Maynard James Keenan, Musical Genius

[Rowsdower!]

Anyone pick up the new Puscifer album? If you haven't heard it, you really need to do yourself a favor and listen to it start to finish a few hundred times. IMO, it trumps all of the previous Puscifer material, as well as the last couple efforts from A Perfect Circle. And that's not taking anything away from that stuff (it was great too). Just proof that not only is Maynard James Keenan one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of this or any era, but also a true genius who gets better with age.

I would put Conditions of My Parole up there with the very best of Maynard's material, which for me includes Tool's Aenima and 10,000 Days and APC's Mer De Noms. It's hard to pick favorites, but right now the songs on this new album that stand out to me the most are Toma, Oceans, Green Valley and the title track.

 

[Lasirius]

I've always been a huge fan of A Perfect Circle and I'm familiar with what Tool does but never really got into it like I did with APC. I've heard about the existence of Puscifer but haven't even listened to a single song, is it more in the vein of APC or Tool?

 

[Moridin]

Anyone pick up the new Puscifer album?

Yes, I have indeed. Really great album. Also agreed, it's easily the best Puscifer release. Right now I'm much more interested in Puscifer than APC, but I'd take Tool over both.

I've always been a huge fan of A Perfect Circle and I'm familiar with what Tool does but never really got into it like I did with APC. I've heard about the existence of Puscifer but haven't even listened to a single song, is it more in the vain of APC or Tool?

Eh, there's a few tracks on the new album that are slightly APC-ish, but generally it is it's own thing. You should check it out.
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The rest of the songs are in the related videos, if you're interested.

Tracklisting:

Spoiler

Tiny Monsters
Green Valley
Monsoons
Telling Ghosts
Horizons
Man Overboard
Toma
The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
Conditions of My Parole
The Weaver
Oceans
Tumbleweed

 

[Rowsdower!]

I've always been a huge fan of A Perfect Circle and I'm familiar with what Tool does but never really got into it like I did with APC. I've heard about the existence of Puscifer but haven't even listened to a single song, is it more in the vain of APC or Tool?

Yeah, I would agree that Puscifer is its own identity, but I would say the new album is more in the vein of APC. In some ways it feels like the album I've been waiting for Maynard to make since the first APC album. Very atmospheric... Maynard & Co. pull you into their own world that is fun, creepy, sadistic and beautiful all at the same time.

Also, Moridin... awesome avatar!

 

[.Rorschach.]

I love MJK but more so than him I love ROWSDOWER! Great character:]Nice username

 

[Lasirius]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm really loving what I've heard so far.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I love MJK but more so than him I love ROWSDOWER! Great character:]Nice username

...and the cops pick up their Zap Rowsdower hotline! t:

Yeah, Rowsdower is the best worst character of all time. You just can't help but watch The Final Sacrifice and think, "Seriously?! THIS is the best concept of a hero they could come up with?!"

And that's why it's so awesome. Rowsdower is the superhero that all superheroes should never aspire to be.

You know, I saw an interview with the guy who played him and he said that he initially auditioned for the role of Pipper because Rowsdower was written differently in the original script (presumably more of a traditional action hero, I guess) but the director decided he was a better fit for Rowsdower and changed the character to suit him. And the rest is history.

 

[moviedoors]

I didn't know Puscifer had a new album out. I'll have to check that out.

That said, I grow slightly weary of the Maynard worship, just because his main band, Tool, is a band in the true sense of the word. No one of those four guys is more important than the next, and as much as I love A Perfect Circle, and like Puscifer, they aren't one for the ages like Tool. Tool is the group where Maynard does his best work, he's only a 1/4 of the reason why they are one the greatest bands to ever grace a stage or a recording studio.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Oh, I totally agree with you there... Tool wouldn't be Tool without the other members. Well, to be fair, they did change bassists after Undertow and remained awesome, but still. Maynard isn't the only member of the band, you're right.

Still though, I have to give the guy credit for making exceptional music with two other side projects, in addition to his main band. I have no doubt that Tapeworm would have been amazing as well, given how good Maynard's collaborations with Reznor turned out (Passive, Potions).

 

[moviedoors]

Well, to be fair, they did change bassists after Undertow and remained awesome, but still.

They stopped being awesome and became one of the greats when they got Justin. Maynards solo work is great compared to Tool's first two, but you get to a masterpiece like Lateralus, and it just doesn't compare.

How great must it be to be Maynard? I damn him with faint praise in a manner which still worships the ground he walks on.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, seriously. I really wish Maynard and Trent would give Tapeworm another try. There might be some bad blood there, I'm not sure. And maybe the material they produced really wasn't that great but I think they should try it again. I'd bet anything it would be a lot better than How to Destroy Angels.

 

[moviedoors]

Hey, I like How to Destroy Angels. Like, not love, but I'm want to hear more material for sure. They're a young band and Fur-Lined was a flat-out great song, and the rest of their EP wasn't too shabby either. I hold Reznor in higher regard than Maynard, if that's possible. That guy has a song writing sensibility that speaks to me more immediately than any other songwriter I've ever heard.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I love Reznor too, but I wasn't wild about HTDA. It wasn't bad, but his wife's vocals don't have the same intensity that his do. I also think some of NIN's recent work hasn't been up to par with his older stuff.

However, I do respect him very much, possibly more than Maynard but I go back and forth on that. I suppose as an overall musician, I hold Trent in a higher regard. But Maynard clearly trumps him as a vocalist and occasionally as a lyricist.

 

[moviedoors]

I also think some of NIN's recent work hasn't been up to par with his older stuff.

I couldn't disagree more. Ghosts is my favorite NIN album, and I played the ever living **** out of The Slip. My only complaint was it was it was too damn short. I prefer Fragile and beyond Reznor to Fragile and before.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Too each his own. But Ghosts put me to sleep at a few points and The Slip I just couldn't get into all that much for some reason. The Downward Spiral is in my top 5 albums of all time though, followed closely by The Fragile. Broken, With Teeth and Year Zero are also awesome. For some reason I've never been as wild about Pretty Hate Machine though... although Sin is one of my favorite NIN songs.

 

[Matt Mortem]

I am a HUGE Maynard fan. I'm from the Verde Valley where Maynard lives and have met him twice around town. My house was about 9 miles from his. It's kind of funny actually, on the new Puscifer album track #2 talks about the majesty of the Verde River and having spent many a weekend at the Verde River I can say for sure there is no majesty lol. It is an amazing album though.

 

[Rowsdower!]

LOL, well ya never know. He might have just been using the name for as a metaphor for something else. Only Maynard knows the truth...

 

[Matt Mortem]

True enough. The Verde Valley as a whole is a very pretty place and the scenery is amazing, but if you start inspecting it too closely it's not that spectacular.