Bootsy Collins, Buckethead & Victor Wooten Drop a Funk-Metal Explosion with “Metal Health”
Back in April, the unlikely duo of funk pioneer Bootsy Collins and shred master Buckethead announced that they were collaborating on an album. Now, we’re getting a first glimpse of the collaboration, and they even brought in another bass phenom to fill it out.
“In this wild & wacky world we livin’ in, sometimes you gotta float away on a Funkadelic frequency, baby!” Collins wrote on Facebook. “Me & my space-brother Buckethead joined forces for the very first time to bring you a dose of that ‘Metal Health’ (ft. [Victor Wooten]) — a sonic spaceship built to heal your funky soul! This one comes straight from the heart. Let’s rise above the madness, one cosmic note at a time. Stay strong, stay strange, and stay FUNKY, baba!”
The track is decidedly more metal than funk, as distorted guitars and double kick drum dominate the soundscape. “Metal Health” is primarily instrumental with punctuations by Collins’ catchphrases. Give it a listen:
Although Collins wrote that it’s their first time joining forces, he and Buckethead have recorded together in the past. Collins produced the guitarist’s 1992 debut album, Bucketheadland, and also appeared 1999’s Monsters and Robots.
“Metal Health” is streaming now on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more. We’ll keep you updated as more from this collaboration becomes available.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Buckethead and Bootsy played on the first Praxis album.
“Hey Buckethead, what’s in the bucket?”