Alternative rock outfit Puscifer have announced a February 06th release date for their first new album in five years, “Normal Isn’t“. A wealth of collaborators were brought in to guest on this fifth studio album from the group, including vocalist Maynard James Keenan‘s Tool bandmate Danny Carey, who guests on drums on “Seven One“.
Greg Edwards (Failure) also appears on the record, having served as a touring bassist for the group for several years now. He’s not the only member of the band’s touring ensemble to make it onto the record, as drummer Gunnar Olsen is also featured, as is drummer Sarah Jones, who has worked with the group in the past.
Further guests include Ian Ross, father of Nine Inch Nails‘ Atticus Ross, providing narration on the track “Seven One“). Renowned bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson, etc.) also lent his talents to “Seven One” as well as the album’s title track.
Keenan mentioned that this new record leans further into his post-punk influences, offering: “We’re definitely leaning into our early influences. It’s the place where goth meets punk. It’s where I came from.” Keenan also took a more direct role in the writing of this record, presenting his bandmates with full song ideas. That increased level of output changed the studio dynamic for the band. Co-vocalist Carina Round remarked of that:
“Instead of just saying, ‘I want this to sound like Fleetwood Mac on cocaine if they had a baby with PJ Harvey,’ Maynard was showing us his intention, which was really cool. In Puscifer, any idea can totally change without any preciousness, and everybody is on board – not unlike an insane asylum. We found each other because we’re demented in a symbiotic way.”
Guitarist, bassist, producer, etc. Mat Mitchell added of vision for the record, “From the outset, we had discussed an element of rawness and edge, which guitar brings. We got rid of the guard rails and made the music more aggressive.”
As for the title and loose concept, Keenan stated:
“‘Normal Isn’t‘ reflects this time we are living in. As storytellers and artists, our job is to observe, interpret, and report. We take in our environment and share what we see, and what we see around us does not appear normal. Not by a long shot.”
“Normal Isn’t” track listing:
01 – “Thrust“
02 – “Normal Isn’t“
03 – “Bad Wolf“
04 – “Self Evident“
05 – “A Public Stoning“
06 – “The Quiet Parts“
07 – “Mantastic“
08 – “Pendulum“
09 – “ImpetuoUs“
10 – “Seven One” (feat. Danny Carey of Tool & Ian Ross)
11 – “The Algorithm” (Sessanta Live Mix)
Pre-orders can be snagged now via Puscifer.lnk.to/NormalIsnt. This past August saw Puscifer preview this new album live onstage in a phone-free event held at The Exchange in Los Angeles, CA. It was during that show that the below music video for the lead single “Self Evident” was filmed. Ever the man of many hats, Mat Mitchell co-directed that clip alongside María Aceves Diego.
Outside of the new musical output, Puscifer have also set the dates for a spring 2026 U.S. tour with comedian Dave Hill opening:
03/20 Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
03/21 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
03/24 Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall
03/25 Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park
03/27 Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle
03/28 Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
03/31 Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
04/01 Durham, NC – DPAC – Durham Performing Arts Center
04/03 Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
04/04 Boston, MA – Boch Center – Wang Theatre
04/07 New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/08 Hershey, PA – Hershey Theatre
04/10 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
04/11 Atlantic City, NJ – Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort
04/15 Niagara Falls, ON – OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
04/16 Akron, OH – Akron Civic Theatre
04/18 Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
04/19 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
04/21 Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
04/23 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
04/25 Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
04/26 Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live
04/28 Madison, WI – The Sylvee
04/30 St. Louis, MO – The Factory
05/01 Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
05/03 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
05/05 Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
05/08 Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds
05/09 Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
05/11 San Francisco, CA – Golden Gate Theatre
05/13 San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theatre
05/14 Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
