Freethinker Music Weekly: The Maynard James Keenan edition


Maynard James Keenan is god. There are millions of people who support his bands in a way no different from how some people become really into cults and other religious organizations. His charisma and draw is only paralleled by Tool and A Perfect Circle‘s amazing music.  Many Tool fans (pun almost intended) have gotten the almost fair reputation of being overbearing and annoying – pretty much like the hipsters of metal/ hard rock. If you think about it, the perceptions regarding the “annoying Tool fan” and “angry atheist” are almost identical!

Aside from having annoying fans (i.e. the most important thing when considering a band to listen to), Tool and A Perfect Circle have penned songs that openly challenges religion (Christianity and Scientology in particular). In later albums, MJK also wrote songs that have a strong connection to the philosophy of existentialism.

Sober is quite possibly the most well-known Tool song of all time. It has been around for over 20 years and its music video is still considered as one of the best rock videos. The song pretty much talks about how immersion in religion puts one in an inebriated state.

Intolerance comes from the same album as Sober (Undertow) and its theme is the excesses of the religious establishment.

Veil of virtue hung to hide your method
while I smile and laugh and dance
and sing your praise and glory.
Shroud of virtue hung to mask your stigma
as I smile and laugh and dance
and sing your glory
while you
lie, cheat, and steal.
How can I tolerate you.

Eulogy pulls out the stops in terms of debunking the whole rationality and consistency of the Christian myth within the Christian logic universe. At the end of the day, he did want to be on the cross to be big hero, yes? 😉

Come down.
Get off your fuckin cross.
We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

To ascend you must die.
You must be crucified
For your sins and your lies
Goodbye…

4 comments

  1. […] Freethinker Music Weekly: The Maynard James Keenan edition Maynard James Keenan is god. There are millions of people who support his bands in a way no different from how some people become really into cults and other religious organizations. His charisma and draw is only paralleled by Tool and A Perfect Circle‘s amazing music. Many Tool fans (pun almost intended) have gotten the […] Read more on Filipino Free Thinkers […]

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