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Tool Frontman Say: “They Reek Of Desperation!’

Justin Hawkins Rides Again | November 17, 2025



Maynard James Keenan with Joe Rogan podcast about “staying relevant” and accused some artists of “reeking” of desperation in a bid to do so. What do you think about everything he said in this conversation? Was he too harsh? Is it easier for him compared to other artists who are just starting off or struggling? Do tell.

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Written by Justin Hawkins Rides Again

Comments

This post currently has 47 comments.

  1. @veggiesarefruits

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    I mean, if you listen to 'Hooker With A Penis', for example, you get a pretty clear comedic yet honest reaction to the idea of "selling out", from Maynard's perspective. We all sell out. Nearly everything we do is a monetary exchange, from listening to a song, to buying a T-shirt, to watching a YouTube video. There are very few people in the world who can accuse someone else of selling out without being hypocritical.

  2. @arianaz4

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    MJK's doc Blood Into Wine (2010) includes music from Puscifer's 2007 debut LP. Along with Puscifer's 1st song, a collab with NIN Danny Lohner called "Rev 22-20." Other notable songs include of the songs from the infamous Tapeworm collab with Trent Reznor "Potions" (given to Trent and Mariqueen as a wedding gift), a cover of the Circle Jerks' "World Up My Ass" and a cover of "Cuntry Boner," originally written by Electric Sheep – Adam Jones and Tom Morello's HS band.

  6. @TheElectricBuddha

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    I am 40 years old, and grew up with Tool's first EP, Opiate, in the 90s. I saw them as a teen in 97 and once again, as a grown married man with my wife, in 2019. They have provided more clarity and insight throughout my life than any religion or philosophy could have. Tool is sacred to their fans because it was a friend that guided us through some difficult times in our lives. They've always been pure about their art, and that authenticity gives them credibility with fans.

  7. @NOLAOwl

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Tool is an enigma. I respect them immensely, but found their recent show to be a lil boring as they mine a vein that becomes extremely repetitive over time.

  8. @onemorechris

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Tool are a brilliant band who i’ve seen twice. all their music sounds fresh and replicant, despite no original content on tiktok lol. i think it’s difficult to have an objective view of your own position in the world, particularly when that position is rare/unique. i don’t know that Manard is the best person to talk about Manard on these subjects. he’s not wrong but also has very little access to people who may want/need this kind of advice. if you are a new band, tiktok is probably a good thing in 2023

  9. @frasermowlem5354

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Hi Justin. Love the channel, love you and LOVE TOOL!!!! But… please, please PLEASE take a look at the cover of 46 and 2 by the kids at O’Keefe music foundation… it’s MINDBLOWING!!!

  12. @rileyk5228

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    The Arctic Monkeys have a line in A Certain Romance, "there's only music so that there's new ringtones" referring to how music was being written in a way that there would be a hook so people buy the ring tone.

    It might as well now be "there's only music so that there's new TikToks", since that's the "new normal"

  14. @Sizzle43

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    He hates being called a frontman. Vocalist yes. He likes to stay at the back of his fellow Tool band members because he can hear himself better & he’s an equal member.

  15. @kylec1411

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Maynard will ALWAYS be relevant. Tool helped me through alot of darkness. Addiction. Those words have not lost their impact. So thank you tool and maynard for that. Tools message will live in me til i die.

  20. @amandabrittenden

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Tool was the first big band I saw live besides local gigs, 21 years ago 😬 I was 15. It's still easily the best concert I've attended in my life and there have been many. They had The Melvins play before them. Looking back now, I feel like I was pretty spoiled having that as a first concert experience. They're amazing

  21. @jacksonvega7751

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    It’s actually called ‘the kings of Leon descent’ actually. Maroon 5 wer always dog poo

    Iv watched my beautiful talented lovely gf fall into a tik tok chasm in which she now spends almost her entire waking life lost in it. It’s Kinda insidious I think, just as YT shorts are, u can throw away hrs of ur life on 30 sec clips of just nothingness . Can’t be good for the youngens , who’ll think of the youngens god dammit

  30. @iprovedthem5527

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    I get consistently roasted by my wife for not really caring for Tool, I've always much preferred Maynard's other band A Perfect Circle. I liked Lateralus well enough and a few of their other songs, but when I saw them live a couple of years back it was the most boring two hours I've experienced over 20 years of watching live music and I've seen a lot of bands in that time. With that said, however, they clearly do something right to resonate with so many people, which can't be a bad thing.

  33. @gregsteenson962

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Maynard is jabbering in generalisations a bit which really does my tits in. I'm glad joe brought up Miley Cyrus. Her Rebel Yell with Billy Idol was top drawer as well. What the fuck even is relevance? Enjoy success without worrying about it would be my advise as a complete nobody.

  35. @mamab4720

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    I wasn't a huge Tool fan but when Maynard J.K. helped form A Perfect Circle I was obsessed. I love him as an artist. I attended a Nashville concert during A Perfect Circle's first tour and now I love Puscifer, and my Gen Z daughter does as well. We need to keep exposing our children to good music but also keep in mind that all music is art.

  36. @SameAsAnyOtherStranger

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Listening to Tool can be a transformative experience. That is by design. Scrolling TikToc is time spent guaranteed not to have any sort of transformative experience. I'm pretty sure that is by design also.

  38. @igasu79

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    does maynard NOT know how far tool's reach has gone? i see people CONSTANTLY listening to tool songs for the first time ever on youtube, doing reactions… and 90%+ of them become massive tool fans soon after. he just seems very out of touch w his audience, which is a shame, because he is REALLY undervaluing the relationship he could have w his audience if he put even minimal effort into it. but he is a curmudgeon (nothing new there) and doesn't WANT to connect. that's not what it's about for him and i can respect that, but it doesn't make his opinion necessarily fully-informed.

  39. @link2077

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Tiktok is a catalyst for exposure, but by its nature, is built for stimulation and bite-sized instant gratification. As quickly as attention can be given, it can be taken away. Tool has an incredible knack for hooking fans beyond a quick dopamine response, in this sense, totally opposite to TT. I mean, most of their repertoire are epic, complex songs usually upwards of 5 minutes. It seems natural that these two dynamics can not operate together, but I wonder how TT can be used to hijack algorithms to find those lasting fans to offer exposure, or if the idea that anyone using TT considers Tool or "X – Musician" irrelevant (I doubt it though, I've stumbled upon the Tool TT community!…) TT is a catalyst for exposure, but it is the art that is (or should be..) the artist's focus. Even though the platform hijacks human impulse, there are still human beings receiving the TT broadcast, and those algorithms can be hijacked to reach potential life-long fans. But, this is still very early on in TT's run. Tool have been recording and performing since the 90's. Artists blowing up on TT have come and gone, some still benefit and continue to this day. It will be interesting to see how this platform develops. Also I think Tool is a reminder that people value artistic expression that pushes the limits. Paint outside the box and express the ineffable. That stuff really sticks for the right people – AND THEY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO YOU NEED TO REACH WITH YOUR ART. TT might be a way for you to reach them, or maybe not…

  46. @taywizzle

    November 17, 2025 at 3:09 am

    Anyone from TOOL can say whatever they like, i can't think of another band in any genre who are held in such high esteem in their instrument playing skills, Maybe rush (who funnily enough, are good friends with the members of tool) & Flea, Chad and John in RHCP

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