Mixing metallic guitar heroics with funk, hip-hop, electronica, and a cinematic soundtrack feel, Buckethead's Monsters and Robots is yet another eclectic opus inspired in large part by low-budget monster/horror, martial arts, and science fiction movies, especially those of Japan. Like any Buckethead album, the music does meander in spots, but this outing does improve on its predecessor Colma by employing a variety of guest bassists; Primus' Les Claypool (as well as drummer Brain), Bootsy Collins, and Bill Laswell all enliven the music's rhythmic underpinnings in ways that Buckethead's own bass playing on Colma didn't. Plus, the contributions of guest DJs Phonosycograph Disk, DJ Eddie Def, and Xtrakd are inventive and stimulating, complementing rather than confusing the musical mix. It may not be completely consistent, but Monsters and Robots offers more than enough musical derangement to satisfy.