardist Travis Dickerson...
, a blues-rock tour de force with Dickerson; and
The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell, considered his heaviest effort to date. The latter includes "Spokes for the Wheel of Torment," for which Syd Garon and Eric Henry made a music video based on the famous
triptychA triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
s by
Hieronymus Bosch. Buckethead also recorded the final two albums by the
Cornbugs- Track listing of Cornbugs 2001 "Cemetery Pinch" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2004 "Brain Circus" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2005 "Rest Home for Robots" album :...
,
Brain Circus and
Donkey TownDonkey Town is the final studio album by Cornbugs. It is one of their few studio albums still in print, and openly available through Bill Moseley's website.-Track listing:...
as well as another release with
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
called
Please TomorrowPlease Tomorrow is the seventh studio album from the actor Viggo Mortensen and the fifth collaboration with the avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, released in 2004. The album tells the story of a single "long night's journey into day". It is completely instrumental and written by Mortensen except...
and a second with
Shin TeraiShin Terai is a Japanese musician and producer most known for his work with Bill Laswell and Buckethead. On his albums he combines ambient and electronic music with dub and avant-garde jazz.- Biography :...
, entitled
Heaven & Hell-Credits:* Performer - Buckethead, Shin Terai, Nicky Skopelitis, Bernie Worrell* Performer , Mixed By - Bill Laswell, from recording sessions material of Shin Terai's album Unison.-References:...
. C2B3 also released their only album,
The Big Eyeball in the SkyThe Big Eyeball in the Sky is the 2004 album by Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, known by fans as "C2B3", released on Les Claypool's own Prawn Song label.- Reception :Hal Horowitz of Allmusic gave the album an above average review, writing:...
, and toured it in North America.
In an interview with
RevolverRevolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
,
Ozzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
stated that he had offered to have Buckethead play guitar in his band at
OzzfestOzzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
. Ozzy quickly changed his mind after meeting with him, and realizing that Buckethead would not remove his costume to be accepted by Ozzy, said:
2005–2006: Buckethead & Friends
In 2005, Buckethead released an album as "Buckethead & Friends," called
Enter the Chicken-Personnel:* Tracks #1-7, 9-11 Recorded at John Merrick Recorder* Track #8 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Vocals for Tracks #1-4, 6-10 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Produced by Serj Tankian* Engineered, Mixed and Co-Produced by Dan Monti...
, through
Serj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
's record label, Serjical Strike. The album features Tankian himself,
Maximum BobRobert Barnum, better known under his stage name Maximum Bob, is an American musician known for his work as the lead singer and founding member of rock band Deli Creeps and for his singing on various releases related to avant-garde guitarist Buckethead....
(of the
Deli CreepsThe Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
),
Death by StereoDeath by Stereo is a hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1996 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work...
singer Efrem Shulz,
Bad Acid TripBad Acid Trip is an American metal band, currently signed to System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian's record label, Serjical Strike Records. Their 2004 album, Lynch the Weirdo, was produced by Daron Malakian, another System of a Down member. In 2006 they performed on the second stage at the...
, and others. It is marked by its leaning toward more traditional song structures while still featuring typical Buckethead guitar skills. "We Are One" was released as a single and also appeared on the soundtrack of
Masters of HorrorMasters of Horror is the soundtrack accompanying the television series Masters of Horror. Volume 1 sold over 50,000 copies.-Volume 2 Track listing:...
. "Three Fingers" was used for the soundtrack of the horror movie
Saw IISaw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
. The final track, "Nottingham Lace," was first made public via his home page and soon became a concert staple and one of his most popular songs. Buckethead also released two further solo albums in 2005,
KaleidoscalpKaleidoscalp is the fifteenth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. Some of the songs on the album use instruments and effects that have been circuit bent to create sounds quite unlike anything previously heard on Buckethead albums....
and
Inbred MountainInbred Mountain is Buckethead's sixteenth studio album. Previously only sold on tour, the album is now widely available through the label TDRS Music...
— the latter being the first album as a solo artist released on the label
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
. Both albums originally were sold exclusively at concerts and only later got an official release through the label's website.
Also the same year, Buckethead released his first DVD,
Secret RecipeSecret Recipe is a two disc DVD set by musician Buckethead, containing a compilation of video and music clips, photos, artwork and concert footage documenting the guitarist's first 13 years as a performer....
, originally sold only on tour; the only places for other fans (those who either didn't go to a show or who lived abroad) to obtain it were auction sites such as
eBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. Eventually,
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
held a raffle for copies of the DVD on his website. Those who wanted to "win" a copy had to enter their name and e-mail address. When entries were closed, he picked 200 names at random from those who entered, and they were allowed to buy a copy of the DVD from his website. In March 2006, the DVD was finally made widely available.
Also, Buckethead released albums with other bands: with
Cornbugs- Track listing of Cornbugs 2001 "Cemetery Pinch" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2004 "Brain Circus" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2005 "Rest Home for Robots" album :...
, he released two compilation albums, called
Rest Home for Robots and
Skeleton FarmSkeleton Farm marks the second of three compilation albums issued by Cornbugs. It draws into unreleased material, as well as tracks from their out of print albums.- Track listing :...
; he also released (with the band
Deli CreepsThe Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
) their first and only album, called
Dawn of the Deli Creeps. Buckethead also released self-titled album
GorgoneGorgone is a jam project featuring Buckethead, Travis Dickerson and Pinchface. It was recorded during the sessions for Buckethead's album Population Override, but with music not entirely similar to what was featured on that album....
with studio project Gorgone. This album was recorded from one of the recording sessions from the album
Population OverridePopulation Override is the twelfth studio album by Buckethead, but it could be seen as his first full collaboration with keyboardist Travis Dickerson...
that Buckethead released on 2004. The guitarist also released an album with the actor
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
called
Intelligence FailureIntelligence Failure is the eighth studio album of the actor Viggo Mortensen and seventh with the avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, released on 2005. The album combines traditional and original compositions, as well as clips of public speeches, most notably of George W. Bush and members of his...
, and with the band
PraxisPraxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
, released a live album called
ZurichZurich is a live album by Praxis, released in 2005 by the label Innerhythmic. The album is a recording of their performance at the Jazznojazz Festival in Zurich, Switzerland on June 21, 1996. Other selected parts were recorded live at the Knitting Factory, NYC on June 30, 2000.The song...
.
In 2006, the highlight of the year was the cross-console video game
Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
, featuring Buckethead's song "
Jordan"Jordan" is a song by American musician Buckethead. Originally featured as a playable track on the 2006 music video game Guitar Hero II, "Jordan" was officially released as a downloadable single via iTunes on August 18, 2009.-Background:...
" as an unlockable bonus track. Although the song has been performed live in the past, the video game version is the only known studio recording of the song. Also, the live version almost always contains just the verse and chorus of "Jordan"; then goes into another song, usually "Post Office Buddy"; then returns to the verse and chorus of "Jordan." However, the
Guitar Hero II version contains a special solo created specifically for the game. Since late 2007, Buckethead has been known to perform the
Guitar Hero version of "Jordan" within his concerts, including the solo.
Also the same year, Buckethead released two DVDs, entitled
Young Buckethead Vol. 1Young Buckethead Vol. 1 is the second DVD made by the guitarist Buckethead, released in 2006 by Jas Obrecht's label, Avabella.The material from this DVD was cut in half making 2 volumes of the DVD, Vol...
and
Young Buckethead Vol. 2Young Buckethead Vol. 2 is a DVD made by Buckethead and released in 2006 by Jas Obrecht's label, Avabella.Vol. 2 consists of a recompilation of concerts made by Buckethead and the band Deli Creeps, in which Buckethead is part of, just as Buckethead and the Deli Creeps were beginning to play outside...
, featuring rare footage from 1990 and 1991. The DVD also contains three complete
Deli CreepsThe Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
shows, a sound check, backstage footage, and solo footage of just Buckethead. He also released the albums
The Elephant Man's Alarm ClockThe Elephant Man's Alarm Clock is the seventeenth studio album by Buckethead, originally released as his third tour only CD, until it was made available widely through TDRS Music.-Track listing:-Notes:...
and
Crime Slunk Scene-Notes:*Track 1, "King James", is dedicated to basketball player LeBron James.*Track 2, "Gory Head Stump 2006: The Pageant of the Slunks", is a reprise of the song "Hook & Pole Gang" which can be found on Bucketheadland....
, both sold on his tours but later sold on the
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
website. The last album has the song "Soothsayer (Dedicated to Aunt Suzie)"; this song (along with "Jordan" and "Nottingham Lace") is one of his most popular songs and is often played live.
In the same year, Buckethead released his final compilation album with the band
Cornbugs- Track listing of Cornbugs 2001 "Cemetery Pinch" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2004 "Brain Circus" album :- Track listing of Cornbugs 2005 "Rest Home for Robots" album :...
, called
Celebrity PsychosCelebrity Psychos marks the last of three compilation albums issued by Cornbugs. It draws into unreleased material, as well as tracks from their out of print albums.- Track listing :...
. He also released an album with producer, keyboardist, and owner of the label
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
,
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
, called
Chicken Noodles-Credits:*Buckethead - guitars and bowls of soup.*Travis Dickerson - keyboards....
, which was inspired by the track "Cruel Reality of Nature," from the album
Population OverridePopulation Override is the twelfth studio album by Buckethead, but it could be seen as his first full collaboration with keyboardist Travis Dickerson...
. He also released an album with the band
ThanatopsisThanatopsis is an American progressive rock band comprising prolific guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Travis Dickerson and drummer Ramy Antoun...
, called
Anatomize-Personnel:*Buckethead – guitars*Travis Dickerson – keyboards*Ramy Antoun – drums-External links:* at TDRS Music...
.
2007–2009: Continued Solo Work and Michael Jackson Tribute
In 2007, Buckethead released an unprecedented amount of new material. In February, a box set entitled
In Search of TheVol. 4: E-Notes:*Vol. 2, 1 samples the drumbeat to They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!.*Vol. 2, 8 is identical to Vol. 3, 2.*Vol. 4, 4 contains an extended background beatbox session, possibly from Buckethead....
, containing 13 albums of original material, was released. It was handcrafted, numbered, and monogrammed by Buckethead and contained over nine hours of music. A regular solo album, called
Pepper's Ghost, was released in March. A disc of acoustic improvisations called
Acoustic Shards-External links:*...
was also released, becoming the twentieth studio album that the artist had released so far in his solo career. In midyear, he reissued his demo tape
Bucketheadland BlueprintsBucketheadland Blueprints is a demo tape by Buckethead, containing supposed material for his debut album Bucketheadland . It was later re-released, due to popular demand, as both a limited edition and non-limited edition CD....
, with two alternative album covers: a special edition with a hand-drawn cover made by him, or a standard edition with the original cover art. In October, he released his final two albums of the year, called
Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot-External links:*...
and
Cyborg SlunksCyborg Slunks is the twenty-first studio album by Buckethead, released on October 30, 2007. The music features Buckethead accompanied by the "Cyborg Slunk Percussion Ensemble conducted by Albert"....
. The latter again came in both a hand-drawn limited edition and (some weeks later) as a normal CD.
As
Death Cube K, Buckethead released two albums in 2007: an album called
DCKDCK is Buckethead's fourth album under the anagram Death Cube K.The limited edition started on Jul 18 2007 and ended on Aug 24 2007. The non-limited version was available a few days later on Sep 6 2007....
, limited to 400 hand-numbered copies and released in August; and in December, the 5-CD box set
MonolithMonolith is a box set made by avant-garde music composer Buckethead under the name of Death Cube K , released in December 2007 through TDRS Music....
, which consisted of one unbroken track per CD.
During 2007, Buckethead also collaborated and appeared on numerous albums with other artists. The sequel to
Chicken Noodles-Credits:*Buckethead - guitars and bowls of soup.*Travis Dickerson - keyboards....
(a collaboration with
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
), simply called
Chicken Noodles IIChicken Noodles II is a collaborative album by Buckethead and Travis Dickerson, and is the follow-up to 2006's Chicken Noodles album.It features Buckethead on guitar and Travis Dickerson on keyboards, and was released on the 15th of December through tdrsmusic.com.-Track listing:-Credits:*...
, was issued by TDRS in December. A live record by
PraxisPraxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
, entitled
Tennessee 2004Note: Track 8 is derivative of The Interworld And The New Innocence from the Transmutation album-Personnel:* Praxis:** Buckethead - guitars** Bill Laswell - bass** Bryan "Brain" Mantia - drums** Bernie Worrell - keyboards...
; the third album with
Shin TeraiShin Terai is a Japanese musician and producer most known for his work with Bill Laswell and Buckethead. On his albums he combines ambient and electronic music with dub and avant-garde jazz.- Biography :...
, called
Lightyears-Credits:* Guitar - Buckethead* Keyboards - Bernie Worrell* Strings - Karl Berger* Trumpet, Electronics - Nils Petter Molvær* Turntables - DXT* Violin - Lili Haydn* Vocals - Gigi* Voice - Aman Laswell* Programmed By - Shin Terai...
; and another album with drummer
Bryan MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
, called
Kevin's Noodle HouseKevin's Noodle House is an album by Buckethead and Brain, released on the label TDRS Music in October 2007....
, were also released through the year.
Buckethead also created five paintings, each limited to 100 reproductions each and sold through TDRS.
That same year, it was revealed that Buckethead joined a project by the name of
Science FaxtionScience Faxtion is an American experimental metal band that formed in California in 2007. Comprising multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Bootsy Collins, vocalist and guitarist Greg Hampton, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia and DJ Tobe "Tobotius" Donohue , the band has released the...
, a band featuring bassist
Bootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
and drummer
Bryan "Brain" MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
, with
Greg HamptonGreg Hampton is a producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter, who has worked on such albums as Alice Cooper's Along Came a Spider, Tommy Bolin's Whips and Roses, and Lita Ford's Wicked Wonderland. Hampton has also appeared as the member of several groups over the years, including Science Faxtion ,...
supplying lead vocals. Their first album, called
Living on Another Frequency-Notes:* The song "At Any Cost" features parts of the song "Gigan" from the album The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock by Buckethead.* The song "I See Rockets" features parts of the song "Lotus Island" from the album Inbred Mountain by Buckethead.-Personnel:...
, was delayed several times and was finally released in November 2008.
On January 1, 2008, the band
PraxisPraxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
released the long-awaited album
Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)-U.S. Release :-By Song:-General Credits:*Produced and arranged by Bill Laswell*Created at Orange Music Orange, NJ*Engineer: Robert Musso*Assistant: James Dellatacoma*Drums and Amps/Set up: Artie Smith*Mastered at Turtle Tone Studio...
in Japan. The album had actually been recorded in 2005, but had to be put on hold when the original label went bankrupt.
2008 started with the release of
From the Coop-Credits:* Buckethead - Guitar, bass, drum machine* Jas Obrecht - Producer* Ken Hood - Audio engineering* John Edmonds - Original engineer in 1988-Artist bio:...
through the label Avabella (where he released
Acoustic Shards), consisting of the demos Buckethead gave to Jas Obrecht back in 1988. This CD also included the first ever "official" biography of/by the artist. Later that same year, he announced the release of the album called
Albino Slug-Trivia:* The drum track of the song "The Redeem Team" is used on the song "Broken Mirror" from the 2009 album A Real Diamond in the Rough.-Credits:* Buckethead – Guitars and slug decoloration* Dan "Brewer" Monti – Programming & production...
(a tour-only CD until official release on December of the same year). Along with this album, he appeared on the album
The Dragons of EdenThe Dragons of Eden is an album made by guitarist Buckethead, producer and keyboardist Travis Dickerson and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia. It was released September 17, 2008 through Dickerson's label TDRS Music....
, with Dickerson and Mantia, and in collaboration with
That 1 GuyMike Silverman, better known as That 1 Guy, is an American musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band, singing and using a variety of homemade musical instruments.-Early career:...
as the
Frankenstein Brothers, an album called
Bolt on Neck- Credits :* Music by Buckethead and That 1 Guy.* Recorded, mixed, mastered and artwork design by Travis Dickerson....
was released.
That 1 GuyMike Silverman, better known as That 1 Guy, is an American musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band, singing and using a variety of homemade musical instruments.-Early career:...
and Buckethead toured together through fall 2008, playing songs from this album.
Buckethead also appeared in the
documentaryDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
American Music: Off the RecordAmerican Music: Off the Record is a 2008 documentary that features theorists Noam Chomsky and Douglas Rushkoff in an interrogation of the American music industry....
, in which he appears only playing.
Serj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
's label, Serjical Strike, reissued the album
Enter the Chicken-Personnel:* Tracks #1-7, 9-11 Recorded at John Merrick Recorder* Track #8 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Vocals for Tracks #1-4, 6-10 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Produced by Serj Tankian* Engineered, Mixed and Co-Produced by Dan Monti...
with an extra song. Furthermore, Buckethead contributed to one track of actor
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
's album
At AllAt All is the tenth album by the actor Viggo Mortensen, released in 2008. The album was recorded before his last album Time Waits for Everyone of 2007 and released on the label TDRS Music along with his last album....
, and with Travis Dickerson and filmmaker Alix Lambert on the album
Running After DeerRunning After Deer is the first album by filmmaker Alix Lambert and producer Travis Dickerson.It was released in mid August 2008, and was conceived by Lambert with music provided by Dickerson. The album also features the collaborations of Buckethead on guitar, D.J Bonebrake on drums, Paul Eckman on...
.
Buckethead appeared with
Bootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
in Cincinnati,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, to promote the vote for the
United States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
for the organization
Rock the VoteRock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
.
He also joined Collins on
Fallen Soldiers Memorial, an album with proceeds going to the
National Fallen Heroes Foundation.
More than four years after his departure from the band
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
,
Chinese DemocracyChinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
was made available. Buckethead appears on all but two songs and was given writing credits on "Shackler's Revenge" (which appeared in the popular video game
Rock Band 2Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
); "Scraped"; and "Sorry," which features guest singer
Sebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
. The album features eleven of Buckethead's guitar solos.
On December 30, 2008, Buckethead released two new tracks via his website to honor the 24th birthday of basketball player
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
. These tracks were later made available on the album,
Slaughterhouse on the Prairie-Notes:* The drum track of the song "Don't Use Roosts If You Raise Broilers" is used on the song "Open Coffin Jamboree" from the 2009 album Forensic Follies....
which was released a month later through
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
. Then, in May 2009 he released the album
A Real Diamond in the RoughA Real Diamond in the Rough is the twenty-fourth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, announced on April 27, 2009 for a May 1 release through the TDRS Music label...
, and later another album called
Forensic FolliesForensic Follies is the twenty-fifth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, and the sixth album to be originally released on tour, first being sold at Buckethead's May 2009 concerts...
, which was first sold at some of his tour dates but later released on TDRS.
Buckethead released a song entitled "
The Homing BeaconThe Homing Beacon is an acoustic song by Buckethead in tribute to Michael Jackson's death, who was an early influence on Buckethead...
" on his website, along with a drawing of
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
to serve as a tribute to the late singer after he saw the news of his death.
Following the sound of Forensic Follies, in September he released
Needle in a Slunk Stack-Notes:*Track 2, "Interview with the Double Man", is a reference to the song "Revenge of the Double Man", from Monsters and Robots and also contain samples of "Symmetrical Slug" from Albino Slug....
and a month later he released the long awaited album as Death Cube K, called
Torn from Black SpaceTorn from Black Space is Buckethead's sixth album under the anagram Death Cube K, released on October 15, 2009 through Rare Noise Records.-History:The first news about the album came from an interview with drum & bass producer Submerged:...
.
By the end of the year, on November 13,
GibsonGibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
announced a Buckethead signature
Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
. The guitar was part of the series of releases made through the whole month. In December he collaborated on the debut album of
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
(founder of the label TDRS Music where he has released many of his albums to date), called
IconographyIconography is the debut album of the keyboardist Travis Dickerson. Released December 30, 2009 on his label TDRS MusicThe album also features the collaboration of several artist's that have worked with him over the years, including drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist...
.
2010: Break for Illness, Return, & New Albums
On February 5, 2010, Buckethead released an album called
Shadows Between the Sky-Notes:* The song "Walk on the Moon" has a similar riff to The Deli Creeps song "Buried Deep Stays Buried Still".* "Sea Wall" has a similar Melody to "Spell of the Gypsies" From Electric Tears....
and later that month,
GibsonGibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
released the Buckethead Signature
Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
.
On April 29, 2010, Buckethead's Web site was updated with a picture with the message "Greetings from Bucketheadland... Buckethead wants you to know he appreciates your support all these years, it means so much to him. Buckethead is having some animatronic parts replaced, Slip Disc snuck into the park and caused some mayhem." The reference to Slip Disc is a reference to a Bucketheadland nemesis found on the
BucketheadlandBucketheadland is the debut album by musician Buckethead, released on John Zorn's Japanese record label Avant in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series Giant Robot amongst guitar riffs by Buckethead...
album. Bootsy Collins continued to update his Twitter Web site about Buckethead's condition, stating that he had recently gone into therapy for a few months.
Nevertheless, after return from injury, on July 15, 2010, Buckethead, along with Brain and Melissa Reese, has released the first volume out of three 5-CD box sets called
Best RegardsBlue Disc:Green Disc:Yellow Disc:Purple Disc:-Credits:* Buckethead – guitar.* Brain – drums, keyboards.* Melissa Reese - keyboards, percussion.* Art: Buckethead, Brain & Melissa.-References:...
. On August 25, 2010, Buckethead announced his 28th studio album entitled
Spinal ClockSpinal Clock is the twenty-eighth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. The title may refer to Buckethead's back injury in April of 2010, it is his first solo album released since then....
, which showcases his banjo skills. On September 2, 2010, Buckethead released 23 ink drawings that were sold off through TDRS' Web site. A second batch consisting of 67 drawings was released the following week. Along with the drawings, Buckethead auctioned off the three original paintings released in 2007 with two new paintings.
In October, two albums in collaboration with Brain were released, the first called
Brain as HamenoodleBrain as Hamenoodle is an album by Buckethead and Brain, was expected to be released on October 15, 2010 but was released 2 days before the announced date. The album comes in a CD jacket....
, and the second installment of the "Regards" series with Brain and Melissa Reese called,
Kind RegardsKind Regards is a 3-CD set released by Buckethead, Bryan "Brain" Mantia and Melissa Reese. It was slated for release on October 15, 2010 but was released 2 days before the contemplated date. This is also the second volume of the "Regards" collection...
. Eventually, both projects were released on October 13.
In Mid-October
Travis DickersonTravis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
announced via the
TDRS MusicTravis Dickerson Recording Studios Music is a label founded by musician and producer Travis Dickerson. The label is characterized by the way it sells records...
forum, that he has been working on several new projects. One of them turned out to be
Left HangingLeft Hanging is a collaborative album by Buckethead and Travis Dickerson, to be released in December, 2010.The album consists of unreleased tracks from previous sessions by Dickerson and Buckethead and features other musicians, including Pinchface, Ramy Antoun and Bryan "Brain"...
, an album on which Buckethead is collaborating with him. On October 20, Buckethead released a new album entitled
Captain EO's VoyageCaptain EO's Voyage is the twenty-ninth studio album released by guitarist Buckethead. The album's title is a reference to Michael Jackson's movie Captain EO...
first available only on
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. It was later announced that a physical edition will be released on December 1. Eventually, both CD's were released on November 29.
On December 20, Buckethead's Web site was updated with a new song and pictures of
RammellzeeRammellzee was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, hip hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York.-Life and work:...
, a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, hip hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York, with the words "Hero of the Abyss" appearing above the photos. Much speculation had arisen about this new song. It was considered to be a tribute to
RammellzeeRammellzee was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, hip hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York.-Life and work:...
, as the artist died in his birthplace of Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, on June 28, 2010 at the age of 49.
On December 21, Buckethead released a limited-edition album titled
Happy Holidays From Buckethead, with a holiday greeting card included. It was announced that a regular version of the album would be released in or around February. The tribute song Buckethead had done for
RammellzeeRammellzee was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, hip hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York.-Life and work:...
was also included on this release.
2011: New Songs & Buckethead Pikes
Following the release of the
Happy Holidays From Buckethead3 Foot Clearance is the thirtieth studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the third installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series...
. On February 17, Buckethead's webpage had been updated with a new song entitled "Crack the Sky" dedicated to
Blake GriffinBlake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the...
of the
Los Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, with the message "Best of Luck on All-Star Weekend." On March 10, Buckethead's webpage was again updated with a new song entitled "Lebrontron", dedicated to basketball player
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
.
On May 15, Buckethead released his 31st studio album
It's AliveIt's Alive is the thirty-first studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the first installment in the Buckethead Pikes Series. It is named so after the kiosk inside Bucketheadland that sells albums not yet available at the regular store...
, featuring both Lebrontron and Crack the Sky, as well as six all new tracks. This is also the first album to be released under Buckethead's new series of CD's entitled "Buckethead Pikes". Shortly after, on May 20, Buckethead released his 32nd studio album, as well as the second edition in the Buckethead Pikes series entitled
Empty SpaceEmpty Space is the thirty-second studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the second in the Buckethead Pikes Series.The album was originally released via iTunes. The physical edition of the album was released on July 7 as a tour only CD and was available at Buckethead live shows. A worldwide...
via iTunes. It was then sold as a tour only CD on July 7, and finally released to the worldwide public on the Buckethead Pikes website.
On August 17, Buckethead released the long awaited regular edition of the 2010
Untitled album, 3 Foot Clearance via the Buckethead Pikes website. Along with this, Buckethead released 2 new CD's entitled
Underground ChamberUnderground Chamber is the thirty-third studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fourth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series....
and
Look Up ThereLook Up There is the thirty-fourth studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fifth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series.The album was announced and released alongside two other installments in the Buckethead Pikes series, the first being 3 Foot Clearance , the other being Underground...
. Both being the fourth and fifth installments of the Buckethead Pikes series.
On October 18, Buckethead was featured on Lawson Rollins new album, entitled "Elevation" on the tracks "Slow Ascent," and "Ghosts of Alcazar."
Influences
Buckethead cites a wide variety of musical influences, including
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
,
Meat PuppetsThe Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
,
Parliament-FunkadelicParliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
,
Shawn LaneShawn Lane was an American musician. Although piano was his first instrument, he quickly became a noted player in underground guitar circles and joined Black Oak Arkansas when he was just fourteen years old....
,
Michael SchenkerMichael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
, Uli Jon Roth,
Paul GilbertPaul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Eddie HazelEdward Earl "Eddie" Hazel was a guitarist in early funk music in the United States who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic...
,
Randy RhoadsRandall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
,
Larry LaLondeLarry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
,
Mike PattonMichael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
,
Louis JohnsonLouis Johnson is an American bass guitarist.Johnson is best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and '80s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller...
,
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
,
Jennifer BattenJennifer Batten is an American guitarist, who has worked as both a session musician and solo artist. She has released three studio albums: her 1992 debut, Above Below and Beyond, was produced by former Stevie Wonder guitarist Michael Sembello. In 1997, she released the worldbeat-influenced Jennifer...
,
The ResidentsThe Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
,
Eddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
and
Angus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, as well as the many artists he has collaborated with over the years. In addition to his musical influences, Buckethead cites a diverse range of non-musical influences including basketball players
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
,
George GervinGeorge "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
,
Blake GriffinBlake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the...
and
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, martial artist and actor
Bruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
, and numerous
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and
horrorHorror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
TV shows and movies including
Giant Robo, is a manga and tokusatsu series created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It is similar to his famous Tetsujin 28-go , though Giant Robo has more fantastic elements....
t.
Current projects
- On August 17, 2011, Buckethead released the regular edition of the 2010 Untitled album, entitled 3 Foot Clearance. As well as his 33rd and 34th studio albums, Underground Chamber
Underground Chamber is the thirty-third studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fourth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series....
, and Look Up ThereLook Up There is the thirty-fourth studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fifth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series.The album was announced and released alongside two other installments in the Buckethead Pikes series, the first being 3 Foot Clearance , the other being Underground...
.
- On October 18, 2011, Buckethead was featured on Lawson Rollins
Lawson Rollins is an American guitarist and composer from North Carolina noted for his lightning-fast speed solos, virtuoso fingerstyle technique, and melodic compositional skills featured in his recordings...
new album, entitled "Elevation".
- On September 26, 2011, actor Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
released a new collaboration with Buckethead entitled ReunionReunion is the tenth album by actor Viggo Mortensen and guitarist Buckethead, released in September 2011.The album is dedicated to Tracy Thielen who died in 2006. She used to produce several of Mortensen albums.-Track listing:-Credits:...
.
Guitars
- Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul
- Gibson
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
SST
- Gibson
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
1969 Les Paul Custom
- Custom built Jackson
__FORCETOC__Jackson is a renowned brand of electric guitar that bears the name of its founder, Grover Jackson.-Early years:Grover Jackson obtained ownership in Charvel's Guitar Repair of Glendora, California in the 1970s with a promise to bolster Charvel's business...
Doubleneck
- Custom built Jackson Y2KV
The King V is an electric guitar made by Jackson Guitars based on the Gibson Flying V. The Jackson King V was originally designed for Robbin Crosby of Ratt and he popularized the guitar throughout the 80s. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine eventually became the guitarist most identified with using...
- Vigier
-History:1978: Patrice Vigier sets up as an independent luthier.1980: Exhibits at his first music show in Paris introducing the Arpege series and the following: A/ Trapezoid through body neck B/ Metallic reinforcement under the fretboard...
Excess Indus 4-String Bass
- ESP M-II
ESP M-II is a guitar model offered by ESP. It belongs to the category of guitars referred to colloquially as "Super Strats," which refers to any guitar drawing heavily upon the Fender Stratocaster design. Modifications to the original Stratocaster design usually enhance playability...
- Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
Rocket Roll II
Effects
- BOSS
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-7 Digital Delay
- BOSS
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
NS-2 Noise Suppressor
- DigiTech Whammy II
- VOX V847 Wah
- Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
Micro Synthesizer
- MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
Phase 100
Amplifiers
- Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier head
- Mesa Stiletto Deuce II head
- Marshall JVM410H head
- Bogner Uberschall head
- Peavey 5150 head
- Matt Wells 17½-watt head wired through a Harry Kolbe 4x12 cab
Discography
Studio albums
- 1992: Bucketheadland
Bucketheadland is the debut album by musician Buckethead, released on John Zorn's Japanese record label Avant in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series Giant Robot amongst guitar riffs by Buckethead...
- 1994: Giant Robot
- 1996: The Day of the Robot
- 1998: Colma
Colma is the fourth studio album by guitarist Buckethead. It was released on March 24, 1998, on CyberOctave records. The album was recorded for Buckethead's mother because she was sick with colon cancer, and he wanted to make an album which she would enjoy listening to while recovering.The title of...
- 1999: Monsters and Robots
- Notes :* The songs "Jowls" and "Scapula" are both re-recorded versions of songs of the same names on Giant Robot .* The song "Night of the Slunk" has a similar riff as "Jump Man", but longer with less distortion....
- 2001: Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse
- 2002: Funnel Weaver
- 2002: Bermuda Triangle
- 2002: Electric Tears
- 2003: Bucketheadland 2
- 2004: Island of Lost Minds
Island of Lost Minds is the eleventh studio album by Buckethead, as well as his first tour only album. The album was originally only sold on tour but now widely available through TDRS Music....
- 2004: Population Override
Population Override is the twelfth studio album by Buckethead, but it could be seen as his first full collaboration with keyboardist Travis Dickerson...
- 2004: The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell
- 2005: Enter the Chicken
-Personnel:* Tracks #1-7, 9-11 Recorded at John Merrick Recorder* Track #8 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Vocals for Tracks #1-4, 6-10 Recorded at the Serjical Strike Dungeons* Produced by Serj Tankian* Engineered, Mixed and Co-Produced by Dan Monti...
- 2005: Kaleidoscalp
Kaleidoscalp is the fifteenth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. Some of the songs on the album use instruments and effects that have been circuit bent to create sounds quite unlike anything previously heard on Buckethead albums....
- 2005: Inbred Mountain
Inbred Mountain is Buckethead's sixteenth studio album. Previously only sold on tour, the album is now widely available through the label TDRS Music...
- 2006: The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock
The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock is the seventeenth studio album by Buckethead, originally released as his third tour only CD, until it was made available widely through TDRS Music.-Track listing:-Notes:...
- 2006: Crime Slunk Scene
-Notes:*Track 1, "King James", is dedicated to basketball player LeBron James.*Track 2, "Gory Head Stump 2006: The Pageant of the Slunks", is a reprise of the song "Hook & Pole Gang" which can be found on Bucketheadland....
- 2007: Pepper's Ghost
- 2007: Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot
-External links:*...
- 2007: Cyborg Slunks
Cyborg Slunks is the twenty-first studio album by Buckethead, released on October 30, 2007. The music features Buckethead accompanied by the "Cyborg Slunk Percussion Ensemble conducted by Albert"....
- 2008: Albino Slug
-Trivia:* The drum track of the song "The Redeem Team" is used on the song "Broken Mirror" from the 2009 album A Real Diamond in the Rough.-Credits:* Buckethead – Guitars and slug decoloration* Dan "Brewer" Monti – Programming & production...
- 2009: Slaughterhouse on the Prairie
-Notes:* The drum track of the song "Don't Use Roosts If You Raise Broilers" is used on the song "Open Coffin Jamboree" from the 2009 album Forensic Follies....
- 2009: A Real Diamond in the Rough
A Real Diamond in the Rough is the twenty-fourth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, announced on April 27, 2009 for a May 1 release through the TDRS Music label...
- 2009: Forensic Follies
Forensic Follies is the twenty-fifth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, and the sixth album to be originally released on tour, first being sold at Buckethead's May 2009 concerts...
- 2009: Needle in a Slunk Stack
-Notes:*Track 2, "Interview with the Double Man", is a reference to the song "Revenge of the Double Man", from Monsters and Robots and also contain samples of "Symmetrical Slug" from Albino Slug....
- 2010: Shadows Between the Sky
-Notes:* The song "Walk on the Moon" has a similar riff to The Deli Creeps song "Buried Deep Stays Buried Still".* "Sea Wall" has a similar Melody to "Spell of the Gypsies" From Electric Tears....
- 2010: Spinal Clock
Spinal Clock is the twenty-eighth studio album by avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. The title may refer to Buckethead's back injury in April of 2010, it is his first solo album released since then....
- 2010: Captain Eo's Voyage
Captain EO's Voyage is the twenty-ninth studio album released by guitarist Buckethead. The album's title is a reference to Michael Jackson's movie Captain EO...
Special releases
- 2007: In Search of The
Vol. 4: E-Notes:*Vol. 2, 1 samples the drumbeat to They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!.*Vol. 2, 8 is identical to Vol. 3, 2.*Vol. 4, 4 contains an extended background beatbox session, possibly from Buckethead....
- 2007: Acoustic Shards
-External links:*...
- 2007: Bucketheadland Blueprints
Bucketheadland Blueprints is a demo tape by Buckethead, containing supposed material for his debut album Bucketheadland . It was later re-released, due to popular demand, as both a limited edition and non-limited edition CD....
- 2008: From the Coop
-Credits:* Buckethead - Guitar, bass, drum machine* Jas Obrecht - Producer* Ken Hood - Audio engineering* John Edmonds - Original engineer in 1988-Artist bio:...
EP's
- 2001: KFC Skin Piles
KFC Skin Piles is the first, and so far only Extended Play released by Buckethead with the help of Extrakd and Bryan "Brain" Mantia featuring quotes, movie samples , guitar shards, and beats. It was made for DJs as a scratch and remix tool, which is why the album was never released on CD...
Buckethead Pikes
- 2011: It's Alive
- 2011: Empty Space
Empty Space is the thirty-second studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the second in the Buckethead Pikes Series.The album was originally released via iTunes. The physical edition of the album was released on July 7 as a tour only CD and was available at Buckethead live shows. A worldwide...
- 2010: 3 Foot Clearance
- 2011: Underground Chamber
Underground Chamber is the thirty-third studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fourth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series....
- 2011: Look Up There
Look Up There is the thirty-fourth studio album by guitarist Buckethead, and the fifth installment of the Buckethead Pikes Series.The album was announced and released alongside two other installments in the Buckethead Pikes series, the first being 3 Foot Clearance , the other being Underground...
Buckethead's bands
Note: As well as being a solo artist since 1992, Buckethead often releases albums as
Death Cube K. He has used this name as an alias since 1994 (he used it most recently in 2009).
With artists
Current
- with Lawson Rollins
Lawson Rollins is an American guitarist and composer from North Carolina noted for his lightning-fast speed solos, virtuoso fingerstyle technique, and melodic compositional skills featured in his recordings...
(2011)
- with Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
(1999, 2003–2005, 2008–present)
- with Travis Dickerson
Travis Dickerson is an American musician and producer, best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRSmusic, a recording studio with its own record label that has recorded and released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola...
(2004–present)
- with Brain
Bryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
(2007–present)
Former
- with Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Mattias IA Eklundh and Buckethead....
and Michael ShrieveMichael Shrieve is an American drummer, percussionist, and later, an electronic music composer. He is best known as the drummer in Carlos Santana's eponymous band, playing on their first eight albums from 1969 through 1974...
(1995)
- with Limbomaniacs (1990)
- with Deli Creeps
The Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, currently Daniel Monti...
(1990–2003)
- with Giant Robot (1996)
- with Giant Robot II (1996–1998)
- with Buckethead's Giant Robot (2004, 2005–2006)
- with DJ Disk
DJ Disk is a San Francisco Bay Area turntablist of Panamanian, Colombian, and Nicaraguan descent. Born Luis Quintanilla on October 7, 1970, in San Francisco, Disk began scratching and mixing vinyl at a young age...
(1996–2001)
- with El Stew (1999)
- with Praxis (band)
Praxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
(1992–2011)
- with Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
(1998–1999)
- with Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains was an experimental supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia.-History:...
(2003–2004)
- with Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
(2000–2004)
External links