10 Incredible Musical Side Projects
4. A Perfect Circle
Maynard James Keenan is one of the most eccentric singers in metal today. His lyrics in his work with Tool are pure poetry, as he dissects everything from human separation to the cycle of life that we all face.
Outside of Tool's mind-melting jams, Keenan also has made a name for himself with the band A Perfect Circle. Formed with multi-instrumentalist Billy Howerdel, this group is definitely still metallic, but with a more alternative bent to the presentation. Make no mistake, this band has some killer throwdowns in their catalog like "The Outsider" and the almighty single "Judith." However, the band has another side that is incredibly mellow with melodies that are both beautiful and disturbing on songs like "Gravity" and the borderline pop-sounding "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish."
The band's sound differs from Tool's dramatically thanks to Howerdel's contributions of writing riffs and luscious piano sections, but Keenan's vocal approach is still as ferocious as ever. He can annihilate you with his screams just as easily as he can lure you into a trance during the slowburns.
A great band to check out if you are a fan of Tool or heavy music in general.