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Puscifer () is an American rock group formed in Los Angeles by
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, philanthropist, record producer, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool (band), Tool, A Perfe ...
, known as the lead singer of the bands
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
and
A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American Rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool (band), Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle released three of their ...
. Initially, Keenan was the only permanent member, and as such he considered the project to be his "creative subconscious". Later, frequent collaborators Mat Mitchell and Carina Round became permanent members.


Background

Puscifer's original name was Umlaut, "a premiere improvisational hardcore band". The name "Puscifer" was first publicized as a fictional band in the first episode of '' Mr. Show'', including Keenan and Adam Jones as members. Jones is not associated with Puscifer otherwise, although artwork by Jones has been featured on Puscifer apparel (the "Your Mom's a Bitch" shirt, specifically). Keenan describes Puscifer as "simply a playground for the various voices in my head, ..a space with no clear or discernible goals, ..where my Id, Ego, and
Anima Anima may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Anima, in the Spira world in ''Final Fantasy'' games * Anima, in the ''Fire Emblem'' game series * Anima (comics), a DC Comics character Film * '' Anima – Symphonie pha ...
all come together to exchange cookie recipes." Keenan also worked on
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
s with Ford Englerth and Jeffrey Brooks from Red Rock Entertainment Development; these shorts were done in a similar manner to that of ''Mr. Show'' and
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
' '' Big Time''. Puscifer is "as much a clothing line as it is a band", with the clothing items produced in limited numbers. Keenan collaborated on a leather jacket with Paul Frank. On September 16, 2008, Keenan updated the puscifer.com blog, revealing that the first ever Puscifer store would be opening "hopefully" by October 1 in
Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...
, Arizona. Occupying a small space above a tattoo parlor, the store opened on October 3, 2008. In addition to the merchandise available on the band's online store, Keenan has also made available locally roasted coffee, art, and an ever-changing list of limited edition collectibles.(October 29, 2008). "". philadelphiaathome.com. Retrieved on November 5, 2008.


''Don't Shoot the Messenger''

''Don't Shoot the Messenger'' is a four-track EP released by Puscifer on October 9, 2007.


''"V" Is for Vagina''

On April 10, 2007, Keenan posted on the official website that a release would be aimed for mid-October. A newer post on June 25, 2007, stated that
Joe Barresi Joe Barresi (nicknamed "Evil Joe") is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with Kyuss, The Melvins, Tool, Chevelle, Apocalyptica, Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Tomahawk, L7, The Jesus Lizard, Parkway Drive ...
mixed the first song, which had a music video made for it, as well as an alternate version of " Cuntry Boner", and that it would likely be released as a CD single with bonus tracks. Further mixing was done by Keenan and Alan Moulder by August. Keenan announced at the end of July that the album was titled '' "V" Is for Vagina'' and, a few days later, he announced the first single, " Queen B.", with a video following in late September. On October 1, "Queen B." appeared on the podcast on puscifer.com. This was followed by the podcast release of "Trekka" on October 7. The album was released on October 30 and debuted at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' 200, as well as number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Independent Albums chart. On October 17, 2008, an official music video for the song "Momma Sed" was released online via the official Puscifer
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channel. A dub remix album completely by
Lustmord Brian Williams is a Welsh musician, sound designer and composer. He has released albums under the name Lustmord starting in the 1980s and through the present. Williams began as a recording artist within the industrial genre, working with Ch ...
, entitled ''"D" Is for Dubby – The Lustmord Dub Mixes'', also appeared at the official website's store. "Momma Sed" also featured in the 2012 film '' End of Watch''. ''"V" Is for Vagina'' has sold 112,000 copies.


''"V" Is for Viagra. The Remixes''

A remix album entitled ''"V" Is for Viagra'' was released on April 29, 2008. It contains ten remixes of tracks from ''"V" Is for Vagina'', as well as two remixes of the non-album single "Cuntry Boner". It features remixes by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie of
Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy was a Canadian electro-industrial band formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group was among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crom ...
,
Lustmord Brian Williams is a Welsh musician, sound designer and composer. He has released albums under the name Lustmord starting in the 1980s and through the present. Williams began as a recording artist within the industrial genre, working with Ch ...
, Renholder,
Paul Barker Paul Gordon Barker (born February 8, 1959), also referred to as Hermes Pan, is an American musician, best known as the former bass guitarist, producer and engineer for industrial metal band Ministry from 1986 to 2003. Prior to Ministry, he pr ...
from Ministry, Telefon Tel Aviv, among others. Two of the tracks from the album, "Indigo Children" (JLE Dub Mix) and "Momma Sed" (Tandimonium Mix), appear on the official soundtrack for the video game '' Need for Speed: Undercover''. ''"V" Is for Viagra'' has sold 23,000 copies.


''"D" Is for Dubby, the Lustmord Dub Mixes''

A second remix album was released in October 2009. Titled ''"D" Is for Dubby'', the album focuses on remixes of ''"V" Is for Vagina'' by artist Lustmord performed in a dub style.


''"C" Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here)''

''"C" Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here)'' is an EP that was announced on the toolarmy.com and Puscifer websites on October 12, 2009. It was subsequently released on November 10, 2009. The EP contains six tracks; four previously unreleased songs, and two live recordings of tracks from ''"V" Is for Vagina'', which were recorded from the Club Nokia shows on Puscifer's 2009 tour. The EP has sold 10,000 copies. The song " Rocket Mantastic" was later released.


''Conditions of My Parole''

"Man Overboard", the first single from the album, became available via iTunes and other digital service providers on July 19, 2011. ''Conditions of My Parole'' was recorded at Jerome,
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, in spring 2011, with tracking done amidst the wine barrels from Keenan's Caduceus Cellars. The album was produced by Keenan, Mat Mitchell, and Josh Eustis. Contributing musicians for the album include the aforementioned Keenan, Mitchell, and Eustis as well as Carina Round, Juliette Commagere, Matt McJunkins, Jeff Friedl, Gil Sharone, and Rani Sharone, Jonny Polonsky, Tim Alexander, Devo Keenan,
Alessandro Cortini Alessandro Cortini (born 24 May 1976) is an Italian musician best known for his work with the American industrial band Nine Inch Nails. He plays modular synthesizers, keyboards, guitar, and bass guitar. Cortini is the first Italian inducted ...
, Sarah Jones, and Jon Theodore. It debuted at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 12,111 copies sold in its first week. With street date violations added in, it sold 12,337 copies according to SoundScan.


''Donkey Punch the Night''

''Donkey Punch the Night'' was announced November 19, 2012 and released on February 19, 2013. The EP was released in digital and CD formats, with a vinyl release following on March 12, 2013. A cover of
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
's "
Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''A Night at the Opera (Queen album), A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by Queen's lead si ...
" is included on the EP, as well as a cover of Accept's " Balls to the Wall".


''Money Shot''

''Money Shot'' was announced July 29, 2015 via the release of first single "Grand Canyon". The album was released on October 30, 2015. A remix album titled '' Money Shot Your Re-Load'' was released on November 25, 2016.


''Existential Reckoning''

On May 8, 2020, the lead single and video "Apocalyptical" were released along with an announcement of an album to be released in the fall of 2020. The fourth studio album ''Existential Reckoning'' was announced on September 17, 2020. The release date for the album was later set to October 30, 2020, via Alchemy Recordings/Puscifer Entertainment/BMG. The album was produced by Mat Mitchell and Puscifer, and recorded and mixed by Mat Mitchell at Puscifer Studios in North Hollywood. Keenan appears on the album as "Dick Merkin". This is the first album for which Mat Mitchell (guitar, bass, keyboards, programming) and Carina Round (vocals, keyboards) are credited as permanent members. Greg Edwards (bass, guitar, keyboards), Gunnar Olsen (drums), Sarah Jones (drums) and
Esmé Bianco Esmé Augusta Bianco (born 25 May 1982) is a British actress and neo-burlesque performer, who is best known for her recurring roles as Ros on ''Game of Thrones'' and Jane Chatwin on '' The Magicians''. Career Bianco has posed for painters Chri ...
(vocals) also contributed to the album.


Live shows

In February 2009, Keenan debuted Puscifer with shows in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. Throughout the year, he continued to perform with a revolving lineup, but limited concerts to the Southwest. However, in a November 2009 interview, Keenan stated: "Efforts to confine our beloved enigma to the Southwestern United States have been thwarted. We are compelled beyond all reason to bring the noise Eastward and share our special sauce. Although authorities suggest you be prepared for any and all possibilities, we simply suggest you arrive happy and hungry." Keenan took Puscifer on tour again in the fall and winter of 2011 in support of ''Conditions of My Parole''. This tour covered a larger swath of the United States than previous West Coast-only tours. In 2013, Puscifer played their first dates outside of North America, with the band performing three shows in Australia, and performances at
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
Brazil and Lollapalooza Chile. On February 16, 2016, Puscifer announced UK and European dates under the "Money Shot Heard Around The World" tour. The band played Manchester and London in the UK, then France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway before ending the tour in Sweden at the
Cirkus CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford (Cameron McVey), Karmil (aka Matt Kent), Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry. History DJ and producer Karmil was recruited by Burt Ford (Neneh's husband Cameron McVey) as an assistant recording engi ...
. They also performed at two festivals in Germany in 2016. In late January 2017 Puscifer and guest act Luchafer toured Australia and New Zealand as part of the Money Shot: Round Under Tour. On October 30, 2020, Puscifer held a limited streaming event of a pre-recorded, pre-edited concert film featuring the band performing their newest album ''Existential Reckoning'' in its entirety at Arcosanti, Arizona. The film was an audio-visual adventure performed with creative light and camera effects, with songs performed in various sets in and around Arcosanti itself. The lineup for the show featured:
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, philanthropist, record producer, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool (band), Tool, A Perfe ...
(vocals), Mat Mitchell (guitar), Carina Round (vocals), Greg Edwards (bass), and Gunnar Olsen (drums). It was produced by Dino Paredes and Danny Wimmer, and directed by Adam Rothlein and Dino Paredes.


Members

*
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, philanthropist, record producer, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool (band), Tool, A Perfe ...
: vocals * Mat Mitchell: guitar, bass, programming, keyboards, synthesizers, production (2009–present; studio 2007–2009) * Carina Round: vocals, guitar, percussion, keyboards (2009–present) ;Touring musicians (as of 2022) * Greg Edwards: bass *Gunnar Olsen: drums, programming Additional musicians include Tim "Herb" Alexander, Evil Joe Barresi, Jonny Polonsky, Josh Eustis, Sarah Jones, Renholdër (
Danny Lohner Daniel Patrick Lohner, frequently known as Renholdër, is an American musician and record producer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle. In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Ni ...
),
Milla Jovovich Milica Bogdanovna Jovović; ; ( ; born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovovich (), is an American actress and former fashion model. Her starring roles in numerous science fiction film, science-fiction and action films led th ...
, Lisa Germano, Satan's Muse,
Lustmord Brian Williams is a Welsh musician, sound designer and composer. He has released albums under the name Lustmord starting in the 1980s and through the present. Williams began as a recording artist within the industrial genre, working with Ch ...
,
Tim Commerford Timothy Commerford (born February 26, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, respectively, he ha ...
, Brad Wilk,
Joey Jordison Nathan Jonas "Joey" Jordison (April 26, 1975 – July 26, 2021) was an American musician. He was the original drummer of the nu metal band Slipknot (band), Slipknot, in which he was designated #1, and the guitarist for the horror punk Supergroup ...
, Ainjel Emme,
John Oliver John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...
, Omniflux (Mahsa Zargaran),
Paul Barker Paul Gordon Barker (born February 8, 1959), also referred to as Hermes Pan, is an American musician, best known as the former bass guitarist, producer and engineer for industrial metal band Ministry from 1986 to 2003. Prior to Ministry, he pr ...
, Matt McJunkins, Jeff Friedl, Gil and Rani Sharone, Malhar Naik, Devo Keenan (Maynard James Keenan's son),
Alessandro Cortini Alessandro Cortini (born 24 May 1976) is an Italian musician best known for his work with the American industrial band Nine Inch Nails. He plays modular synthesizers, keyboards, guitar, and bass guitar. Cortini is the first Italian inducted ...
, Jon Theodore, Juliette Commagere, Greg Edwards as well as many other musicians.'Side Project Special: Puscifer' ''Alternative Press #230.2''


Discography


Studio albums


Remix albums


Live albums


Extended plays


Singles


Music videos


Contributions


References


External links


Official website
* {{Authority control Musical groups established in 2003 Alternative rock groups from California 2003 establishments in California Rock music groups from California