Review Summary: Another great disc, featuring some really excellent songs.
Dismantling 'In Search of The...'
Volume III
Now that I've submitted 2 previous reviews for the In Search Of The set, you should know what it is. However, here's another recap for those of you that have no idea what's going on and are shaking your heads in dismay: 'In Search Of The' was a boxset released by Buckethead in 2007. It features all new music; 13 CDs to be exact. This is the third disc from the set and one of the more interesting ones in the set. There's an almost 15-minute funk jam, some ambiance, rock, and more. This disc contains some great tunes. So, let's get started.
The first song is the beastly
Funkaslunk. Clocking in at almost 15 minutes, this is not a short song by any means. A lot of people dislike this song because the drumbeat remains basically the same for the whole song (a bass-snare-bass-snare beat). I actually like this beat and I think that it adds structure to the song. I wish that there was some bass or another instrument in the background though. The guitar jam overtop is solid and enjoyable though. This is a cool funk jam. Then comes
Down A Darkened Hallway. And... what? This is exactly the same song as
Memories Of Forgotten Dreams from the Volume II, but 2 seconds longer. I think that there must have been a glitch there or something. That's annoying, but there were worse songs that could have been duplicated across separate volumes.
And then comes one of the best songs from the whole set.
Slow Shifting Highway is a very smooth and groovy rock song. It makes you feel good inside. The bass and drums are perfect here and the guitar is great. Just a bit funky, with a rock-edge to it. This song is awesome and one of the signature songs of the set for sure. The bridge is also a great breakdown- slow and melodic.
A Dead Brain's Pulse is just plain weird. It is mostly ambient, but at the end in comes a weird guitar riff overtop a funky drum beat. This is one of the weaker songs from the volume. It would be good background music for something, but to just listen to it leaves a lot to be desired.
Listening Device kind of starts off where the last song left off, but quickly establishes its own identity with some crazy Buckethead soloing, and a weird da-da sound. Then comes some ambiance and more amazing guitar soloing. This soloing carries over to the next part of the song- a very cool drumbeat with some keyboard (I think) overtop. This song is great- a real rollercoaster ride through genres.
Wormhole Collapse is the final song from the album. It is a more rock-oriented jam, but the funk is still there in the wah effect on Buckethead's guitar and the style of playing. The drumbeat is definitely more rock-ish and the choruses bring back the rock. A solid song with some interesting guitar playing parts, but it does drag slightly towards the end. Luckily, the energetic choruses and stellar guitar playing make up for this quickly, making this song one of the highlights from the volume.
Overall, I'd say that Volume III is a strong volume- not the best, but near the top in terms of quality.
A Dead Brain's Pulse goes on for too long though, and since
Down A Darkened Hallway is exactly the same as
Memories of Forgotten Dreams from Volume II I had to take some points off.
Slow Shifting Highway,
Listening Device,
Funkaslunk, and
Wormhole Collapse are all excellent tracks though. Check this disc out!
