10 Strongest Voices In Alternative Rock Music
2. Maynard James Keenan
A unique talent with instantly recognisable vocal cords, Maynard James Keenan is best known for fronting the band Tool, an LA-based alternative metal band who burst onto the scene in the early-nineties. Tool had success with a number of standout songs from their debut album Undertow (1993), including the singles Sober and Prison Sex.
They carved out a niche for themselves with a sound unlike any other rock or metal band at the time, and Maynard’s voice, charisma and stage presence was central to their success. Tool's second album, Aenima (1996), cemented them as rock royalty, with the bizarre stop-motion animated video for lead single Stinkfist receiving heavy rotation. Tool were starting to take a progressive metal direction at this point, and their music suited Maynard’s vocal tone perfectly.
On album three, Lateralus (2001), they were considered the masters of the progressive genre they were key in developing. Maynard has also gone to form two further successful bands, A Perfect Circle with guitarist Billy Howerdel - who have released four albums starting with their debut, Mer De Noms (2000) - and Puscifer, a creative outlet for his personal solo music, allowing Maynard to experiment with a mellow and more experimental style than he writes for Tool.