We have no idea what this new Puscifer song is about, but we love it anyway
Maynard James Keenan and co drop new single The Underwhelming – and announce upcoming album Existential Reckoning
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We've got to be honest: we love everything Maynard James Keenan touches, but we're not always sure what the hell he’s on about.
Take The Underwhelming, the brand new song just released by the Tool singer’s other band Puscifer. Musically, it’s tremendous: a weirdly funky if slightly menacing slice of electronic-tinged rock, with MJK’s instantly recognisable voice bouncing off Brit-born collaborator Carina Round’s backing vocals.
Lyrically? Nope, you’ve got us there. “Glorious friction awakens the cognizant and mindful”? Sorry, say again? “Graceless dullards plodding through their vapid cabaret”? See, utterly baffling.
As if that wasn’t cryptic enough it, it comes with a spoof CIA-style press release complete references to alien abduction, “traversable bridges between intuition and technology” and redacted sections. We’re pretty sure it’s announcing their much-anticipated new album Existential Reckoning, their first in five years, due out on October 30 and available to pre-order now.
Check out the video - and the press release – and let us know if you know what they hell it’s all on about.
Puscifer: Existential Reckoning tracklist:
Bread and Circus
Apocalyptical
The Underwhelming
Grey Area 5.1
Theorem
UPGrade
Bullet Train to Iowa
Personal Prometheus
A Singularity
Postulous
Fake Affront
Bedlamite
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Founded in 1983, Metal Hammer is the global home of all things heavy. We have breaking news, exclusive interviews with the biggest bands and names in metal, rock, hardcore, grunge and beyond, expert reviews of the lastest releases and unrivalled insider access to metal's most exciting new scenes and movements. No matter what you're into – be it heavy metal, punk, hardcore, grunge, alternative, goth, industrial, djent or the stuff so bizarre it defies classification – you'll find it all here, backed by the best writers in our game.

