Maynard James Keenan recently shared his thoughts on the best albums from each of his three bands, Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.
In a new interview with Rick Beato, Keenan talked about his creative process, his views on longevity in music, and what he believes are the standout records from his long career.
For Tool, Keenan chose ‘Lateralus’ as the band’s best album. “There’s just a balance to it,” he explained. “There’s some sonics attached to ‘Ænima’ — that’s a very popular one of our albums. But I feel like ‘Lateralus,’ there was some things happening with that that were unexpected.”
When asked about A Perfect Circle, Keenan picked ‘Thirteenth Step’ as their best work. “I think part of the new album, the first half of the new album ‘Eat The Elephant,’ I feel like was there. But overall, I would think that ‘Thirteenth Step’ is probably the one.”
He noted that parts of their latest record —especially the first half— had strong qualities, but it didn’t surpass ‘Thirteenth Step’ in his opinion.
For Puscifer, Keenan named ‘Existential Reckoning’ as their most representative album. “Because we kind of had found our way to this,” he said, revealing why he chose it.”It’s an eccentric album. It’s definitely a sonic landscape. It’s a soundtrack more than it is an album. And I feel like, for what Puscifer is, that kind of is a good intro into the eccentric nature of Puscifer.”
He also added that many fans enjoy ‘Conditions Of My Parole.’ “I think a lot of people respond to ‘Conditions Of My Parole‘ because it has more song-songs on it,” he said. “But I think ‘Existential Reckoning‘ has like the more landscape, cinematic approach that I think is more the core of what Puscifer is.”
Keenan also had some exciting news for Puscifer fans.
The band is currently working on their fifth album, and it is planned for release later in 2025. According to what Keenan told Beato, the album is 90% written, and the band is about to begin tracking the parts. Contributors include drummers Gunnar Olsen and Sarah Jones, guitarist/bassist Mat Mitchell, vocalist Carina Round, and bassist Greg Edwards.
In the same interview, Keenan reflected on his long career and his approach to staying active in music. Having turned 60 last April, he joked about not retiring anytime soon, saying, “Mick Jagger’s still touring, so no excuses.”
Fans will have a chance to see Keenan perform live this spring during the next leg of the Sessanta tour, which begins on April 24, 2025, in Palm Springs, California.
Sessanta tour celebrates Keenan’s 60th birthday and features A Perfect Circle, Primus, and Puscifer performing together each night. The tour will include collaborative performances, with all three bands sharing the stage and musicians. Stops include major cities across the United States and Canada, and the final show is scheduled for June 7 in Auburn, Washington.
