Today's post brings me to what is my favorite alternative metal album. Come to think of it, this album established a new genre all its own called 'Art Rock.' The first time I heard A Perfect Circle's debut album 'Mer De Noms' (Sea of Names) was back in 2000. Their first album was groundbreaking in the sense that James Maynard Keenan fused the complex sounds of his other band 'Tool' with a melodic metal sound. More in the review..



I initially bought this casette (later CD)because of its beautiful cover. But after just one listen I learned that the cover accurrately depicts what they go for, beautiful music. Whether it is heavy or melodic, they create some of the best music that's out today. A Perfect Circle has the gift of being able to conjure up images through their music. Very few bands have that ability these days, nor does anyone really try.

Maynard writes some of the best, most eccentric lyrics out these days and he does it with little problem. His voice is your guide through this epic journey that just doesn't stop. After the last note of the last song you feel that you have just finished the journey of your life. Every song on here pulls out all stops and flows perfectly. A lot of bands these days hit a rough spot or two during a song, but this band, no matter what tempo of music they're playing, just glides through every song with ease. The texture created blends utterly amazingly with Maynard's voice.

This CD starts off with The Hollow. Possibly one of my favorite songs on here. The lyrics are great and the instrumentation is absolutely perfect for the mood of this song. 3 Libras is one of the slower songs on here, but don't let that drive you away from it. This song is so thick with emotion that you can feel where he's coming from. The band keeps it down on here, and in doing so puts Maynard's lyrics proudly on display.

Thinking Of You is a song with a bridge so catchy that it'll be in your head for days. I love the beginning of this song, simply because they use an unusual mix of instruments that create some good ear candy. Orestes has to be the best song on this album, with the line "bring me into your perfect circle" providing the basis for APC's name, and some very chilling lyrics. Magdalena's screaming guitars and deep bass lines give me shivers, as does Maynard's long note at the end of Judith.

"3 Libras", the song that got me into the band in the first place, is flat out gorgeous. It begins with a beautifully orchestrated string intro, then goes from mid-tempo ballad to a heavy, emotional finale. The creepy industrial-atmospheric assault, "Rose", which culminates with elegant strings. The raucous "Thomas". "Sleeping Beauty", in which Maynard puts a slight twist on the classic fairytale of the same name. And finally, the aggro-funk of "Thinking Of You". The CD ends with the appropriately named "Over." There's nothing complicated to this song, just Maynard reciting some lyrics with a light background beat.

Some stand-outs on this disc are The Hollow, Judith, 3 Libras, Thinking Of You, and Over. This is one of those records that you can listen straight through and love every single song. Although I like their new CDs, I strongly doubt that they will ever top this CD. This is a CD that you can listen to no matter what mood you're in, and that's something only a select few bands can accomplish because of its beautiful cover. But after just one listen I learned that the cover accurrately depicts what they go for, beautiful music. Whether it is heavy or melodic, they create some of the best music that's out today. A Perfect Circle has the gift of being able to conjure up images through their music. Very few bands have that ability these days, nor does anyone really try.

Coming next: Album review for Type O Negative - The Least Worst Of