15 Best Hard Rock Singers Of All Time

As grunge sweeped the nation throughout the early 90's, metal was suffering in a big way. While bands like Pantera and Metallica had impressive first outings, it seemed virtually impossible for a heavy band to break out in the era of Pearl Jam. In the midst of this confused time came Tool, whose vocalist gave us a whole new outlook on the heavy metal sound.

When most dated singers were still trying to reach the tippy top of their vocal range, Maynard James Keenan was one of the few vocalists who could blow you away with just raw aggression. Across the band's 90's output, Keenan's vocal presence is like a feral dog aching to pounce on whatever prey he finds in front of him.

Once the band started to change into a more psychedelic phase at the start of the 2000's, Keenan also started to incorporate more clean vocals into the mix, which still hold up as some of the most beautiful sonic passages in metal. Even when not fronting Tool, his work with A Perfect Circle has given him opportunities to try more ethereal soundscapes interwoven with the aggressive screams. With Tool still trucking along, Maynard James Keenan has refined his vocal style and turned himself into a modern marvel in the world of heavy music.