Beyond the pail

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OSCAR Levant famously said: "There's a fine line between genius and insanity."

And although he was referring to himself being committed to a mental hospital, that infamous line is without doubt the one straddled by Buckethead, a man that dribbing oddball Ozzy Osbourne deemed too wierd to be in his band - although Buckethead did manage to get into Guns 'N' Roses.

Enter The Chicken, a reissue from 2005 available for the first time in the UK, sees Buckethead - a mysterious creature with a Joe Satriani, Steve Vai level of guitar-playing ability and a KFC bucket on his head - reigning in his experimental tendancies showcased on his 17 previous releases, and everything he's done since.

Instead here Buckethead welcomes guests including System Of A Down's Serj Tankian, Iranian singer Azam Ali and spoken word rapper Saul Williams on an 12-track album ranging from Evanescance-esque ballads to ear-shredding guitar exhibitions.

And it's finger pickin' good.