Tool,Puscifer and all other Maynard related projects

[Panache]

Well I searched for an active Tool thread and I found a really old thread(like 5 years old) and that's it. So I decided I would make a new thread covering all 3 bands led by Maynard James Keenan.

Here are some quick synopsises borrowed by wikipedia(beacuse I'm lazy...)

[QUOTE=Tool]Tool is an American rock band, formed during 1990 in Los Angeles, California, that consists of drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan.

Emerging with a heavy metal sound on their first release, when the genre was dominated by thrash metal, they were later seen at the top of the alternative metal movement with the release of their second full-length studio album Ænima in 1996. After an ongoing evolution of their sound and continuous efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution on Lateralus (2001), their most recent album 10,000 Days (2006), as well as respective tours, they are generally described as a style-transgressing act and part of progressive and art rock.

Relatively long and complex releases, controversial song lyrics and cover art, and their unorthodox music videos resulted in a rather ambivalent relationship between the band and today's music industry,[1] at times marked by censorship, and the bandmembers' insistence on privacy.[2] Nevertheless, Tool receives critical acclaim, has won Grammy Awards, performs worldwide tours, and produces albums that top the charts in several countries.[3] Between album releases, the band takes extended breaks that allow for collaboration with other artists to design award-winning album packaging, elaborate light shows and involvement in notable side-projects. Tool has done live collaborations with artists such as Serj Tankian of System of a Down and Kirk Hammet of Metallica.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=A Perfect Circle]A Perfect Circle (often referred to as APC) was an alternative rock supergroup, formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel. Howerdel had worked as a guitar tech for bands such as Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Fishbone and Tool. He played demos of his music to Tool's singer, Maynard James Keenan, who offered himself as vocalist should Howerdel ever form a band. Howerdel was initially hesitant about this as he originally wanted a female vocalist, but eventually agreed and A Perfect Circle was formed in 1999. To distinguish himself from his persona with Tool, Keenan wore long wigs on his otherwise bald scalp for all of A Perfect Circle's music videos, photo shoots and live performances.

Maynard, when asked at a news conference, stated that the name " A Perfect Circle" originates from the friendships of the band members, all of them met one another in a way resembling "a perfect circle of friendship." The band's latest line-up featured Jeordie White (formerly of Marilyn Manson) on bass, James Iha (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins) on guitar, and prolific session drummer Josh Freese.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Puscifer]Puscifer (IPA: [ˈpusəfɚ][1']) is a side project of Maynard James Keenan from Tool and A Perfect Circle. Only two songs and one remix have been released to date, all on film soundtracks.[/quote]


Now I think all of these groups led by Maynard James Keenan ARE AMAZING. I personally don't think there has been anything close to touching what these people have done musically. They also have made some of the best music videos period.
So what do you guys think? Do you like any of these bands? Have you even heard of them?

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I don't like Tool, I've never heard of Puscifer, and a Perfect crlce is alright.

[B]Tool [/B]- I don't like most of their music, becasuse have't much of them. I've heard a few songs at my sister's house, and they were good, it's just not my thing. But they do have a good sound, don't get me wrong. I just don't take the time to listen to them more to form a good review.

[B]Puscifer [/B]- Never heard of it.

[B]A perfect Circle[/B] - I ahven't heard enough to make a thought out of them, but these guys are really good. I happen to like the remake of [B]John Lennon's [/B][B]'Imagine' [/B]whcih was epic in my books.[/COLOR]

[Panache]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]
[B]A perfect Circle[/B] - I ahven't heard enough to make a thought out of them, but these guys are really good. I happen to like the remake of [B]John Lennon's [/B][B]'Imagine' [/B]whcih was epic in my books.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
Personally I prefer the perfect circle version. There is more emotion in the voice.

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]There is more emotion in metal then there is in rap, and cuntry. Mostly because rap music is about gilrs, rims, and bling; which hardly needs emotion to write. Country is most old lovey dovey songs, songs about hardships, and songs about crappy country-side morals. Where metal and Rock has tons of subjects I've seen. Love, death, breakup, murder, confusion, drugs and alchohol, darkness, and a bunch of other subjects I won't babble on about. But, I'm just being stereoypical of rap and country.

I heard the version that Blake Lewis sung on American Idol, and I quickly noticed the song when they said "Imagine all the people."[/COLOR]

[Panache]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]There is more emotion in metal then there is in rap, and cuntry. Mostly because rap music is about gilrs, rims, and bling; which hardly needs emotion to write. Country is most old lovey dovey songs, songs about hardships, and songs about crappy country-side morals. Where metal and Rock has tons of subjects I've seen. Love, death, breakup, murder, confusion, drugs and alchohol, darkness, and a bunch of other subjects I won't babble on about. But, I'm just being stereoypical of rap and country.

I heard the version that Blake Lewis sung on American Idol, and I quickly noticed the song when they said "Imagine all the people."[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

...Eh? Let's not steryotype rap and country. There is a lot of deep stuff out there from both gernes. Also tool does not fall under Metal. I don't care what anybody says. They are NOT metal(ask any metal head!).

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I meant rock music. I forgot to put before Metal.[/COLOR]

[Jakehammaren]

[quote name='Avenged666fold']...Eh? Let's not steryotype rap and country. There is a lot of deep stuff out there from both gernes. Also tool does not fall under Metal. I don't care what anybody says. They are NOT metal(ask any metal head!).[/QUOTE]

Thank you. I'm surprised to see that you are knowledgeable about such things, based on your screen name (if it is indeed an Avenged Sevenfold reference), but either way, it's good to see that someone got to it before I did.

I actually lol'd a bit at the whole "Tool used to be thrash metal" thing... whoever wrote that very, very obviously has never heard thrash before. Ever.

As for Tool, I do indeed enjoy their music. They used to be my all-time favorite band, back around the time Lateralus had just been released, but I've grown out of it since. The thing about Tool is that they're not nearly as deep as I think a lot of their fans would like to believe. And many of their 'deep' songs are actually just about sex (which I think is awesome, because the band themselves know that their duping a large portion of their fanbase).

A Perfect Circle is pretty good as well, and have produced their fair share of interesting songs.

Puscifer isn't actually a band - it was just the name under which Maynard and his cohorts released the couple of songs they did for the Underworld soundtrack.

[Panache]

[QUOTE]Thank you. I'm surprised to see that you are knowledgeable about such things, based on your screen name (if it is indeed an Avenged Sevenfold reference), but either way, it's good to see that someone got to it before I did. [/QUOTE]
You know how some people regret tattoos after they get them at some point? Thats what this screen name is a regretted tattoo.

[QUOTE]I actually lol'd a bit at the whole "Tool used to be thrash metal" thing... whoever wrote that very, very obviously has never heard thrash before. Ever.[/QUOTE]I question their understanding of music in general.



[QUOTE]As for Tool, I do indeed enjoy their music. They used to be my all-time favorite band, back around the time Lateralus had just been released, but I've grown out of it since. The thing about Tool is that they're not nearly as deep as I think a lot of their fans would like to believe. And many of their 'deep' songs are actually just about sex (which I think is awesome, because the band themselves know that their duping a large portion of their fanbase).[/QUOTE] Indeed. They have pretty simple songs actually(lyrically...). Someone told me they thought prison sex was about abortion...some people.


[QUOTE]A Perfect Circle is pretty good as well, and have produced their fair share of interesting songs.[/QUOTE]Indeed.

[QUOTE]Puscifer isn't actually a band - it was just the name under which Maynard and his cohorts released the couple of songs they did for the Underworld soundtrack[/QUOTE]Meh They show up as a band on my ipod so I consider them a band...they are more of a clothing brand though.

[vegeta rocker]

I would consider Puscifer a band since they are planning to release an actual album in October.

As for how long the current project lasts with Maynard I have no idea. I honestly am not too fond of the music.

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][B]Prison Sex [/B]is a good song. It's one of the only [B]Tool [/B]songs I've ever heard. Wal-mart has a few of their CD's. But the thing that makes wal-mart's music ****** is the fact that they edit content out. When I heard they had a song called [B]Jambi[/B], I laughed a bit at first. But as before, it is one of the only Tool songs I've ahard, and it's good. Looking at information about Tool on the net I must say, they have some long songs.

P.S. Avenged666fold you can request a name change btw. Not all tatoos are permanent.[/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]Tool[/B] is one of my favorite bands, and one of the ones that got me into music as a whole.

[B]Lateralus[/B] is easily what I would consider their magnum opus, being comprosed almost solely of maasterppieces or just otherwise great material. [B]Parabola[/B], [B]Schism[/B], and [B]Lateralus[/B] are my personal favorites, but there isn't a song on the album I dislike.

[B]AEnima[/B] s also an amazing disk, though there are certain songs I find more boring (Namely [B]Jimmy[/B]. Never liked that song). Jake, I always find their lyrics to deep, even when I know they're about sex. Stinkfist I always likened more to masturrbation, but still, it's a deep and meaningful song IMO. Besides, the band stresses personal interpretation, no?

[B]Undertow[/B] is pretty cool. A few of the songs sound too much alike in my opinion, but it's also got great sngs like Bottom - the epitomy of rage in my opinion. similar to ths is the EP Opiate which I also thought as excellent.

[B]10,000 Days[/B] is by far my least favorite of their albums, and every time I listen I like it less and less. It's just so... gaudy and unfun.

EDIT: I forgot to mention [B]A Perfect Circle[/B]. I bought one of their albums a while back. The one that's red with the gold rings on it. I've never been able to pay attention the whole way through. I hate it. I've tried it out once every so often to see if my opinion changes, but it never does. I consider it the worst album in my collection.[/COLOR]

[Panache]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]
[B]Undertow[/B] is pretty cool. A few of the songs sound too much alike in my opinion, but it's also got great sngs like Bottom - the epitomy of rage in my opinion. similar to ths is the EP Opiate which I also thought as excellent.
[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

You didn't mention Disghustipated...that is by far the funniest song from them EVER! "They have a consciousness!"

About Bottom...I never really liked that one too much. The talking right in the middle(although it has a purpose) kinda takes me out of the mood.

[Annie]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]

EDIT: I forgot to mention [B]A Perfect Circle[/B]. I bought one of their albums a while back. The one that's red with the gold rings on it. I've never been able to pay attention the whole way through. I hate it. I've tried it out once every so often to see if my opinion changes, but it never does. I consider it the worst album in my collection.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=darkslateblue]That album is called [b]eMotive[/b], and is my least favorite of A Perfect Circle's. The whole album is basically a compilation of anti-war/government related songs, and miscellaneous songs which couldn't really fit into [b]The Thirteenth Step[/b] or [b]Mer De Noms[/b] (which is my favorite album). It wasn't smooth. It felt, to me and I'm sure many other fans, as if the band rushed this album out on to the shelves. Sad, because that was their last album...so far. I'm really hoping they'll pull something together.

Anyway, Tool is another favorite. I can acutally say that I love A Perfect Circle first before Tool. Don't get me wrong, Tool is really great; but I didn't fall in love. I see this as Maynard's more aggressive/angry/violent side. This is the band that I listen to when I get angry, and I just need that medium to vent.

A Perfect Circle, as I see it, is more spiritual, fanciful, soul-empowring, and dare I say hypnotizing. When I listen to APC, my mind completely disconnects, and I've found more inspiration listening to them than I have with any other band. I'm so terribly disappointed that they haven't come out with anything new.

Which leads me to Puscifer...

I had no idea about Puscifer, and I normally keep up with bands and their projects [if I really like the band, that is]. Joe (Silpheed) actually asked me if I had heard Puscifer, and sent me the song that was on the Underwold 2 soundtrack, "Undertaker". I did a little research, and found out that it wasn't 'technically' a band, but Maynard's side project while he's not touring with Tool. And yes, Puscifer is going to be releasing more music in October...and I'm very excited. I instantly fell in love with Puscifer. The music is darker, sexier (not in the 'sexy' way Tool is), a little gothic-like, and provocative. It's all Maynard's ideas that don't play well with others (Tool and A Perfect Circle); ideas that are a tad rough and scary for those bands.

I'm very excited to see what Puscifer will do. So, all around, I love Maynard James Keenan, and anything he does, really. He's a genius, with a painfully sexy voice. For the record,I say he has the sexiest voice in music. No one can change my mind.

I'm glad someone brought these bands to light. I love talking about, and learning new things about, any of these bands.[/size][/color]

[Panache]

[quote name='Athena'][size=1][color=darkslateblue]

Anyway, Tool is another favorite. I can acutally say that I love A Perfect Circle first before Tool. Don't get me wrong, Tool is really great; but I didn't fall in love. I see this as Maynard's more aggressive/angry/violent side. This is the band that I listen to when I get angry, and I just need that medium to vent.

A Perfect Circle, as I see it, is more spiritual, fanciful, soul-empowring, and dare I say hypnotizing. When I listen to APC, my mind completely disconnects, and I've found more inspiration listening to them than I have with any other band. I'm so terribly disappointed that they haven't come out with anything new.
[/size][/color][/QUOTE]

Tool doesn't really sound angry to me...when I think of angry I think of things like Slipknot,N.W.A,and Pantera. Tool comes off as very melodic. Hell the only songs I see as "Angry" are AEnima and Bottom. Everything else seems to have a cynical or comical tone.

[Annie]

[quote name='Avenged666fold']Tool doesn't really sound angry to me...when I think of angry I think of things like Slipknot,N.W.A,and Pantera. Tool comes off as very melodic. Hell the only songs I see as "Angry" are AEnima and Bottom. Everything else seems to have a cynical or comical tone.[/QUOTE]

[color=darkslatelbue][size=1]Matter of taste and opinions, of course. Pantera, Slipknot, Hatebreed, so on and so forth, are undoubtedly angry and way more aggressive. Lot of yelling and screaming and anger-filled lyrics, yeah, I'll agree.

However, my point was that Tool, in comparison to all the other bands/projects Maynard is involved in, had a harder, 'angry' sound to the music. Whatev', that's how I feel about Tool. Like I said, they're great, but I'm not head-over-heels for them.[/size][/color]

[vegeta rocker]

About Tool sounding angry, Maynard and the rest of Tool can sound angry with their lyrics and not have to scream and jump around like they are having seizures.

Its intense and emotional and a deeper feeling than anything Slipknot ever did.

[Panache]

[quote name='vegeta rocker']About Tool sounding angry, Maynard and the rest of Tool can sound angry with their lyrics and not have to scream and jump around like they are having seizures.

Its intense and emotional and a deeper feeling than anything Slipknot ever did.[/QUOTE]
I disagree. I personally think Slipknot has more raw emotion in their lyrics and sound. Tool seems to be exploring it more than feeling it. But like Athena said it's a matter of opinion.