Puscifer – Existential Reckoning
(Alchemy Recordings / BMG)
Reviewed by Bridget Herlihy.
“What is Puscifer is what Puscifer is”.
Normally I would build-up to a statement that encapsulates my (mostly) objective thoughts and observations about an album. But this time I’m just going to come right out and say it; this is without any shadow of a doubt one of the most enthralling albums to drop in 2020, and you need to listen to closely, carefully and in it’s entirety IMMEDIATELY.
For those who are not familiar with Puscifer, this is a band that cannot be pigeon-holed in one particular genre or another. They are an ever-evolving music and performance art group; the brainchild of one Maynard James Keenan, whose name might ring a bell with many rock aficionados. Yet don’t for a moment think that Puscifer is a ‘side-project’; in fact, they are quite the opposite.
Silver linings emerging from the pandemic are few and far between. However, the near global lockdown resulted in the release of Puscifer’s latest album Existential Reckoning being pushed forward. Originally slated to drop in 2021, by mid 2020 the band announced that it would arrive in late October instead, and Puscifer fans were not only thankful, but ecstatic for this not-so-small mercy. And yes, I may have been awake at midnight last night when Existential Reckoning dropped, providing a fascinating, immersive soundtrack as I worked into the wee small hours.
This is Puscifer’s fourth full-length studio album, and arguably their most cohesive record to date. From the opening bars of the first track Bread and Circus it is evident that Existential Reckoning is not only a trip musically, but Keenan’s vocal and lyrical prowess has been turned up to 11. There have been some line-up changes since the band’s last album Moneyshot (2015); Keenan – operating under the moniker of ‘Dick Merkin’ – (vocals), Mat Mitchell (guitar; keys, production) and the exquisite Carina Round (vocals), are joined by Greg Edwards (bass, guitar, keys), Gunnar Olsen (drums) and Sarah Jones (drums). And in true Puscifer form, there has also been an evolution in the ‘sound’ on Existential Reckoning, where the guitars are often paired back as retro-inspired synths come to the fore, while masterfully avoiding any sense of cliché whatsoever. That is not to say that the guitars fade into the background, skilfully intertwined with a good dose of electronica. And the results are quite frankly mesmerising. The uber-talented Round’s ethereal yet edgy vocals compliment Keenan’s perfectly; not many vocalists can sing “shut the fuck up” and make it sound beautiful.
Listeners would be forgiven for thinking that Existential Reckoning was inspired by the pandemic. Yet the writing of the album and lyrics was well underway before anyone had even heard of Covid-19, underscoring the fact that the themes that arise on this record are indeed universal and have been with us for some time. It could be argued that Keenan, aka Merkin, sums up 2020 neatly in the first line of the album’s opening track Bread and Circus: “here we are the in middle of our existential reckoning”. Yes, we certainly are. Each song on the album shines in its own right, although in this reviewer’s humble opinion standout tracks include Bullet Train to Iowa, A Singularity and Grey Area. Yet it should be noted that this is an album that should be enjoyed whole; listened to attentively from beginning to end. And take the time to listen to the lyrics closely; you might learn a thing or two.
I am very happy losing myself in this album, and I suspect I will remain so for quite some time to come. Bravo, Puscifer. Bravo.
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