A lot of people know about that Korn guy finding Jesus, but apparently (According to unconfirmed heresay from Playlouder, one of metacritic's review sources), one of the Tool people has too.

Now...I'm happy for them, for finding something that makes them happy. But here's what I don't get. Why does finding Jesus imply you suddenly can't play metal anymore? Korn and Tool aren't like Black Sabbath or Alice Cooper -- they never did the whole devil thing to harden their image. Korn's songs have often been about social issues, and Tool's songs, while not directly about social issues, in no way say to worship Satan or do anything anti-Christian. There's no reason, at all, you can't find Jesus and still play hard rock or heavy metal -- unless they're just doing it to make some sort of self righteous statement about it, or just conforming to the whines of the radicals.

The Korn guy and (If the hearsay is true) the Tool guy should just keep making records, and if they've found Jesus, they should give some portion of their profits to religious charities.

Jon "The Korn Guy" Davis should never come back to "Metal" because Korn is, IMO, awful. I never really liked them to begin with, although "Follow the Leader" was decent, and I decided that they were not worth my money after they attempted to put a metal mix with "Lowrider."

If Playlouder is right, it is very depressing. Maynard Keenan was brilliant in Tool and his vocals in both A Perfect Circle and Tool are and were refreshing. I don't see why he would quit A perfect circle though, they aren't really even "Heavy Metal" but much more melodic.

I can see how someone might consider Tool or Korn to be satanic. The lyrics can frighten the average christian, Korn's "Dead Bodies" and Tool's "Die Eier Von Satan" can be easily opposed by Christianity and the like.

Well, they're countercultural. Not anti-christian. And they could easily just change the lyrics while still putting out good music.

You are right, Bob. I think that this is more of a complete lifestyle change for Maynard. He doesn't want to be a part of what he once was, therefore he must abandon all of his previous engagements. I really don't think that Maynard will leave A Perfect Circle though. AS far as Davis goes, who cares? People change their sound often for many reasons including religion.

Look at it this way, if you like Death Metal and someone in the group goes "Religious" do you really want a once Death Metal band to because a "Christian Death Metal" band? The entire term seems like an oxymoron, but some claim that they do exist.

A fair point, and I don't know which band is which so I don't know if Maynard is essential or replaceable, but wouldn't you say that a decision to be a good christian is a superficial one if it doesn't involve doing whatever you can to improve the lives of others? By staying with the band, he has the opportunity to make money that can be given to charities.

It just sounds to me more like a lifestyle decision than a shift in belief.

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It just sounds to me more like a lifestyle decision than a shift in belief.

Isn't that what religion is. I think that most people who are religious consider it a lifestyle and much more than just a belief. If you don't know who Maynard James Keenan is you should listen to Tool or A Perfect Circle he is the lead singer in both bands. Excellent vocalist, he is an essential piece to his current band, A Perfect Circle.

I disagree with his actions, if in fact this isn't just a rumor, but what can you do?

First off, I think it's unfair of you to say that religion is just a lifestyle and NOT a shift in faith. Others of faith would say it's the opposite...the faith comes first, the lifestyle change follows. I'm not a defender of religion...I'm as agnostic as they come, but I think it's a little unfair to call conversion merely a "lifestyle" change. It may be for some (many?) but it need not be.

It's not clear to me that Tool or A Perfect Circle had anything incongruous to Christian faith in their music and lyrics. You know better than I, but I don't recall a lot of satanic imagery in either band. Honestly, that's the ONLY thing (other than atheism or agnosticism) that would seem contradictory. If it's not contradictory for their to be VEGAN DEATH METAL!, I'm not sure why Christian hard rock is so out there.

Being a Christian in a rock band doesn't mean that one has to preach the gospel in the lyrics. I like more than a few artists of faith whose music is not preachy in any overt way (Damien Jurado, Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Glen Phillips, Sufjan Stevens, Bob Dylan!) and I don't SHARE their faith, but I don't find the music objectionable.

Even if this is true, if Tool or APC make another record that sounds EXACTLY like the old ones with no Christian overtones, will you be able to like it? Or will you hate it on principle?

The whole point of my post is that I think they could keep the same sound while being Christian... and that I think if he believes he *can't* play the same music after having found Jesus, then in that case, the change is just superficial.

Heck, I'd rather have singers sing what they believe, and not just the kind of stuff their target audience expects to hear. I don't care if a Tool album has Christian lyrics or their angry underground anti-authority lyrics...I just want them to make another album.

I'm sorry PE, I don't think that I was very clear. I meant that, I believe, most people of the faith don't only change their beliefs but their lifestyles as well. Religion is much more than just a belief in something, I think that "Lifestyle" may be a better term.

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Even if this is true, if Tool or APC make another record that sounds EXACTLY like the old ones with no Christian overtones, will you be able to like it? Or will you hate it on principle

You make an excellent point, and my answer is if he has indeed converted to christianity and creates equally good music as previously produced, I wouldn't mind. "Hating it on principal" seems immature, it is like saying that I will not like a band that I previously liked simply because someone in the band has different beliefs than myself.


Although Tool wouldn't even be considered close to "Satanic" for me, I think that it could frighten many Christians, simply because it is pretty harsh. "Die Eier Von Satan" is is spoken in German and for many Americans would have immediate connotations towards Hitler. Cheering, Screaming German, and Machinery in the background, the lyrics translated is actually a recipe for some "Special" brownies.

I'm not sure if this makes a lick of sense!

It does make sense. I was hoping you weren't gonna bail on the guy just because of faith. But, if he changes the style of the band(s), you've got grounds to complain that he's "sold out" in some way.

I like a band called Superdrag, but the singer's new solo record is VERY religious and overtly preachy in spots. I can't really get into it. So I know where you're coming from.

I've got friends who SWEAR there's good Christian hard rock. For my money, Starflyer 59 does good Christian psychedlic/shoegaze rock.

I think maybe some of you are missing the point as far as the Korn guy goes at least. Just because a group doesn't sing about satan doesn't mean their music is good for the mind or the soul. Just read some of Korn's lyrics on songs like A.D.I.D.A.S., Trash or X-Mas Song.

The thing is, it's not good enough to say you're a Christian, donate money to a good charity and go on living the way you have been. What goes in your mind comes out. What you think about is what you become.

I do agree that they don't need to stop making music. Just make good music. pE and I were recently discussing music we like. The bands we talked about make GREAT music and were not Christian groups but they also didn't need to sing about death, hate, rape and killing.

There is a Christian group that I really like called Relient K. They are more towards the sound of new melodic punk (like blink 182 or Simple Plan) but don't always sing about Jesus. They have some really cool tunes like "Be My Escape" and "High of 75".

I haven't met anyone who honestly likes "Korn" who has an IQ above 40. They have a cult-like following of people thinking they are "Badass" because they listen to bad "Metal." They just aren't good and I think that the extinction of "Korn" is a good thing. But, of course, I am sure that someone disagrees with me.

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I do agree that they don't need to stop making music. Just make good music. pE and I were recently discussing music we like. The bands we talked about make GREAT music and were not Christian groups but they also didn't need to sing about death, hate, rape and killing.

True, but really anything lyrical can be taken any way that the listener wants to take it. And, unfortunately, in most cases the said artists do not make clear their intention or meaning. System of a Down has had a lot of bad publicity because of a couple of their songs, namely "Chop Suey," but since music is poetic there is usually more than one way to take lyrics.

I used to like Korn...back before I started listening to real music. And I do think they're faaar less objectionable than a lot of the other hard rock and metal that gets played on the 'cool' stations like WAAF in Boston.

I would disagree and say that if you've truly and honestly converting to christianity, you will choose to spend your time doing things to better the community and better other peoples' lives. Otherwise, the change is merely an affectation. The people who go on TV and yell about how evil certain groups of people are instead of spending their time helping people and doing community work and making tangible benefits in peoples' lives -- they're not real, honest christians. They just like to use Christianity to feel high and mighty about themselves.

Have any of you ever even listened to Tool? Die Eier Von Satan is indeed a recipe being screamed in German, which is pretty funny and can't be construed as anti-Christian. But the lyrics to other, real songs... "Jump down, get off your f*&^ing cross, we need that f&%^ing space to nail the next fool martyr," etc, definitely place Tool in a solid anti-Christian light... If Maynard really has turned religious, it is a HUGE loss for the music community, and I think it's safe to say Tool will NOT be turning religious (thank god)...

Well, I believe that we have been tricked by a very clever April Fool's joke. This is under news at Toolbandd.com

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31 Mar 05

REMEMBER, DON”T KILL THE MESSENGER
You know the old saying, “no news is good news”, well… that was the case as far as the recording process was going for the new Tool CD, but now things may have changed a bit. Yesterday, when I went to the studio to give Maynard a bottle of wine (a 1992 Maya) for winning the bet that I had with him involving his new film “Sleeping Dogs Lie” (I lost by default, not being able to attend the Sedona screening), not only wasn’t Maynard there, but, in what seems to be a case of enantiodromia (something becoming its opposite) if ever there was one (!), I was told the reason why he wasn’t there. I wish this post was dated April 1, but, unfortunately, it isn’t. Like a doctor giving a patient a straight, honest answer to a medical diagnosis, without sugar-coating the truth, here’s exactly what I was told: “Maynard has found Jesus.” This will come as a complete shock to most (but not all) of you, as it did to me. In fact, it just seemed like another MJK prank until I talked to the one person who I believe would know if all this was legit or not. After nearly an hour on the phone with this person, the answer I received was that Maynard has indeed “found Jesus” and that, for this reason, he’s abandoned the project for the time being, if not entirely. I don’t know what the f**k is in the water these days, but hopefully a black jelly belly will turn up in that golden bowl… that’s all I can think to say at this point. Before leaving the studio, I watched as Danny made arrangements to go play some golf, while Adam and Justin kept working on a particular song. So, in case you missed it (those who don’t read the whole post), here’s today's news: Maynard has found Jesus…

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07 Apr 05

"Christians, huh? So forgive me." - Bill Hicks
Good news, April fools fans. The writing and recording is back under way. When approached for comment on his recent encounter with the Son of God, Maynard said, "That guy's a punk!"
As it turns out, Maynard was out "location scouting" near the Fourth Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles when he "found Jesus."
"Turns out he was here the whole time, and not that difficult to find if you know where to look," Maynard reported. Apparently Jesus offered him the position of campaign manager for his new line of "Holier Than Thou" sparkling holy water, which Maynard of course accepted. What wasn't obvious was that this guy is a total drunk. It's an occupational hazard. Every time our Lord goes to get a glass of water, it transforms into a generic grocery store Merlot. Because the alcoholic is the Son of God and an all-knowing being, he knew of Maynard’s extensive interest in collecting wine. So he went to work trying to get his lips on it. Maynard caught J.C. in his cellar transforming his precious wine collection into urine, then pissing it into the empty "sparkling holy water" bottles for the eventual sale to all those people who bought, read, and embraced "The Celestine Prophesy." Tragic.
"Truth be told," Maynard confessed, "I wasn't feeling top notch when I found him. The evening prior to the day in question I had over-indulged in a series of bad Molotov shrimp cocktails with a side of Makers Mark and twin strippers. So after an entire night of G.I. Blowouts, hot/cold sweats, and blurred vision, it's very possible that the guy I met wasn't even Jesus at all. For all I know, it was Willem Dafoe."

I don't know why I didn't bother actually looking at the website to begin with. But now we know. And apparently Tool is making a new album, I can't wait.



And as for Jenn, you make an interesting point but I really don't see Tool as an "Anti-Christian" band. As I said, one mustn't interpret lyrics because who know what that quote means? If every time we heard lyrics that could be taken as "Anti-Christian" we called the band "Anti-Christian" than much of today's music (From many different genres) would be termed that.

Well, it's a relief that Maynard didn't really find Jesus.

"Eulogy" isn't anti-christian. "Get off your fucking cross" isn't directed at Jesus -- it's directed at people who take vocal causes to the point of having delusions of grandeur. Like...self-important political activists. The christian imagery is intended to contrast against the man making himself a fool-martyr, to say 'you're not so great'.

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Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Well, it's a relief that Maynard didn't really find Jesus.

"Eulogy" isn't anti-christian. "Get off your fucking cross" isn't directed at Jesus -- it's directed at people who take vocal causes to the point of having delusions of grandeur. Like...self-important political activists. The christian imagery is intended to contrast against the man making himself a fool-martyr, to say 'you're not so great'.

I think one of the great things about Tool is that they write songs in such a way that they can be taken differently depending on your approach. I remember when Undertow was out in order to get the lyrics you had to send Tool your interpretation of the lyrics. I always found that to be an interesting idea. The band (or at least Maynard since he's the most vocal) is definitely opposed to chritianity. The theme occurs over the course of their releases. The song Opiate owes it's title to the famous Karl Marx quote "Religion is the opiate for the masses" and Judith from A Perfect Circle is pretty straightforward with the following:

"oh so many ways for me to show you how your savior has abandoned you
F**k your god, your lord, your christ
he did this took all you had
and left you this way
still you pray never stray
never taste of the fruit
never thought to question why
it's not like you killed someone
it's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed
he did it all for you"

I know if I became Christian I would have to distance myself from many of the things that define me just because I associate them strongly with my agnosticism and my general lifestyle choices. I can't even imagine what that would be like with millions of people looking on for my reaction.

By the way, it wasn't Jonathon Davis that left Korn for Jesus. Lead guitarist Brian "Head" Welch quit the band and plans to continue to record music that reflects his new viewpoint. Make of that what you will. Also, I considered myself a fan of Korn for some time as did many of my friends. I'm not claiming that the entire group was comprised of rocket scientists, but we had our fair share of accomplished students, all reasonably bright. I just never understand how often people use a difference of musical taste as a qualifier for intellect.

Well, American Idol has got to lower your intellect at least a little....and I don't know, in order to care that much about the performance aspect and that little about the creativity aspect, you can't be *too* bright...but beyond that, I think your musical taste is only an indicator of (If you listen just casually) what clique you belong to or (If you listen constantly) what kind of input from music your personality demands.

If I was to convert to Christianity...well, I'd be the same person I am right now, except in political/philosophical discussions I'd taut religious morals instead of secular morals such as Mill's harm principle.

Actually, I have a great respect for Christianity, and I'd probably strongly consider converting if I didn't hate the idea of trusting another person's moral authority unquestioningly. But, even if his lyrics are anti-Christian, he could just stop singing the anti-Christian songs and start writing songs that are pro-Christian instead of anti-Christian.

There are a few funny bits on this topic (include a pic of "Head" getting baptized!) in the new Rolling Stone.

My favorite comment, from Head, was that he tattooed "Jesus" on his hand to prevent himself from masturbating. Um...ok? Won't that just encourage him to become ambidextrous?

He's also appearently gone in with Stephen "Born Again" Baldwin to market and sell products to Christian skaters. Apparent, as Rob Sheffield notes, WJWD is sell products. He's also written a song in an attempt to convert 50 Cent to Christianity...

I've got no beef with the conversion, or with Christianity. It just strikes me as a little bit slimy when the primary thing you do, after conversion, is scheme to sell products while being critical of all of the people who fed your family when you were selling your "old" product.

Oh, yeah, converting to Christianity's all well and good. But what was it in the bible? Something about a 'den of thieves'...

If you're going to start hatefully judging everybody who doesn't convert to your beliefs...well, you're a jerk, whether you just converted or were christian your whole life. Last thing we need is another Jerry Falwell.