On the Surface

Puscifer is a band created by Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer in bands A Perfect Circle and Tool. Other permanent members besides Keenan are Matt Mitchell and Carina Round. Puscifer debuted in the early 2000s and is still active in making music today, their most recent album being, Existential Reckoning. Puscifer is very different from Keenan's other bands. This music is for more of a personal musing, putting together, blending more self-reflection and "sophomoric humor." One thing I like about Keenan's songwriting is how different the perspective can be. He can flip on you from song to song, forcing you to think about what he is trying to say, sometimes nothing. He can give you a piece about a drunk with hallucinations (Conditions of My Parole). And then, a song is about humanity trying to come to terms with the fact that they can't conquer everything but must come together to truly succeed (The Humbling River). It is definitely not for everyone; if I were to describe them to someone who had no idea who they were, they are significantly outside the box, weird (but in a good way), and entertaining to watch live. Their live presence is terrific. You can tell there is a lot of hard work put into their sets, and the videos prepared between breaks they play are entertaining to watch. Many Tool and A Perfect Circle fans will know this about Keenan. Still, he does not allow any recordings or pictures during his concerts. It is a huge deal; you will be taken out of the facility if caught doing so. As I have said, Puscifer is more of a personal outlet for Keenan which some people may not like since it isn't explicitly made for the people but for himself. And that is why I enjoy the idea of all of it so much, and the music overall is well-made and has unique sounds I haven't heard before.