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A Perfect Circle

Mer De Noms  Hear it Now

RS: 2.5of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4.5of 5 Stars

2000

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Rush, the mid-seventies titans of stun-gun hard rock and songs about forest gnomes, must have been a formative influence on Billy Howerdel. A guitar tech for Tool, Howerdel began his own group, A Perfect Circle, as a labor of love and a vehicle for writing theatrical instrumental rock for weird imaginary movies. Then the guitarist shortened the songs, imagining them as diva turns. Enter Tool's occasionally dress-wearing singer, Maynard James Keenan, who added an almost operatic angst to Howerdel's songs and who characterizes A Perfect Circle as "a right-brain, feminine result." Eccentric, melodramatic and perpetually yearning for transcendence of some sort, Keenan blesses the strafing, Smashing Pumpkins-damaged riffage of "Judith" with biblical references, including lyrics like, "He did it all for you." Howerdel's trippy atmospherics are compelling in a corny sort of way, and Keenan's howling, swooning style must be an antidote for any boy feeling guilty about being part of the patriarchy. But when the singer is wailing to his audience that he can "heal you" (in the roiling rock fairy tale, "Sleeping Beauty") and the songs rise and fall like the dusty curtain in a high school auditorium, A Perfect Circle return us to the daze of prog rock. Still, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and even Rush, silly as they were, engaged in an innovative reimagining of what rock music could be. A Perfect Circle sound like a desperate dream of what rock used to be. Maybe that's the point. (RS 842)


PAT BLASHILL



(Posted: Jun 8, 2000)

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Review 1 of 4

symphox writes:

5of 5 Stars


PAT BLASHIL?? WTF You should be fired FOR GIVING THIS ALBUM 2.5 STARS.... LEARN TO LISTEN TO MUSIC INSTEAD OF GLANCING AT IT, SO TO SPEAK... I bet you were expecting a hard rock odyssey sounding like tool... and just because it has alot more emotion and vision you give it 2.5 stars... GO KY!

Apr 2, 2008 19:05:29

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Review 2 of 4

LOVEthroughMUSIC writes:

4of 5 Stars


True artistry and emotion is sidelined for popularity and seniority at good ol rollin stone. If its really popular its usually bumped up a half point or more, and if its by someone from the last generation it is also given a half star or more extra.<br>If its hard rock(not necessarily hard in the sense of the volume, but rather the intensity), expect it to lose half a point or so.<br>This album certainly gets written off as artsy and pretentious(which is lingo for we dont understand it). It reminds me of a pop music critic trying to review jazz or worse classical.<br>What confuses me the most is that rs would rate APC albums worse than Tool albums. Now, I love tool and think they are the incarnation raw passion, but knowing rs, one would think they would appreciate APC stuff more seeing as its slightly easier to chew on. I suspect my 'popularity bonus' comes into effect here. APC just doesn't have the numbers that Tool does, so RS rates them less.

Mar 12, 2008 11:49:34

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Review 3 of 4

betweenthesounds writes:

4of 5 Stars


I'm going to have to concur with the previous post- the Rolling Stone review above must have been written by a deaf-mute heroin addict in solitary confinement. The severe lack of musical taste above is blundering to say the least and does an awful job of discrediting Mer de Noms. This is still, to date, one of my favorite albums from the last fifteen years. In terms of aesthetics and pure hard drive, few and far between come close. The balance between Troy and Billy transcends plastered metal riffs, rather displays a cohesive, melodic effort to craft explorative guitar leads. In a reenforcement role, Paz Lenchantin comes through in full on the bass as well as delivering some string arrangements which furthers the "feminine" aspect of the music and contributing to the etheral dimension of the music. Josh Freese doesn't disappoint in the least, especially on 'Judith' where his fills are nearly suffocating. Last and nowhere near least, MJK reveals a dual personality and shows us a more vulnerable and emotional side of himself that is convoluted in Tool's cryptic world. Altogether, five musical masters casting ink on the same canvas could produce nothing other than such an artistic trimuph. Mer De Noms was not only a reminder of why rock was and is King, but also a reassuring testament that the direction that rock is going is bright indeed.

May 18, 2007 11:49:15

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Review 4 of 4

slashgnfnr206 writes:

5of 5 Stars


All I can say is the guy who wrote the rolling stone review for
this one is an idiot. its a beautiful album and sounds like
nothing else. pat blashill doesnt know anything.

Mar 1, 2007 21:55:48

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