Review Summary: This album shows what is possible when the right artists come together and fuse many elements from different musical genres. The product is dark, perverse and riveting.
Puscifer is a side project of
Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenan. Upon first listen of this group, and I do put emphasis on group because they aren't really a "band", one would not expect Maynard to be the one spitting out such lines as "This lady's got the thickness, can I get a witness". They might even lose respect for the man that has written some of the greatest progressive metal songs ever written, like Schism and The Pot. Although, upon deeper inspection, you may find that the artistry that Maynard displayed with Tool is very much alive in Puscifer.
Most of the tracks on this album are heavily electronic dependent. Sure there is still guitar, drums and a bass, but even the instruments seem to be processed through some sort of electronic device in order to give them an eerie feel. "Queen B" is the only track that seems somewhat like a normal rock song and even that is a stretch. "DoZo" and "Momma Sed" both have a very western sounding guitar playing throughout but are very different in other aspects. "Momma Sed" is a more serious tune with Maynard singing, in a very deep voice, about the things his mother said to him about a tough breakup, while "DoZo" seems to be comical and about nothing more than sex, which is a reacurring theme on this album. Which brings me to the best track on the album, "Vagina Mine". Basically this song is a heavy drum beat with Maynard singing some thought-inspiring lyrics over the sound of someone breathing in and out heavily.
"Drunk With Power" is a decent track and quite interesting because Maynard sounds as if he is drunk when he is singing and "The Undertaker" is also decent but can get quite annoying because the repeated beat. The same goes for "Indigo Children", it is a heavy electronic beat with Maynard singing about, well, Indigo Children. The remaining three tracks, "Trekka", "Sour Grapes", and "Rev. 22:20", are all some of the best this album has to offer. "Trekka" has a nice military march beat, "Sour Grapes" shows off Maynard's preaching ability, and "Rev. 22:20" just has sacrilege written all over it.
The craftsmenship that went into this album cannot be comprehended through words, this album is something that must be listened to in order to be truly appreciated. Puscifer is one of the few groups that actually do not fit into a musical genre. They are really just a combination of everything good that rock, experimental, industrial, and even pop, has to offer. This album is one that nobody could ever be disappointed by after having listened to it.
Standout Tracks:
Vagina Mine
Momma Sed
Trekka
Rev. 22:20
