With its sophomore effort, THIRTEENTH STEP, A Perfect Circle permanently sheds any clinging notions of being a Tool side-project. Although Maynard James Keenan's plaintive vocals immediately conjure up thoughts of his other outfit, APC distinguishes itself by furthering the melodic elements present on the group's first outing, MER DE NOMS. "The Package" starts things off slowly, with a foreboding guitar line and minimal drum cadence that gradually build into a full-blown Sabbath-like dirge. Carried along by the fluid bass playing of Jeordie White (formerly known as Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson), "The Noose" gives a tip of the hat to the Cure's gloomiest work, while White and guitarist Billy Howerdel create an entrancingly chiming bass/guitar tapestry on "Blue."
Though many of the album's tracks surge with APC's powerful metal riffs, the folky "A Stranger" and the lush "The Nurse Who Loved Me" both feature Keenan's voice supported by a gorgeous bed of strings and little else. A cycle that touches on themes of corruption, despair, and redemption, THIRTEENTH STEP is brought to a fitting conclusion by "Gravity," a powerful song that captures both the dark and light aspects of this fascinating band.
Musicians came and went within the circle of A Perfect Circle. On their second album (2003), the band's founders-Tool's singer Maynard Kennan and Tool's talented guitar tech Billy Howerdel-lead the way, with key contributions by guitarists Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) and Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Limp Bizkit, Mark Lanegan). Together, they created an intense, dark, intoxicating concoction of alternative metal, and it sure struck a chord, soaring to #2 and sending a series of intriguing tracks to rock radio. This was certified platinum back then and comes to 180-gram vinyl now: "Weak and Powerless," "The Outsider," "Blue," "The Package," "Pet," "Vanishing," "The Noose" and more.
A Perfect Circle: Maynard James Keenan (vocals, gourd); Billy Howerdel (guitar, piano, bass, programming, background vocals); Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar); Jeordie White (bass); Josh Freese (drums, percussion).
- Genre: Rock, Alternative
- Format: Vinyl
Track Listings
1 The Package
2 Weak and Powerless
3 The Noose
4 Blue
5 Vanishing
6 A Stranger
7 The Outsider
8 Crimes
9 The Nurse Who Loved Me
10 Pet
11 Lullaby
12 Gravity
