Puscifer

Puscifer is a project led by three creative collaborators: Mat Mitchell, Carina Round, and Maynard James Keenan. It is a space for musical and visual storytelling, existing both on stages around the world and through videos, animation, and other artistic formats. The group has released critically acclaimed albums, sold out tours, performed at festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo, and even created their own touring festival, Sessanta. Their music has been featured in projects such as the series “Yellowstone,” and their albums regularly chart in the Billboard Top 200. They have also appeared on major U.S. television shows including “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show.”

 

Puscifer is also an open, ever-changing collective of collaborators - from musicians like Greg Edwards, Gunnar Olsen, and Sarah Jones, to remixers such as Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Phantogram, and Sir Mix-A-Lot, as well as actors including Bob Odenkirk and Milla Jovovich. Alongside this exists a surreal and humorous “Pusciverse,” populated by original characters that form their own narrative layer. It is a kind of 21st-century artistic freak show where anything is possible.

 

The project originated in the 1990s, when Maynard James Keenan moved to Los Angeles and became involved in the local sketch comedy scene alongside his music career. It was there that the early foundations of Puscifer began to form as a loose, performative concept blending different voices and ideas. As Keenan explains, Puscifer is “a vortex of multiple voices in your head” and an open-ended space for music, film, art, and animation.

 

This philosophy is reflected in the fifth album, “Normal Isn’t,” which draws inspiration from goth, post-punk, and new wave, merging them into the band’s distinctive sound. The record is more raw and guitar-driven than previous releases, emphasizing energy and directness.

 

The creative process also evolved, with Maynard working directly in music software (Logic and Pro Tools) to develop initial ideas that were then expanded collaboratively. The band emphasizes that Puscifer operates without ego or fixed rules - it is defined by openness, collaboration, and constant transformation.

 

The album was recorded between Arizona and the band’s new studio in Los Angeles, using analog synthesizers such as the Moog, Fairlight CMI, and Synclavier, alongside a more prominent role for guitar, giving the music a sharper edge.

 

“Normal Isn’t” reflects a world that no longer feels normal - it is a commentary on contemporary chaos and imbalance. As Keenan notes, the role of the artist is to observe, interpret, and report what they see. And what we see today is, quite clearly, not normal.

 

14.05.2026