On Disc

PUSCIFER

V is for Vagina
Puscifer Entertainment

OK, Maynard, I stayed with you through the transgendered years and Tool's recent non-involvement concert concept; your duet with Deftones singer Chino Moreno had its man-on-man moments; and A Perfect Circle's mediocrity was at least tolerable until that industrial-sludge cover of “Imagine.” But what is Puscifer exactly? Is this some Jungian exercise in projecting your unconscious Suck in order to purge its negative influence on your Ego? Mustering the intestinal fortitude to open an album titled V is for Vagina in hopes that the voice of Tool will deliver something at least worthy of his undeniable talents, it pains me to report that Maynard James Keenan's first solo effort is a monumental disappointment. Monotonous and uninspired, songs like “Queen B” and “Dozo” aren't even camp enough to be laughable. Most songs barely catch a groove, and then hang on for dear life while Keenan mutters the same awkward phrases over and over. Only the lurching piano figures on “Drunk With Power” and “Rev. 22:20 (dry martini mix)” offer anything of interest, aside from when Keenan finally remembers that he has a vocal range on the latter. If this is a joke, I'm still waiting for the punchline.

CHRIS BILTON

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