That was a deliberate understatement. This is god-tier stuff right here, one of post-metal's best albums is one of its first ones.

Yeah, I mean the songs are very simple in terms of structure, but the atmosphere and wall of sound created through those thick, sludgy guitars really make it sound like you're deep in the ocean, just dreaming.

Jan Garbarek - The Picture

A sax tone as grim and frostbitten as any second wave black metal player (if not nearly as loud).

Oh absolutely. It immerses you into this all-consuming, gentle and constantly evolving soundscape. It takes you on a journey through your own mind. It's beautiful.

Have you listened to the rest of their albums?

I gave Oceanic a listen after Panopticon, and it seems similar but to me lacks the same progressive and fuzzy nature of the latter, being a bit heavier and, well, sludgier. It is a bit weaker than the latter for its heaviness and relative lack of melody to what would follow, because it doesn't carry the same atmosphere and magic. Still a great album though; just not perfect. These two appear to be their most popular so I've only checked these ones out.

I don't like Oceanic nearly as much as Panopticon. You're right on the money about it. It may be sludgier, but it is missing the vibrant aura of Panopticon, and it is not even close to being as memorable as what would follow. Many consider it to be their very best or second best album, but to me, it is their second worst after In The Absence Of Truth. It's still a good effort, but it could have been a bit better. Definitely check out Celestial and Wavering Radiant. The former is earth-shattering in its heaviness, and the latter focuses more on harmony and expands on the dream-like atmosphere of Panopticon.

Immolation - Kingdom Of Conspiracy

Good god, Ross Dolan still sounds like an absolute behemoth. His growl is bloody violent! I was a little sceptical about blindly buying this album, but I love Immolation, so I thought "why not?". I'm not disappointed one bit, just like I expected. Crystal clear production, and quality songwriting. An underrated effort, if I say so myself.

Ghost - Absolution

My god, this song is amazing. This was the highlight of their set when I saw them in April outside of Cirice.

P.L.F. - Klaxon Of Puzzlement

So obsessed with Gulf Coast grind lately.

You guys are really about to kick off another Isis kick for me after reading that, I remember hearing Panopticon for the first time and damn was that an experience.

NP: Yes - Tales from the Topographic Oceans

love everything in this album so far, might be my new favorite from Yes.

ALCATRAZZ
The first band of Yngwie Malmsteem
Old fashioned heavy metal/ hard rock,
some good guitar moments.

That is one hell of an album. Extremely weighty experience, four 20 minute songs is no small deal. Yes really dug into a sort of experimental niche that was really interesting. Even as a huge Yes fan, that album still shows me new ways to look at music - although, it's not one of my favorites from them. Still damn good stuff.

Immolation - Dawn of Possession

Whaaa.... my world has been turned upside down. This rips. So hard.

High On Fire-Blessed Black Wings. I really need to get more of their stuff its excellent

Unearth - The Oncoming Storm

Holy fuck this album just became one of my most favorite metalcore records ever

Yeah it was quite an adventure listening to the whole thing, worth it though and i'll have to revisit it again soon

NP: Worship - Last Tape Before Doomsday

was quite surprised by this one when I first played it, not sure what I was expecting out of it but i didn't expect it to be this good

Dreamtale — Memories of Time

Oh yes this is sugary as fuck!

Toxik - 'Pain and Misery'

The first half of this groove-bomb pretty much knocks this otherwise spectacular album out of the charts for me. A shame; the rest slays hard.

Dream Theater- The Mirror

I don't care what the metal community says, Dream Theater are great. This track is the shit, this album is the shit, this band is the shit (most of the time)

Agreed, doesn't matter how much I get into obscure grimy ass death metal, classic Dream Theater still kills.

Anyhoo, Forsaken's "Kindred Veil" off of Anima Mundi (2004). Kinda wish they kept the keyboards.

Brocas Helm - Drink and Drive

"Crushing down the motorway six pack by my side
You know I really need it girl, it keeps me alive
I've got old number 7 in the back seat,
For good measure"

Never has breaking the law sounded so goddamn fun

Sodom - Tribute to Moby Dick, true to its name, this song has whale sounds littered all throughout the track while the band lays some heavy handed riffs. Were they somewhat using the whale sounds as vocals? For me, it's a waste of a track. They could've added real vocals on it to make it a proper tune. As it is, it's more like an instrumental with whale background vocals.

Satanic Warmaster - Silent Call of Moon's Temples

Pretty epic! Could do without the narration, however brief. I've been enjoying Fimbulwinter and Lux Satanae quite a bit.

Thrawsunblat - "In Mist We Walk"

Finally bought the CD through Bandcamp and got the mp3 download to go with. So I'm listening to the entire album again just after listening to its entirety on Youtube. Album of the year for me thus far.

Praxis - Profanation

This is cool. Experimental... everything, really, thrown into a big melting pot to make a fairly fucked up whole. Great while sleep deprived; that's for sure.

Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance

Holy shit, John Arch still sounds amazing. It's like The Spectre Within all over again. I think he would sound better if Matheos' riffs were more similar to Fates Warning's early heavy/power metal style. This is still magnificent progressive metal. I still prefer Theories Of Flight so far.

You can go ahead and consider yourself a Bucketbot if you'd like, discovering Praxis (and actually liking it!) is a sign of digging deep into the world of Buckethead. Cool stuff, and some of the best avant-garde you'll find. Try finding other bands that combine metal, funk, techno, hip-hop, and experimental stuff like that - they are rather unique, to say the least. If, for some reason, you're interested in checking another album from them, give Transmutation a go.

Naah, I need to listen to everything he's ever recorded to be a bucketbot... you false.

Well, in that case, I have to give up my title! I've heard the majority of his stuff, but not all! I have to catch up on a few Praxis, a few Death Cube K, and some of his other weird stuff, and about 60-ish out of the 250+ Pikes and I'll have heard all of his material. If you count Thanatopsis, then I still need to hear some of that too.

I can't help but feel that if he slowed down a bit with his output then more people would appreciate his work. I'd have checked out Buckethead the day I found his work on here (so like, over a year ago now) if it wasn't for his millionty-billion releases.

The Bernie Brains isn't that great though. Then again it is basically Primus so yeah.

Onward - The Lost Side of the World

Great power metal, but the production of this album is a disgrace. I'm sick of shitty-sounding metal. Many other non-mainstream genres get good, even great productions as a matter of course. Metal recording engineers are lazy, metal guitarists don't seem to give a shit about setting up their amp so their sound gels with the rest of the band, and the fans don't even seem to care. Productions like late '80s Overkill or modern Opeth shouldn't be some unattainable apex of sonic perfection, they should be standard.

Currently he's on tour (got to see him wooohooo) so he hasn't put anything out in a long time, I actually hope he does a full length in the vein of prepike stuff soon! But I think you're right. I've been a fan since before the first Pike came out, so I was able to keep up with them until about #150 which is when I kinda stopped. There's like a gap in between 150 and 208 in which I've only heard a few. Once you're hooked though, it's a totally wild and awesome journey. There's so much stuff to listen to, and in my opinion, the majority of it is awesome, so being a Buckethead fan rocks. Buckethead represents everything I love in a musician, and I can say with ease that he's my favorite musician on the planet.

Bernie Brains is an acquired taste just like Primus is, but I'm guilty of being a MASSIVE Primus fan, so

Well even the fans think Primus sucks so you're wrong for liking them

Insomnium - Above the Weeping World

Oi, Dark Tranquillity? This is how you do lead-happy melodeath.

I could listen to Bernie Brains if they threw out Buckethead and replaced him with a shredder with an actual sense of phrasing and melody who can work with a band instead of being a giant gimmick. I hate Buckethead more than just about any guitar player in the world. Even the washed-up, roided-out robot that John Petrucci has become could do a better job.

So you're saying Buckethead has no sense of phrasing and melody? I mean, I get that you dislike Buckethead, which is fine, it's also totally absurd and unhealthy, but you're wrong in saying he has no sense of phrasing or melody. I don't think you've heard much of his stuff if you're saying that about him. Buckethead's sense of melody is honestly the best I've ever heard, few guitarists I've heard can match him. Can I ask what you've heard from him? He originally was famous for his experimental/avant-garde stuff so maybe that's what you're associating him with. Check out the famous solo at the end of Hold Me Forever or the solo from "The Closed Triptych". His calmer soloing is also just mesmerizing. The fact that you'd say such words against Big B like that shows you have no idea what you're talking about.

Even as a fairly casual fan of his work, to say that he has no phrasing or melody as a guitarist seems to be a bit silly. Even if you hate his shredding, riffing and experimental material there still remains the question of his moody ambient work. Pike 150 is to these ears, a sublime and exquisitely crafted album comprised of 30 minutes of nothing but highly emotional and melodic guitar work. And there's more like that, I can say that much.

Man I can't think of anything more boring than people like Buckethead, sorry guys but good god does his music get on my nerves.

NP: Qulielfi - Forgetter

Got rec'd this by a friend, not sure what I'm getting into. I do have a soft spot for extremely lofi black metal vocals, this sounds like Wrest back on the Tenth Sub Level.

This shit bores me to death. Noodle noodle noodle noodle noodle noodle. Even when he tries melodic soloing instead of straight shredding, he's extremely predictable and plays with little sensitivity.

If you want a real guitar god, I'll refer you to Al Di Meola, 1993-era John Petrucci, Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, André Corbin, André Olbrich, and Terry Gorle.

Has Buckethead ever pulled his weight in a group improv session? To paraphrase an infamous meme, bro, do you even jam?

Allan Holdsworth rules so much, but John Mclaughlin though.

Bone Awl - Worship of the Cloven Holocaust
Magnetism of War (2002)

Oh, yes, John McLaughlin is an amazing player as well. And on that note...

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Lila's Dance