Even though Puscifer's V Is for Vagina was masterminded by supertalent Maynard James Keenan (Tool and A Perfect Circle) and despite contributions from Primus drummer Tim Alexander, guitarist Jonny Polonsky, vocalist Lisa Germano, and actress Milla Jovovich, the record was panned as a sleeper of 2007. Because it wasn't taken very seriously -- partly due to the ridiculous cover, partly due to the inane lyrics of "Cuntry Boner," and partly due to the fact that Tool fans were utterly confused by the music -- it's a bit of a shock that the material is revisited on V Is for Viagra: The Remixes. It's a pleasant surprise, though, since in a lot of ways the remixes better the originals. Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, Danny Lohner of Nine Inch Nails, Paul Barker of Ministry, and Aaron Turner of Isis all turn in solid downbeat versions that add some sparkle to the melancholy, and Richard Devine's glitched and bent mix of "Queen B" is an innovative showing of reinterpretation through deconstruction. Maynard's baritone drawl remains the centerpiece of the songs, while murky beats and dark moods shift around the vocals sleepily. It's brooding chill music much in the vein of Alabama 3's theme song from The Sopranos, or Mike Patton's Peeping Tom venture. The grooves are still dark and sinister, and the different styles of the 12 remixers make the listening experience less monotonous than before. The bonus track is a lowbrow throwaway disco version of "Cuntry Boner" -- one that's either so bad it's kind of funny, or so juvenile that it's just plain old corny -- and it acts as a jokey reminder that this is a band that got its start as a fictional band on Mr. Show and is not an artsy concept that should be taken too seriously, even though at times it's easy to forget that and get lost in the murky groove.
© Jason Lymangrover /TiVo