Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan told Apple Music that he feels hopeful about the future despite the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on millions of human lives and the entire global economy.
Keenan explained, “I feel like we’re going to go through a lot of changes; we’re going to go through a lot of growing pains — and not all of us are going to make it through those growing pains. That’s the hardest part, as a human being to really grasp: that you might not be a part of what happens over the crest in that new valley. You just might not be there because you didn’t pay attention to the basics.”
Keenan's lyrics in Tool, as well as A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, have long been cited for looking into the future of humanity. The singer himself has prepared for such events by living in a remote part of Arizona, where he has spent 25 years “planting orchards, planting vines, doing greenhouses, understanding how to reconnect.”
He added, “It’s just understanding patterns, and understanding human nature and where we’re going. Although they might seem specific, they’re not. They’re human experience. At my age I’ve seen quite a few things and have tried to keep open-minded about things — not always assuming you’re right just because you’re successful, and kind of reevaluate those things.”
Keenan told us a while back what he feels are important objectives for people to focus on: “We need to concentrate on the war against apathy and ignorance, so we need to concentrate on becoming, you know, more involved in what happens to us as individuals and us as a nation and as a global community.”
Tool has been off the road due to the pandemic, while Puscifer issued a new single last week called “Apocalyptical.” The band's fourth LP is due out later this year.