Puscifer’s 2021 single release of “Bullet Train To Iowa” is in line with previous Puscifer songs. The band has had it’s way with creativity, and Maynard James Keenan is a master of audio innovation. Believe it! Here’s the proof: Maynard is the sole front man of TOOL, A Perfect Circle & Puscifer over the last thirty years. TOOL has released five hugely successful studio albums. A Perfect Circle has released four critically acclaimed works, and Puscifer has released four full length albums. All this, and we didn’t even list off all the collaborations, compilations and other projects the man has been involved with (Deftones’ “Passenger” comes to mind).
From Pucsifer’s “Existential Reckoning”
But Puscifer’s “Bullet Train To Iowa” seems to find a new, fun and playful vein of Maynard’s faux solo work. The song itself is light, airy and kinetic, feeling like a coma-laced heroin trip right out of rehab. Not that I’ve ever done heroin, but I would imagine the best smack trip is right after a months-long cleansing when you are ripe and full of goodness. The song really sets in nicely with Keenan’s “choo choo” and Carina Round’s “hoo hoo” chants. It reads comical, but it isn’t. The song, the seventh track from Puscifer’s fourth studio album Existential Reckoning, is every bit a trip it promises to be.
Nevertheless, the video for Puscifer’s “Bullet Train To Iowa” is comical in every sense. In fact, the theatrical set up to the music-side of the video lasts three and a half minutes before the song even starts. But its well worth it. The video sees Maynard as character Billy D, and other famous faces lace the intro throughout. I don’t want to give the ending away too much (actually, it doesn’t matter) but the short film ends with riding Airstream trailer train, being abducted by aliens, and not tipping the “bartesians” even though character Billy D had a roll of quarters in his anus. See the full “Bullet Train To Iowa” video below. Enjoy!