Gackt

Pike #296: Ghouls of the Graves https://music.bucketheadpikes.com/album/ghouls-of-the-graves-2

Classic intro has a much better and more satisfying build until the first verse hits, in my opinion; new intro is kinda awkward with the fake-out intro and schoolbell, but I dig the riff going into the verse. New version could work better for shows, but the original packs more punch.

The more I listen to it, the less I'm into it; the production is terrible to say the least, there's way more negative additions/revisions than positive ones, and the execution for releasing the song is as bad as anyone could expect. Should sound great live though!

Worked for me. You gotta specifically search "hard skool" on Spotify's browser.

Chinese Democracy returns now

I don't see him talking with any GNR alumni recently, even Izzy & Steven.

The credits in the booklet for Chinese seem reliable, but the quick rundown is: Chinese Democracy (guitar, 2nd solo through the outro) Shackler's Revenge (writing & arrangement, guitar) Better (guitar, 2nd solo) Street of Dreams (guitar, 2nd solo) If The World (guitars, all solos, acoustic guitar) There Was a Time (guitar, 2nd solo) Catcher in the Rye (absent) Scraped (writing & arrangement, guitar, 2nd solo) Riad N' The Bedouins (guitar, 2nd solo) Sorry (writing & arrangement, guitar, all solos) I.R.S. (guitar, 2nd solo) Madagascar (guitar, all solos) This I Love (absent) Prostitute (guitar, all solos) The leaks can't have certainty, but Bucket appears to have done the 2nd solo in songs like Hardschool and Quicksong.

I had a dream that Bucket finally gave pikes 43 & 78 titles & artwork; what a crazy dream Bucket's been really "off the grid" all summer, I've been concerned if everything's been alright in Bucketheadland. A three month gap in pikes in non-tour season (the live albums don't count) feels really unusual; the only thing popping up from time to time is some drawings and paintings.

Well hello there

Here's your perfect storm to create a Guns N' Roses album made for the 2020's; blend together the old sound of Axl, Slash & Duff with the Bucket, Brain & Melissa songwriting camp to create an evolved GNR that'll blow people away. Absurd was just the beginning.

Key word, still

Boomers are still shaking with anger that their favorite band dare tries something new and interesting.

Fucking awesome. Apparently Brain is credited for the drums also, glad to see he's still a member of the GNR family.

Chinese Democracy 2 is now

With how quickly Absurd popped up as a song performance (a very good performance) without even a high-profile rehearsal that we're aware of, Hardskool feels inevitably soon. The band's got the song locked-in, background video done, only thing missing in the recent rehearsal was Axl. If the song isn't performed within the next month, I can confidently say it's because they're holding it for promoting a proper studio single.