Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse

AMG Review of Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse

Victor W. Valdivia
All Music Guide

For Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse, Buckethead incorporated the electronic and echno influences that had been used in his more echno-friendly releases. "You Like This Face" and "Pin Bones & Poultry" both sport intricate synthesizer textures and dance-friendly beats alongside Buckethead's trademark rapid-fire guitar solos. "My Sheetz," by contrast, is a much more ambient dance track, relying on spacy, occasionally tinny synths and devoid of guitar solos. However, the album does occasionally lapse into self-indulgence, such as on "Day of the Ulcer," a formless mess of guitar solos, ambient synths, and trudging, ham-fisted rhythms that seems interminable. Still, some experiments are successful, such as "Burlap Curtain" and "Knockingun," which sound like disturbing soundtrack music from a futuristic horror movie. This may not be Buckethead's most friendly or accessible release -- Monsters & Robots is a better introduction -- but longtime fans will not be disappointed with Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse.