Maynard isn't the reason I listen to Tool, really. I'm a big fan of Danny and Adam and think that the stuff they come up with is amazing. Maynard is a great metal vocalist, but like all rock stars, he's full of himself. I think the lyrics on the Lateralus album are amazing, though, and indicate that he's capable of really remarkable stuff, too. Having said all that, I'll say that I think that A Perfect Circle is basically Maynard's chance to shine, since he's the most talented member of the group... unfortunately, he knows that, and gets more full of himself than ever on their albums. I'd call A Perfect Circle a poor man's Tool, with the same vocalist, cheesier lyrics, weaker overall songwriting, and a lot more pretension. They've yet to do an album... or even more than a couple of songs... that impress me. But what the hell do I know?
Darrell - I have to make an admission about Tool - I'm not much of a metal fan anymore. I listen primarily to them still because I like Maynard. So A Perfect Circle is much more my style because it isn't as heavy.
Hey, have you guys reviewed Some Kind of Monster on this blog?