by Morgan Ryman
Puscifer’s debut album, V is for Vagina, marks the solo debut of prog-rock deity Maynard James Keenan, and as he has stated repeatedly, this is his playground. While it may not be the most accessible album Maynard has put out in his established career, it certainly has its fun moments, though, they are very slow. The album is very thick and vaguely psychedelic, but maintains a level of activity. Maynard trades in the screaming of Tool for deeper, throatier vocals that truly sound like a new product. The closest Maynard gets to sounding like its past is on the track “The Undertaker,” which sounds like it would be perfectly at home on an A Perfect Circle record.
The band has been slowly forming since its inception on the mid-nineties cult hit Mr. Show with Bob and David, and the sound of a long drag comes through for much of the record. Those looking for a new Tool or A Perfect Circle album should direct their attention to the bands MySpace, which states: “CHECK YOUR OVER INFLATED EXPECTATIONS AT THE DOOR.” This is merely the playground of one of the most bizarre front men in recent music history. This is pretty much an album for strict followers of the church of Maynardism.
November 9, 2007
Entertainment