Puscifer return with their first album since 2020, Normal Isn’t (Puscifer Entertainment / Alchemy Recordings / BMG). The record features founder Maynard James Keenan (vocals, additional synths) alongside longtime members Mat Mitchell (bass, guitar, synths, stick, recording, co-production with the rest of the band) and Carina Round (vocals, vocal sampling, additional synths). They are joined by Gunnar Olsen (drums), Greg Edwards (bass), and Sarah Jones (drums), plus a few guests, including Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), and Danny Carey (Tool).
The music here is powerful and direct. Pounding drums are to the fore, as are Keenan and Round’s haunting vocals. Post-Punk-influenced guitars weave themselves around the beats, and the punchy, groove-laden bass lines rumble along. Synths also play a prominent role, giving the songs a dark electronic veneer.
The songs themselves are strong and potent. Catchy vocal lines dominate, and there is a Pop sensibility to the songwriting. The music bolstering the songs generally features textures created by the interplay of guitars, bass, and synths, rather than Rock riffs. Nodding to Prog Rock, many of the songs have unusual time signatures, including some instances of 3/4, 5/4, and 7/8.
Stylistically, Normal Isn’t is difficult to categorise. It is perhaps more of an Alternative Rock album than a metal one, although there are undeniably heavy and abrasive segments. The influence of both Gothic Rock and experimental electronica can also be detected throughout.
Within this collection of arresting and energetic compositions, there are a few standout moments. The climactic and tense chorus of “Thrust” marches forward with Keenan and Round harmonising in commanding and intense fashion. The infectious, danceable grooves of the title track pulsate as synth and guitar textures interweave underneath compelling vocal melodies. “Self Evident”’s monstrously heavy bass part underpins Keenan and Round’s memorable vocal passages. The climax of “The Quiet Parts” is based around a darkly melancholic bass and guitar sequence with drums that keep relentlessly building.
“Mantastic” features some of the heaviest parts of the record, with gothic synths and distorted guitar lines sitting underneath Keenan and Round’s euphonic singing.
Normal Isn’t is a highly effective collection of rich and dynamic songs that get under the listener’s skin. It is simultaneously dark and uplifting and, in spite of its progressive tendencies, is full of strong melodies that stick in the mind. A simultaneously sombre and rapturous collection of robustly masterful songs.
Buy the album here:
https://puscifer.com/
8 / 10
DUNCAN EVANS
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