Sunday Metal Shop visits the verdant vineyards of Arizona to catch up with James “Maynard” Keenan. https://caduceus.org/ Maynard is the singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer and has collaborated with many other acts.
Maynard is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. One of the greatest front men in metal history, he often performs shrouded behind a screen. He is an outspoken muckraker that eschews the spotlight. He is virulently anti-Christianity yet obsessed with religion and the occult. A spirit of Ars Gratia Artis pervades his work yet he makes no bones about being a for-profit performer in the style of Neil Peart’s Ayn Randianism.
Understanding Maynard’s childhood is paramount to understanding his lyrics. Maynard was born in Ravenna, Ohio in 1964 and his parents, Judith Marie and Mike Keenan, divorced when he was four years old. He remained living with his mother, a devout Christian, while his father, a high school teacher and wrestling coach, moved to Michigan. When Maynard was 11 years old his mother suffered a paralyzing stroke.
His mother’s illness and her unwavering faith until her death imprinted itself deeply on Maynard and his understanding of the world. His love for his mother and the beliefs she held repeatedly clashed with the intense hatred he felt for the god that struck her down. This theme manifests itself in multiple songs, including “Judith” with A Perfect Circle and “Jimmy”, “Wings for Marie” and “10,000 Days” with Tool.
Maynard eventually moved to Michigan to live with his father. After completing high school he joined the Army. After the Army he briefly went to art school in Grand Rapids and formed the band Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty. He then moved to Los Angeles, met Adam Jones and formed the band Tool.
Tool is notorious for taking their sweet time between albums which leaves the members plenty of time for side projects. Maynard has taken advantage of that time by forming the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer while contributing vocals to other bands’ songs, including “Know Your Enemy” with Rage Against The Machine and “Passenger” with Deftones.
Maynard’s range, emotive and lyrical ability separate him from almost all other metal singers. From ragged whispers to shrieking howls to clear, lilting phrasing, Maynard can cover a lot of ground and often does all of that within the confines of the same song. If you like what you hear I encourage you to seek out more. Whether you agree with his views on religion or not you will come away with something to think about and will rock your head off your neck in the process.
