Maynard James Keenan on struggling to sing old Tool songs: “I can’t do a whole set of those songs”
After years of screaming metal tunes, Maynard James Keenan has opened up about some Tool songs that he finds too hard to sing. In addition to his work with the prog metal outfit, Keenan has also worked in Puscifer and A Perfect Circle as well as contributed vocals to songs by Deftones and Rage Against the Machine.
When speaking on Steve-O’s Wild Ride, Keenan mentioned that a few Tool songs are well beyond his range these days. Keenan chalked his inability to sing them on getting old, remarking, “I think with age you find ways to sing the thing where it’s not creating damage. You can actually recreate it without having to pick a scab, emotionally and literally, like hurting yourself”.
Keenan would go on to say that his entire approach to writing has changed based on his vocals, thinking that he’s now writing music that suits his style much better.
Though he admitted the challenge, Keenan does add some of the old songs into the set in small doses, saying, “I can’t do a whole set of those songs. I can pepper them in, so I can still do some of those things. You can’t expect that out of that body. Your body doesn’t do those things forever”.
Tool has also come off touring after their long-awaited 2019 album Fear Inoculum. Although Keenan has been active with Puscifer, there has been no announcement of any new Tool music.
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