A Perfect Circle

Upon realeasing Mer De Noms, A Perfect Circle showed that they was nothing short of a supergroup, delivering Metal in a way that only they could. With songs like "3 Libras", we saw a side of Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan that we'd never thought existed. A great kick off to his and Billy Howerdel's partnership.

But once Paz Lenchantin and Troy Van Leeuwen left the group for different projects, the help of fellow metalists James Iha and Jeordie White (AKA Twiggy Ramirez, if that rings a bell :P), who would expect what was coming next for A Perfect Circle?

Then came Thirteenth Step. What a blow.

Thirteenth Step is an incredibly melodic album that hooks you in from beginning (The Package, Weak and Powerless) to end (Gravity) and just leaves you with that "wow" feeling that makes any music lover shiver. Maynard's singing takes a turn for the softer stuff in this album, and Josh Freese's awe-spiring drumming is definitely not getting any worse.

So what's the report on the newbies? First off, James Iha belongs with A Perfect Circle. It's just that simple. His technique combined with Billy's ideas just reach their peak once "Weak And Powerless" fires up, and just sucks you in, making you want to listen to the guitar on there over and over again. Next off, it's a big difference seeing Jeordie White not looking like a killer and actually smiling for a change, at the same time revealing on Thirteenth Step that he is one heck of a bassist.

For anyone who bothers to read this till the end (let's face it, our attention span gets shorter every day), I highly recommend Thirteenth Step, which at the same time stays true to APC's roots all while making beautifully sounding tracks that stay stuck in your head just as much as "I'm Too Sexy". Peace.

Simply love this album and never get tired of hearing it. I'm not a major Tool or Maynard fan, just really love this one. It really flows well from one track to the next and there are no weak songs. The lyrics/vocals are all exceptional, the percussion is phenomenal, and I love the heavy bass tempo. I usually can always can pick a favoite track from any album but not this one. I highly recommend. To hear some comparable music, check out the band Portal's Blood Red Tape (2008). It's in the mp3 section hear for samples and can also be had at cdbaby.

Possibly better than Lateralus. There isn't a weak track here. Pet and The Package are among my favorites. Where are they now?

A Perfect Circle sounds like Tool only with more melody and less attitude. My favorite song was " The Nurse Who Loves Me". It was a good CD to just put on and let it play through.

This is one of the best modern rock cds very original and the sound is great and flows well a very talented band a must have for any one who likes easy tunes also know that this is as good as it gets for a perfect circle

Ok this is the beggining of my favorit band a perfect circle and thair debut album mer de noms this album was supposed to be a side project of tool but after a few years it became more then just a side project it now has a side project of its own a band called puscifer

A perfect circle,s sound is smooth and slow the words are easy to hear and perfect

I reccomend this to any one a must buy for any modern rock fan

As a TOOL fan, I'm happy to say that this cd & all APC cd's (except Emotive) are better than TOOL. I have litterally worn out 3 of these cd's because it just doesn't get any better than this. I go 2-3 weeks without listening to anything else.
Hard, but softer than TOOL. Beautiful sounds. Brillant writing, vocals, guitar & drums.
If you like alternative music, this is a must have. 13 steps is a strong rival to this one too!

I've been listening to an undisclosed FM station on the east coast over the Internet and they give airplay to many bands that aren't played here in CowTown (because every danged radio station here in CowTown in owned by Clear Channel Communications ---- CCCP1, CCCP2 and CCCP3 are our radio stations, a joke for those of you from Cold War Soviet Union). Quite often I hear music that peaks the interest and "A Perfect Circle" is one such group. The sound is similar to "TooL", but with much better guitar licks, IMO. The song I heard on the Internet broadcast was...well I forgot what it was but it was on this alblum. After listening to the 30 second snips of each song hear, I downloaded all the MP3s of "Mer de Noms". I don't think you'll be disappointed.

"The Hollow" gave me hope. This album saved me in a of ways. Very powerful music. Music with an agenda that is left for the listener to determine. Awesome. 5 BIG STARS

I can listen to this entire album every day... at least ...and never get sick of it.

If you can't find appriciation for bands covering other bands' songs or more specifically how APC covers other bands' songs then you won't be capable of appreciating this album... but you won't know that until you listen to this specific album, right? Personally I don't mind when musicians I admire cover other bands and I admire APC -it's really a pretty simple outlook.

Granted this is not their best album but it's a product of the best supergroup ever created. With members (and former members) of The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Tool it would be more of a task to produce something bad rather than ASTONISHING. There are some great covers on here with the forementioned band members giving them eerie, somewhat depressing, twists. Some of my favorite covers being "When the Levee Breaks", "What's Going On?" and "Peace Love & Understanding". I'm also happy to mention that a track made it on here from yet another super supergroup identified as 'Tapeworm' a defunct project of Trent Reznor and Keenan. This original Tapeworm track was released as "Passive", a good song which makes me wonder what Tapeworm may have been capable of.

If you are new to APC then you may want to experience Mer De Noms or Thirteenth Step to know APC's more proper sound before picking eMOTIVe up off the store shelves. But don't be fooled by all these characters making it sound like this album isn't any good. There are some tracks that are borderline skipable but there are also some of the best APC songs on here namely, the covers I mentioned previously, their rendition of Imagine and the 'remix' of the song "Pet" off of the Thirteenth Step album this time more properly titled "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums". There's no way that this album is anything less than four stars. Keep in mind though that for some this is a good buy only after you've heard their first two releases.

I think Amazon should make a special exception to their star rating and allow zero stars for this album and only this album!

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE

That's my review. And I thought the 1st two CDs were awesome. A down right horrible album.

I'm a big fan of APC..and when this album came out, I actually didn't pay much attention to it; the fact that all the songs were basically covers kind of turned me away. However, I slowly started to discover each song individually, and now I enjoy much of the album. The covers "Imagine" and "What's Going On" are two of the best covers I've ever heard (and personally, I enjoy them better than the originals). "Counting Bodies..." is a fun song with a wicked intro. Recently, after hearing "Gimme" a couple times at a local sandwich store, I decided to download it. It's strange, but in a good way. I admit, the album isn't the best, and definitly not comparable to the first two albums. But, I don't think that was APC's intention in the first place. I feel it makes a terrific complementary album to the others. For an album made up of covers, it feels completely original. Buy and enjoy.

The album's strong theme of our own ignorant annihilation of each other is smartly divided into a progression of it happening. Like all great albums, you need to spend some time with it, make friends and it will reveal to you great emotion. If you are ignorant to class disparities, the real cost of war or how we are being treated by power, this album will probably just confuse you. In that case, sit back and enjoy the brilliantly written compositions.

I love this CD. You don't appreciate older songs these days until they are made with more modern sound. Definitely makes me want to go back and listen to all the good songs from older times. But APC did some awesome remakes and added a few bells and whistles to each song.

i think anyone who enjoyed the fragile era nin would enjoy the danny lohner songs here. he creates an atmosphere in the music he mixes and composes that it just feels so right. and if you're not a fan of instrumental, the david bowie track should get you. it has been one of the most beautiful songs I've heard lately and i can't stop listening to it. Why there isn't 5 stars going to this album is because of the random songs from less than awesome bands such as finch and dillinger escape plan, but overall a great album.

If you are looking for a good soundtrack -- this is not it. It was painful to move through the songs on the CD. Underworld Evolutions is excellent, try that one.

There are some very good songs on this album at first, but throughout the rest of the cd it becomes kind of dull and boring. Big fans of the movie will tend to like this a lot more than me, who just bought it for the music. Pusicifier and the remix of their song is worth the $16 in itself.

hey everyone who likes the Damning Well and Renholder if you don't know about black light burns and puscifer check them out.

i still find myself listening to this cd... this sound track does a wonderful job of mixing the hard and heavy with soothing and mellow...

its a somber experience...

Ok this is the beggining of my favorit band a perfect circle and thair debut album mer de noms this album was supposed to be a side project of tool but after a few years it became more then just a side project it now has a side project of its own a band called puscifer

A perfect circle,s sound is smooth and slow the words are easy to hear and perfect

I reccomend this to any one a must buy for any modern rock fan

As a TOOL fan, I'm happy to say that this cd & all APC cd's (except Emotive) are better than TOOL. I have litterally worn out 3 of these cd's because it just doesn't get any better than this. I go 2-3 weeks without listening to anything else.
Hard, but softer than TOOL. Beautiful sounds. Brillant writing, vocals, guitar & drums.
If you like alternative music, this is a must have. 13 steps is a strong rival to this one too!

I've been listening to an undisclosed FM station on the east coast over the Internet and they give airplay to many bands that aren't played here in CowTown (because every danged radio station here in CowTown in owned by Clear Channel Communications ---- CCCP1, CCCP2 and CCCP3 are our radio stations, a joke for those of you from Cold War Soviet Union). Quite often I hear music that peaks the interest and "A Perfect Circle" is one such group. The sound is similar to "TooL", but with much better guitar licks, IMO. The song I heard on the Internet broadcast was...well I forgot what it was but it was on this alblum. After listening to the 30 second snips of each song hear, I downloaded all the MP3s of "Mer de Noms". I don't think you'll be disappointed.

"The Hollow" gave me hope. This album saved me in a of ways. Very powerful music. Music with an agenda that is left for the listener to determine. Awesome. 5 BIG STARS

I can listen to this entire album every day... at least ...and never get sick of it.

When I first heard about this band, it was on their commercial. At first I thought they were going to be a minute band that will be forgotten within a couple of months or so (Like alot of Blink182 wannabes). Then I heard the words, (...) your God!" and I my Atheistic mind was immediately drawned in. I saw the Judith video every once in a while on MTV2, after a while I decided to download the Judith mp3. I listened to the song for a complete week untill I finally decided to buy the album. I was blown away. I haven't heard a rock album this good since Nirvana's Nevermind, honestly. All the songs are undescribably beautiful and artistic. It's been 2-3 years since I first bought the album and I still can't stop listenning to it. My favorite songs are: Magdalena, Judith, 3 Libras and Brena. I really love Brena because I can really relate to it and every night I would sing it hoping that I will meet my Brena. Out of a scale of 1-10, I give it 100.

This review is meant to give specifics on the EDITED VERSION of "Mer De Noms." The Explicit Content label on the normal version of this CD was due to a sole lyric in the song "Judith" (there was no swearing anywhere else on the album). So only one song needed any editing, and it has been taken care of nicely and effectively on this version of the CD.

The line "**** your god, your lord, your christ" has been changed to the more subtle "THANK your god, your lord, your christ" (this was the version of the song used for radio/video). Instead of harsh language, poignant sarcasm is used to get the same point across.

And about the point in question; I am a born again Christian, so I can sypathize with the issues many listeners have about "Judith." The way I see it, good art can convey truths and feelings from many points of view, whether you yourself agree with these points of view or not. People do indeed get frustrated with Christianity and with God himself. The song "Judith" depicts a man questioning and outright lashing out at the idea of Christianity. Listening to the song doesn't mean you necessarily "support" or "agree with" the idea; you're just experiencing someone else's expression, the same way you experience someone else's expression when you read, say, the book of Job. Furthermore, questioning the idea of faith isn't necessarily a bad thing. We should all question things for ourselves, rather than blindly accepting based on what family or church tells us. Indeed, it is this blind faith that never questions which is the real target of "Judith." Also notice the wording in the song: "YOUR god, YOUR lord, YOUR christ." This attack is not necessarily against God himself, but rather may be an attack on the deformed concept of God that many people subscribe to (which can cause far more harm than good). Indeed, many of my own struggles with Christianity came from just such a problem - it wasn't really God that was my problem, it was the false concept of God that other people had conveyed to me. It wasn't God himself, but THEIR god, THEIR christ that was the root of my problems. What I needed was to find the true source; until then, everything was a futile, frustrating effort. Whether this idea was the band's intention or not is up for debate; however, the song definitely makes you think, which is what good art does.

The song is even more intruguing when considered in a larger context. On A Perfect Circle's second album, "Thirteenth Step," the final song repeats the chorus "catch me, heal me / lift me back up to the sun; I choose to live." The song seemingly seems to be about letting yourself go and embracing... faith? If this really is the case, then the A Perfect Circle catalogue ends up telling a truly inspiring tale... a man lashing out against faith, then finally latching onto it when all else has failed. Again, the intention is up for debate. My recommendation would be to buy both albums and judge for yourself.

But I've wandered from the point here... what you need to know about the edited version is that the most potentially offensive line has been changed. So if you had been avoiding this CD specifically because of that one line (as I did, up until I realized an alternate version was available), you may want to finally give Mer De Noms a look.

Now what more can anyone ask for? This is one of the best bands that there ever was! This is a Cd that helps you relax, and just makes you happy. If you want a cd that has an amazing lead singer, one with an outstanding voice, then beleave me you want this cd. If you want a cd that has more instuments then just the drums, and the guitar, then this is it. Like I asked before, what more can anyone ask for? A Perfect Circle+A Perfect Cd=A Perfect Band. SO go out and buy the cd, you'll like it.

Now what more can anyone ask for? This is one of the best bands that there ever was! This is a Cd that helps you relax, and just makes you happy. If you want a cd that has an amazing lead singer, one with an outstanding voice, then beleave me you want this cd. If you want a cd that has more instuments then just the drums, and the guitar, then this is it. Like I asked before, what more can anyone ask for? A Perfect Circle+A Perfect Cd=A Perfect Band. SO go out and buy the cd, you'll like it.

Well, this certainly is a surprise. A pleasant one, though. When I picked up Mer De Noms, I had only heard 'Judith' when it first came out, and being the idiot Korn-listening child I was back then, I wrote it off quickly. But once I picked up Lateralus (also a great album) and was entranced by Maynard's lyrics and voice, I decided to look into Mer De Noms once again, just to make sure. I was a bit reluctant to spend my hard-earned fifteen dollars for a CD I might not like, but I took a chance, and am very happy I did. This CD, contary to popular belief, is not like Tool, though it is in the same category of goodness as Tool. A Perfect Circle's songs are a bit more...hard to explain, and the lyrics are a bit more "rainy day" type stuff, but it's hard not to like them. Mer De Noms is pretty much a mixed bag of tranquil, insightful songs, and hard, insightful songs.My personal favorite would probably be Orestes, just because it sounds very subdued, but you figure out it's a powerful song upon listening a few times. Magdalena's good, too. Try listening to that on a personal CD player at night, when everything's quiet. It's pretty spooky. >.> All in all, Mer De Noms is a great album, and I encourage you to look into it. Oh...and Paz is hot, too. *blushes* Ah well...

The great choice to put "Blue" and "Weak and Powerless" on one single. I guess if you listen this wou will run to record store to buy the whole album. You can compare both songs with the best Tool stuffs or even Smashing Pumpkins (Adore album).

When I got this single I was'nt expecting much. I knew I liked "Weak and Powerless", but it's been so long since I heard it that I forgot how beautiful it is. And I usually dont like remixes, but this one is great. It doesnt have that awful addition of tacky dance music or the distortion of vocals, which is one of the reasons it turned out so well. I would recommend this to anyone.

Track#1) Weak And Powerless (Originally appears on Thirteenth Step)
If you haven't heard anything by this band yet this is a good first single to hear . . it gives you a good idea what the band sounds like and what to expect from the full length CD (Thirteenth Step) . . this particular song however is not the best song on the full length CD . . (3/5)

Track#2) Blue [Remix] (The original appears on Thirteenth Step)
This is a remix done by James Iha (formally of The Smashing Pumpkins, now a member of A Perfect Circle) and Geoff Sanoff (a bassist who has worked on various albums as an engineer, producer, etc) . . as remixes go this one isn't bad at all . . compared to the original version of the song it's just as good . . no better . . no worse . . the original in my opinion is much darker and layered . . but this version breathes new life into the song if you have heard the original too many times . . (3/5)

Conclusion: If you are a fan of A Perfect Circle then I suggest you buy this . . if you aren't, then use your best judgment . . it is a cheap CD, but only worth it if you like hearing different versions of songs . . in this case just one different version

I don't think APC could've picked a better first single than, "Weak and Powerless." "Blue," makes sense as a B-side release. It is not as heavy as the single, and I believe it leaves APC fans thirsting for more. I hope they plan to release, "The Outsider," as their next single, I think it is more heavier in sound than in, "Weak and Powerless." In either case though, Maynard's voice is simply beautiful...APC rocks!!!

Being a fan of A PERFECT CIRCLE, when I saw this item I had to buy it out of principal. Unlike the band's other CD singles (from MER DE NOMS) that lack new and interesting material, this one has a pretty good electronic remix of the song BLUE that rivals the original song. It's a little light though, and leaves the avid listener with a still thirsty ear. A must have for collectors of APC booty.

If you can't find appriciation for bands covering other bands' songs or more specifically how APC covers other bands' songs then you won't be capable of appreciating this album... but you won't know that until you listen to this specific album, right? Personally I don't mind when musicians I admire cover other bands and I admire APC -it's really a pretty simple outlook.

Granted this is not their best album but it's a product of the best supergroup ever created. With members (and former members) of The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Tool it would be more of a task to produce something bad rather than ASTONISHING. There are some great covers on here with the forementioned band members giving them eerie, somewhat depressing, twists. Some of my favorite covers being "When the Levee Breaks", "What's Going On?" and "Peace Love & Understanding". I'm also happy to mention that a track made it on here from yet another super supergroup identified as 'Tapeworm' a defunct project of Trent Reznor and Keenan. This original Tapeworm track was released as "Passive", a good song which makes me wonder what Tapeworm may have been capable of.

If you are new to APC then you may want to experience Mer De Noms or Thirteenth Step to know APC's more proper sound before picking eMOTIVe up off the store shelves. But don't be fooled by all these characters making it sound like this album isn't any good. There are some tracks that are borderline skipable but there are also some of the best APC songs on here namely, the covers I mentioned previously, their rendition of Imagine and the 'remix' of the song "Pet" off of the Thirteenth Step album this time more properly titled "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums". There's no way that this album is anything less than four stars. Keep in mind though that for some this is a good buy only after you've heard their first two releases.

I think Amazon should make a special exception to their star rating and allow zero stars for this album and only this album!

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE

That's my review. And I thought the 1st two CDs were awesome. A down right horrible album.

I'm a big fan of APC..and when this album came out, I actually didn't pay much attention to it; the fact that all the songs were basically covers kind of turned me away. However, I slowly started to discover each song individually, and now I enjoy much of the album. The covers "Imagine" and "What's Going On" are two of the best covers I've ever heard (and personally, I enjoy them better than the originals). "Counting Bodies..." is a fun song with a wicked intro. Recently, after hearing "Gimme" a couple times at a local sandwich store, I decided to download it. It's strange, but in a good way. I admit, the album isn't the best, and definitly not comparable to the first two albums. But, I don't think that was APC's intention in the first place. I feel it makes a terrific complementary album to the others. For an album made up of covers, it feels completely original. Buy and enjoy.

The album's strong theme of our own ignorant annihilation of each other is smartly divided into a progression of it happening. Like all great albums, you need to spend some time with it, make friends and it will reveal to you great emotion. If you are ignorant to class disparities, the real cost of war or how we are being treated by power, this album will probably just confuse you. In that case, sit back and enjoy the brilliantly written compositions.

I love this CD. You don't appreciate older songs these days until they are made with more modern sound. Definitely makes me want to go back and listen to all the good songs from older times. But APC did some awesome remakes and added a few bells and whistles to each song.

everybody i just want to say.... maynard does write the lyric's.... billy howerdell writes the music

Many people question who exactly is singing on the demo of "Orestes"...well, it is none other than Billy Howerdel himself. The track is amazing. You have to listen to it. Also, the live tracks are a real bonus ("Magdelena" is simply amazing in a live setting, second only to "Rose" for live amazingness).

The Judith cd single is an awesome start for any Perfect Circle fan, however it is a must have to a fan who already is into A Perfect Circle. This is a great cd featuring obviously "Judith" but thats not all there are also 2 live recordings which sound excellent. The live recordings are a good thing because thats what the fans want an Billy Howerdel gives us it with this single. Another thing I must stress to you all is although A Perfect Circle has vocals by Maynard James Keenan all of the songs were written by Billy Howerdell so although I am a Maynard/Tool fan give the guy some credit. His demo version of Orestes sounds awesome accoustic so buy it it's worthy of your money.

Maynard, orinally of Tool has done nothing but amaze the music industry since his first cd release "Opitate" with Tool, There is nothing less than this contained on A Perfect Circles single albums. If you enjoy Maynard's work then check out the new Deftones CD as you may be incredibly suprised by what you find.

This is the first single, and as faw as i'm concerned... The best song on Mer De Noms. It's got Judith on it of coarse, which is just a step up of being more Tool-like then the rest of APC's songs. It has a live version of Magdalena and Brena, which are OK. But my favorite extra track is the Orestes demo. It basically sounds like the normal one, but it's sang by the lead guiterist of the group. Pretty cool. The only reason I gave this single 4 out of 5 stars is because they didn't include a video clip of Judith... That would of made sence if they were to do that don't you think..?