There’s a new interview with Maynard on the Phoenix New Times this morning, mostly related to Puscifer, Money Shot and Winemaking, but as is usually the case, offers a few thoughts from Maynard on Tool. Before I give you my opinion on what I think it’s all about, here’s the text from the article related to Tool:
You’d think Keenan hates Tool. In fact, his reputation as a recluse comes largely from his stubborn refusal to answer questions about Tool, including the undying question: “When’s the next Tool album coming out?” New Times pointed out to him that he seems freer to express his less serious side in Puscifer, as critics and fans tend to view his other projects more seriously.
“It’s weird. It shouldn’t be,” Keenan says. “I mean, this one’s named dick, this one’s named vagina. That’s the start there, okay?”
He acknowledges that there was indeed humor in the Tool albums. But as with any time he’s asked about Tool, his answers quickly become curt. A hint of exasperation creeps into his voice and he exhales heavily through his nose.
“Yeah, it’s there,” he says. “But people miss it because they’re so focused on the other bullshit.”
He shakes his head.
“It’s lost. Insufferable people . . . It’s just ridiculous, retards. I’m sorry. Can’t help them. Way too serious. Too much. Lighten up.”
Did he have to corral the other band members to play this one show in 2015?
“No, they had to con me into it.”
Deftones is also playing the festival. Are we going to hear “Passenger,” the Deftones song featuring Keenan guesting on vocals? Keenan hasn’t performed it live in more than a decade.
He shakes his head vigorously.
Then the million-dollar question: When’s the next Tool album coming out?
“There’s nothing to say,” he says. “I can’t.”
For insufferable, humourless Tool fans, this seems like it’s a simple kick in the nuts. I think it’s not quite what it seems. The problem with interviews published on websites is that some much of the nuances of communication are lost as they are transcribed from sound to text. Maynard tells fans to “lighten up” and then in the next sentence says he was conned into playing with Tool. Everyone seems to immediately assume he’s being serious – personally, I’m not so sure. Maybe I’m just naive.
Reading reactions from Tool fans here on Fourtheye, Facebook, Reddit and all over the net, it’s almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. Maynard says Tool fans are insufferable, overly serious people, and the next minute the internet is full of them complaining about Maynard’s attitude to Tool. Maynard has a history of being dismissive of Tool fans, so today’s revelations should really be no surprise to any of us.
The full interview can be found on the Phoenix New Times website. It’s a shame that what is a good interview is going to only be discussed because of the small section dedicated to Tool.
Tool fans have their panties in bunch over this? But they ARE insufferable.
Hellboy, thank you for hosting and maintaining this site. I’m glad I can keep up with what is (isn’t) going on in the world of Tool while minimizing my exposure to most “serious” Tool fans.
Devil’s advocate: Maynard could stand to “lighten up” too.
100% agree!
I don’t see why people is upset…why do you think he is talking about you? or even how do you know he isn’t joking… remember he has a particular sense of humor… also… why would you even care if he hates you?… We are supposed to be fans because of the music and his art not the way he talks to the media…
just saying….
…btw i still want my new tool album. 🙂
To me the whole point of Tool has been to focus on the music, not the people.
I appreciate the band members’ musical talents but I don’t understand any fixation on their personal lives & opinions (nor the penchant for dissecting lyrics to death).
I’ll bet the fans he most often encounters are the ‘insufferable’ ones.
Yep we all know the tool fans he’s talking about…umm all of them.
More to the point; why no Passenger duet? Is it because your voice is shit now? What a insufferable retard…I mean come on lightn up and do something many fans might actually enjoy.
He’s sick of being asked about tool when he’s focused on promoting Puscifer, I don’t blame him really. As for being referred to as the R word for being a fan, I’d much rather be an insufferable tool fan than a fan of Katy Perry or some other flavor of the week bubblegum B.S. artist.
The funny thing about the use of the word retard, is that it’s likely every one of us agrees – there are plenty of insufferable, retarded Tool fans.
Could this be what finally pushes maynerd over the edge… Is he somewhere foaming at the mouth and convulsing in a lonely corner?
The entire act of being a Tool fan IS comedy in and of itself…think about it – you couldn’t make up fandom this absurd! My next favorite band after Tool is Clutch, and after reading this statement from their guitarist Tim Sult earlier today, this interview with MJK became even more hilarious – “It has been absolutely amazing and truly life affirming to read all of your messages. We are all very grateful for the positive response you have given Psychic Warfare. Thank you all so much. I will be communicating with Clutch fans there now and I’m always happy… Read more »
lol. i found it funny to be honest. retards. haha I agree with a lot of you guys he also needs too ”lighten up”. i think he has chip on his shoulder cause all people think he ever did was tool. thats what his book is about. why does he need to justify that anyway. Tool was amazing at one time. i still love them but its not the same and hasnt been for a good while now. lighten up dude! 🙂
Long time lurker, first time poster. To ways to look at this. I agree with that. But I have firmly decided I have had enough of supporting this douchebag. Puscifer has gone downhill (latest album is just crud and uninspired). Feels like a cash grab. I feel like Maynard is old and jaded. I have friends who met him backstage or in passing (one instance was on the way to the bus) and said he was a complete and utter pr!ck This jerkoff has absolutely forgotten who and what has brought him to this point: the dedication of the band… Read more »
Sorry for the loss of your friend’s ability to tweet at Puscifer.
Lol. Definitely not broken up about it.
Ok man.
*two*…not ‘to’.
Thank you! I saw that a little too late. My bad!
i didnt say the part about the book properly but there is def some of this ”im not just the tool guy” going on with it. of course its not everything but he basically said that about all that. i dont get it. Tool is why most know him. whats he so wigged out about ? bad pun? wig,wiggy
“Maynard’s a dick”
You people are being so 1990’s…
I’m going out on a limb here and I’ll say none of us know Maynard in the slightest. He’s careful about that, about separating real life from his artistic work. He’s also got a lot of stuff going on in his life, even at the ripe old age of 50, he’s still working hard on a Caduceus and Puscifer, as well as the new biography. I’m sure he’s doing more stuff, namely being a father and husband. My point is, who cares if he’s pissy about Tool fans? I’m a fan of the music because it’s solid music, I’m not… Read more »
They flat-out treat their fans like shit, just the way it is. The ‘retard’ out there trespassing on Maynard’s property in the desert is no help, buttery shitbits like re-releasing Opiate again in the middle of writing a new album are no help, and Blair’s deliberate misinformation is certainly no help. This album, movie, collectible line of action figures, whatever it is they’ve been working on for all this time better be fucking grrrrrrreat. Tony out.
Deftones played “Passenger” at Aftershock and it sounded fucking awful… I don’t know if I could handle it live with Maynard and his undertrained voice either to be honest.
I suppose it is kind of retarded to continue following a band that seems to be near death.
Maynard is right.
deftones are great but similar to mastodon in that live… they are either really sloppy. or really good…. they don’t always play passenger and I’ve read chino doesn’t really like the song. I saw them last year in Pomona and they killed it with the passenger. did you see FNM?
Nothing to see here. Move along, move along…
OH… I also agree with ElusivEuphoria…
Maynard could afford to lighten up too. I mean, it is a running joke that we’ll all be dead by the time the new TOOL album comes out.
Has he even seen the meme’s out there? Has he even seen the fucking Hitler video? If he doesn’t think that shit is humorous then he’s the retarded one.
Usually when Chino calms down and focuses on his vocals he does a great job. When he’s running around the stage trying to fly off of everything he’s just god awful… The band sounds great live musically. I saw Mastodon a week or two ago and that was actually a really good show they sounded great. Small venue though which is much better than outdoor festival. Faith No More’s set was actually really good. They sounded fantastic. It was like it was them in their prime… no complaints about their set. However, I thought the most impressive band of the… Read more »
OOPS… Clicked on the wrong response button… meant to respond to smithersSOCAL.
rad. i saw some videos online and it seems like Aftershock had muddy sound. wanted to go but couldn’t get the time off of work. I saw FNM a few times this last tour. glad you enjoyed DFA.
Ya know, the real “insufferables” are those who support this douche in hopes of being thrown a bone, its obviously about the money for this washed up capitalist. I will garner a small amount of entertainment from Tool-light aka Puscifer as long as I can access the shit for free on a streaming service. Tool held a lot of magic for me at a formidable time in my life, those days are over and I’m pretty sure the band known as Tool is over as well. That being said, it would be cool to, at least, get an instrumental send… Read more »
Not to be “too Serious” but come on, name calling? I hope I am wrong about Tool being finished and hopefully all of this media hype is just that..Hype.
What’s the big deal about “name calling”? If I had a dollar for every time a Tool fan called Maynard something derogatory I’d be wealthy enough to start my own winery. A hypocritical I think.
Its not so much the name calling but the disrespect to those who endure life with disabilities, Judith Marie comes to mind… I may be hyper sensitive on that subject being a disabilities advocate/case manager, who happened to utilize Tool and related acts as a back drop/motivation for my education and inspiration in trying times.
Wait, what?
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/maynard-james-keenan-responds-to-fan-uproar-about-new-times-story-7780052
That CoS article was about as classy as shitting on your grandmother’s grave.
Yep.
Sweet dude
Its true all of you wack jobs are fuckin crazy! I am surprised any of you function in society at all. Most of the meet ups suck! Don’t worry about me tho’…… I’ll be rolling with my tight group.
mehhhh
the new album will either be surprisingly announced on the upcoming show …
(at least this would justify the upgrade in show production that was discussed recently, as well as all the mysterious studio shots, closers, curveballs etc.)
…or it might never happen at all. seriously.
In the realm of conceivable though still unlikely things, I find it probable that they *could* premiere a full length music video. Whether it be for Opiate or The Pot….
If so, it would probably serve as their “intermission”.
Curveball?
I’ve been saying it a few times throughout this year that they ought to be announcing SOMETHING with substance this year with regard to the progress/recording of the new album. But I’m beginning to doubt that will happen at all. An announcement, that is.
Everyone seems so upset with Maynard, and maybe he could stand to lighten up a little and I honestly don’t see how he hasn’t gotten so familiar with Tool fans already to the point where he would need to lighten up as well. But it’s got to fucking suck to have a pestering fanbase who tries to undercut everything else you do because you don’t pander to them. Especially when it might not even be your fault. Everyone continuously asked him and if he has nothing to share, he has nothing to share. He’s putting out music. Consistently. It hardly… Read more »
Back on the Lateralus tour, I was hanging out with Danny. A bit of trivia I learned: None of the members of Tool ever tell the truth during an interview. They’ll lie through their teeth. This is because they want to generate hype, generate buzz, get their fans talking–and that’s what the fans are doing right now–talking. So everyone just… chill. It’ll be fine. Honest Secret Injun, it’ll be fine. And if you’re going to be butt-hurt over what a scream-y little munchkin has to say, there’s always “Suns of the Tundra.” Talk about an awesome album–omg, “Bones of Brave… Read more »
I think that some people are taking Maynard’s comments seriously when it was quite obvious that he was joking. If you’ve paid attention to his interviews lately it’s very clear that he’s not the bottleneck in Tool’s writing process and he seems eager to get going on the new album… but he can’t because the music isn’t ready. I think the new album is taking a comically long time. In the time since 10,000 Days bands have broken up, gotten back together and released albums. It’s totally insane that Tool is an active band and haven’t produced an album in… Read more »
Everything you said is correct.
I second that.