A Perfect Circle Album: “Mer de Noms”

I'll be honest, I never liked Tool. I always admired Maynard James Keenan and thought he was an amazing vocalist, but I never really got into Tool. Their sound just didn't appeal to me. But I when I heard Mer De Noms, I immediately fell in love with A Perfect Circle. In fact, I love A Perfect Circle so much that I can easily call them one of my favorite bands.

Their sound varies significantly from Tool and other Hard Rock bands. A Perfect Circle's music is very brooding and eloquent...they create a very dark atmosphere that really pulls you into the songs. Maynard further proves how amazing a vocalist he is as he brings the haunting lyrics to life with hypnotic and trance-inducing vocals. His talent really shines in the amazing ballad "Orestes", the first single "Judith", and my favorite song on the album, "Thinking Of You". But as the name suggests, he's not the only member of the band. Billy Howerdel is a great guitarist and composer, Josh Freese is a very experienced drummer, and Paz Lenchantin and Troy Van Leeuwen are talented musicians as well.

Although I was completely blown away with this album, I can't confidently say that others will be as well. I'm sure many people bought Mer De Noms after hearing Judith on the radio or television and expected the rest of the songs to be just like it, but instead finding them to be much more mellow, and were disappointed. So my advice is to buy this CD with an open mind, and not to expect the hardest of rock, but instead very melodic and slow rock music that you can practically fall asleep to. I will admit that it has its flaws, but it achieves what it sets out to do and then some. Mer De Noms is a five star debut from a very talented band that we'll all be hearing from a lot more.

Faced with stiff criticism due to the much-hyped frontman, A Perfect Circle has found both a blessing and a curse in Keenan, of Tool fame. Whilst Keenan has brought in numerous fans with his participation, he has also brought an unfair comparison: A Perfect Circle is not Tool. A lead singer does not a band make. But, with eloquent, brooding lyrics, exquisite vocals, and above-average musical content, Mer De Noms is a strong start for this promising new band. The standout songs, such as "Magdalena", "Three Libras", and "Rose", offer hauntingly powerful music which carries the desperate intensity of Keenan's singing well. Though there are some skippable tracks - some songs may linger or fail to catch you - the album pleases more than not, and won't leave you wondering why you didn't just download that one song you liked on mp3. Considering the shaky MTV-fed cash cow music bloating the industry, I think it's about time I've felt good about buying a CD to support talented musicians worth my money. Give it a listen and decide for yourself.

Though Maynard does not consider A Perfect Circle a side project, one can't help but relate the venture to Tool's previous albums. Where Tool scrapes the bone of pure angst and despair, A Perfect Circle reaches for resolved and passive sadness, often a much more beautiful than gritty touch. The album itself, a structured display of emotions, takes the emotional content of Tool and changes it into a glorious outcry. Though nowhere near musical ingenuity, as Tool has done with their music, Mer de Noms is a display of beauty through simple form and subtle drive.

I've noticed that most of the fans that do not seem to enjoy Mer de Noms cite the fact that APC are just a watered-down version of Tool. While that is somewhat true (APC are nowhere near as hard as Tool) I think it is irrelevent. I happen to be a fan of both bands and I enjoy them for different reasons. Tool is more masculine; they're aggressive, and the lyrics are more direct and religious.

The beauty of Mer de Noms (which is more in touch with the feminine side) is its dynamics. The CD is simply atmospheric and we get to hear the full beauty of Maynard's voice because he actually sings. The lyrics are not as direct but they intrigue me nonetheless as they seem to have a philosophical air to them as well as religion. Musically, the CD is not as complex as your typcial Tool album but APC are a different band that (SHOCK!) have a different agenda than Tool. The Hollow, Judith, Sleeping Beauty and Thinking of You are all incredibly atmospheric rockers but it is the more soft, dreamy, almost sensual tracks like Rose, 3 Libras, Brena and Orestes that are the crown jewels of Mer de Noms. If you buy this album cause you think it's gonna be another Tool cd you will be disappointed. However, if you enjoy the sound of Maynard's killer voice and want to hear the full beauty of it, and you like atmospheric rock, you should be very pleased with Mer de Noms.

A Perfect Circle first caught my attention with the awesome single "Judith" and I was really impressed with their set when they opened for Nine Inch Nails on May 2. I just bought the CD and it is excellent - melodic, mellow, and powerful, utilizing various stringed and percussion instruments as well as hypnotic vocals to create the mood of each song. I refuse to compare this CD to anything by Tool because I believe A Perfect Circle is not simply a side project for Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan; this band can definitely hold its own against anything released in the past 10 years or so. Songs that stood out on this album include "Magdalena," "Judith," "Orestes" and "Thomas." My only criticism of "Mer de Noms" is that some of the songs seemed unfinished or cut short before the musical climax was reached. Nevertheless, I highly recommend "Mer de Noms" and hope to hear more from A Perfect Circle.