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A PERFECT CIRCLE - Thirteenth Step
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's Perfect Circle project
is now on their second album. Obviously it has a touch of Tool
all over it, in far more subdued tones, but don't for a moment think they
don't punch through the barrier at just the right moments - it is still
Rock after all folks, not Pop. Keenan's great voice is only one of the
many strong points, projecting a fragile volatility without total surrender,
holding onto a commanding sense of control behind its sensitivity. That
this album comes from a darker place is also no surprise if you have a
grasp of the man's mindset. Great lyrics, amazing compositions and its
tangible realm sets this way apart from most straight forward Rock attempts.
The rest of the band includes guitarist Billy Howerdel and drummer Josh
Freese, who has been a busy boy, filling in for bands like Evanescence
and 12 Stones. Jeordie White, aka Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn
Manson fame has joined on bass guitar. The live incarnation of A
Perfect Circle also includes ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist
James Iha. The thirteenth step on this 12-track album is non existent.
Silence is an often-overlooked essential part of the audio experience.
Additional post-production genius is sprinkled onto the mix by Andy Wallace.
If naked blonde ladies make you grin but weird slugs freak you out, just
tell yourself it's a yellow chili pepper on the cover design…
5 / A
- PB
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