A Perfect Circle

[gerbil]

Also, I’m a little blasé over people’s wild hot takes on the new album because it happens every single time. It happened with Thirteenth Step. It happened with Ænima, Lateralus, and 10,000 Days. It happened with Puscifer. It happened with Ashes Divide. It’s boring.


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[Amaro]

... What Metallica songs are you listening to?

Just a pinch of salt. It's the chorus riffing mostly, paired with the drumming pattern. But it comes through very thick as Metallicegh to my ears.

"Delicious" is one of the top 3 most APC sounding songs on here, and still my favorite. Given how far out the other variety tends to stray, and fall short in coming off as anything remotely impressive, generally speaking the more familiarity the better in the case of this album with me. I can get down. A little surprised the song doesn't appear that well received from many others (but so the many stories go). The solo especially brings me back to Mer De Noms. <3

Also, I am not any more or less worried about the upcoming Tool record in light of this lackluster release. Maynard honestly sounds just fine, great even, and since he's the only constant I have nothing else to go off of as far as new Tool sounds go. It helps that I'm more of a Tool fan, too.

[Krazy]

I don’t think people are close-minded. I do tire of people coming here to wax poetic about how bad the album is and prattling on about all the album’s flaws.

If it’s not your thing, great. But you’re literally going out of your way to find this thread, open it, and spend the time telling us you didn’t like it and opining on the band’s failures.


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This, thank you. People have had negative, but honest, reviews on here about NIN (HM, the recent EP’s) and get flamed for it. The typical responses are “why are you even here then?”, or “you just have to listen to it 100 more times... with expensive headphones... on synthetic marijuana” lol.

[Jon]

Out of 10? I usually take their reviews with a grain of salt anyway. They always seem like they purposely try to be harsh and trash an album. Plus, you gotta wonder how many listens they gave it. Likely not enough.

I usually look at reviews with a 2-point swing. Over time, that 4.9 could become a 6.9 (grows on you). Along the same lines, if you overrate an album, say with a 9, you can realize over time it's good but really only worth about a 7.

As you pointed out, they probably didn't have many listens to see if it grows on them or not.

[Nellyrific]

From the Jimmy Kimmel taping:




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[eversonpoe]

Dear god why can’t people fuck off with the broad brush that is painting everyone who doesn't like the same art as you as being close-minded? I don’t dislike this album because I expected something different than what I got — I had a very good idea it would be what it is, I just happen to not care for what it is. Anyone could use that argument of “I guess you’re too close-minded to enjoy this” to defend literally any band, book, movie, show, etc. and it’s bound to be true of some people but it’s not a great case to make at all.

The hooks didn’t catch me, the melodies didn’t do anything for me, the lyrics left me cold save for some rare exceptions and the production bored me. I’m not a fan of the fact that most of these songs could lose half their length and be just as impactful, I don’t like that Maynard’s preachiness feels childish and underwritten, I don’t enjoy the fact that none of the critiques made are unique or original and most of all I don’t enjoy it when I hear it played. That’s valid, just as liking this album is valid, and to dismiss everyone who doesn’t enjoy it as close-minded entitled children who just can’t accept new ideas is elitist and tries to take your taste and weaponize it into a judgmental tool that allows you to deride anyone who doesn’t like the same things as you.

100% this ^ ^ ^

so, with the new album leaving a bad taste in my mouth, i decided (today) to revisit mer de noms & thirteenth step. pulled out my vinyl copies (both original pressings) for the first time in years. some thoughts / discoveries:

- that extended intro for sleeping beauty is so lovely, makes me sad it's not on the CD/digital version
- why is there an "alt." version of over on the vinyl version of MDN?
- my side C/D labels on thirteenth step are swapped, so i went on discogs to see if there was a listing for that issue (there is not, which makes my copy pretty rare, i'm guessing?), which lead me to find that i had accidentally cataloged it improperly as some weird, dateless US pressing (that's probably a bootleg) instead of the actual first pressing that it is
- there are so many amazing songs on thirteenth step, but "the nurse who loved me" always feels out of place, and lullaby always feels like kind of a weird waste of time (should have just been the outro for pet). if lullaby was shorter, crimes could have been longer, which would have been great.

[implanted_microchip]

I guess it's because it's the one I got into them with but Thirteenth Step is a nearly perfect album in my eyes. It's beautiful, it has songs that are longer but don't feel it at all, it has a sense of focus and a bit of a journey to it but still manages to stay fresh and unique through to the end. The Package is an all-time great opening song, and it sets the tone in a way most opening tracks wish they could. Blue was the first APC song I ever heard and I was instantly in love, The Outsider after that and then The Package. That album has a lot to it that works really well as an intro to the band, and not having been around for when they all came out, I've always had more love for it than Mer de Noms (although they're both nearly interchangeable to me in quality, they're each almost flawless at what they're doing and going for).

I feel like being a fan of MJK in that whole run from Aenima through to Mer de Noms, Lateralus and then Thirteenth Step must have been incredible. Not a lot of artists get runs quite that good and a case could be made for all of those as classics in their time and genres.

Also, I've always loved Lullaby. It feels like this necessary transition point to make the shift into something like Gravity feel right and it's got this vibe to it of floating around, kind of detached and far away, like this last bit of disillusionment before the album's moment of clarity comes in. The way the songs work together on that album is wonderful, and I've always felt like it avoids the pitfalls of a lot of concept albums while still having everything linked and strengthened by all of the songs around it.

[elevenism]

I feel like being a fan of MJK in that whole run from Aenima through to Mer de Noms, Lateralus and then Thirteenth Step must have been incredible. .

It certainly was, starting, in fact, with Undertow and watching the progression. I saw tool 4 times between 96 and 01 and APC 3 times on Mer de Noms. It really truly was a great time to be alive and a fan of both MJK and NIN: we had the evolution of MJK as well as The Fragile.
I HIGHLY doubt that I will ever experience anything like that again.

When Mer de Noms came out, it was quite literally the only thing I listened to, on repeat, for months.

Also, The Nurse who Loved Me is absolutely the highlight of Thirteenth Step for me, along with The Package (aka the best song about addiction I've ever heard.) I wish I didn't relate to it so fucking much. For the record, I could say the same about Please.

[GulDukat]

Out of 10? I usually take their reviews with a grain of salt anyway. They always seem like they purposely try to be harsh and trash an album. Plus, you gotta wonder how many listens they gave it. Likely not enough.

Unless you are a rapper or write EDM or anemic, coffee house indie rock, expect a 4/10 or 5/10 review from Pitchfork.

Pitchfork gives music a 6.8/10

https://entertainment.theonion.com/p...6-8-1819569318

[gerbil]

So I don’t know who watched the performance on Jimmy Kimmel live last night but it’s great if all you wanna hear is the bass.


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[Toadflax]

So I don’t know who watched the performance on Jimmy Kimmel live last night but it’s great if all you wanna hear is the bass.

Ugh, the mix always sounds like shit with Kimmel performances. I was there, and it sounded great!

TalkTalk
So Long...
Eat The Elephant
Disillusioned
Counting Bodies...

Seeing Maynard up close (and in daylight!) during the slow/emotional songs really gives them a new life.

[PhoenixML]

So I don’t know who watched the performance on Jimmy Kimmel live last night but it’s great if all you wanna hear is the bass.

« Ladies and gentlemen, Matt McJunkins and the Perfect Circle!! »

[Reznor2112]

Well this seems a tad silly. New ETE colored vinyl. Out in July. Wonder why this wasn't an option in the beginning? Steep price point too...

https://store.aperfectcircle.com/pro...eid=52e178f11c

[Conan The Barbarian]

I cant get past the cover art for this, its a combo of Manson and Uncle Fester.

[ImTheWiseJanitor]

Well this seems a tad silly. New ETE colored vinyl. Out in July. Wonder why this wasn't an option in the beginning? Steep price point too...

Silly indeed. Not really a fan of the colors, either. Maybe if they had something else to them rather than just being a solid red and solid blue. I think I prefer the black.

Anyway, new fall/winter tour dates!

We've added Fall tour dates throughout the U.S. and Europe. European tickets are on-sale this Wednesday at 10 am local time, U.S. tickets are on-sale this Friday at 10 am local time.


Our new album, Eat The Elephant, is out now, purchase or stream it at this link: https://AperfectCircle.lnk.to/EatTheElephantFA


October 20 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
October 22 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
October 24 Austin, TX Austin 360 Amphitheatre
October 29 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
October 30 Orlando, FL CFE Arena
November 1 Charlotte, NC Bojangles’ Coliseum
November 2 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
November 6 New York, NY The Theater at Madison Square Garden
November 17 Anaheim, CA The Theatre at Honda Center
November 18 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – The Chelsea
November 20 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre


December 2 Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow Academy
December 3 Manchester, UK Victoria Warehouse
December 5 London, UK SSE Arena Wembley
December 7 Antwerp, Belgium Lotto Arena
December 13 Hamburg, Germany Sporthalle Hamburg
December 15 Kraków, Poland Tauron Arena Kraków
December 16 Vienna, Austria Wiener Stadhalle
December 18 Milan, Italy Mediolanum Forum
December 19 Rome, Italy Palalottomatica

[october_midnight]

Well this seems a tad silly. New ETE colored vinyl. Out in July. Wonder why this wasn't an option in the beginning? Steep price point too...

https://store.aperfectcircle.com/pro...eid=52e178f11c

This is happening more and more lately. Tom Waits’ discography springs to mind. Release remastered versions, wait a few months, release new colorways for a few dollars more! Ugh...

[implanted_microchip]

APC finally doing an Orlando date is like fate for me. I loved Hourglass live last year so hopefully seeing more material from this album live will make some of it click a little bit more — and it’s a day before Halloween. I’m very hyped and happy to see them staying active through the rest of the year.

[Krazy]

If anyways interested in a road trip/flight and has never been to Red Rocks, do yourself a favor and go.

[Toadflax]

Whoa, yeah the bass was definitely not that high in the mix actually being there, interested to see if they all sound like that.

I remember thinking the same thing after seeing APC last time and NIN - it sounded normal live but then weird and muddled in the broadcast.

[BRoswell]

I remember thinking the same thing after seeing APC last time and NIN - it sounded normal live but then weird and muddled in the broadcast.

Same thing happens on all the other late night shows and SNL. I don't know if has to do with broadcast standards or if people on those shows just don't know how to mix live music for shows that (mostly) focus on conversations.

[virushopper]

Kimmel Performance: https://streamable.com/g6wr7

[sonic_discord]

I feel like being a fan of MJK in that whole run from Aenima through to Mer de Noms, Lateralus and then Thirteenth Step must have been incredible. Not a lot of artists get runs quite that good and a case could be made for all of those as classics in their time and genres.

I became a Tool fan after Ænima came out (somewhere around 1998 or 1999), but I was there for Mer de Noms, Lateralus, Thirteenth Step, and 10,000 Days, which was a truly amazing run indeed.

[Toadflax]

Kimmel Performance: https://streamable.com/g6wr7

There's me (in my new Dear World, shirt ) and my girlfriend!

[Nellyrific]

And there I am



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[kel]

more arenas? did they learn nothing?

[Nellyrific]

more arenas? did they learn nothing?

?


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[Mr. Blaileen]

Having had a chance to live with the album for nearly a week now, I'm really enjoying it a lot. I love how Billy writes and plays - it may be relatively simple stuff, but it stands out when compared to some of the boring stuff Maynard sings over on Puscifer tracks. As for the lyrics, I'm not crazy about them on some of the songs, but they aren't anything that really upsets me either. To me, the album lacks a cohesive feel to it - probably a product of the boys sending files to each other instead of holing up in a studio together. Perhaps if I hadn't heard half the album prior to the release, it might feel differently. Still enjoying it a lot though.

Highlights:

- The piano on Eat the Elephant
- The Contrarian
- The harmonies on 'So Long..'
- By and Down - not that I had gripes against the old version, but I'm loving this new one.
- DLB - I'm a sucker for a nice moody piano line, so I enjoy it.
- The ending of Hourglass
- Billy's guitar tone on Feathers

Not my favorite APC album, but I enjoy it a lot and like it better than emotive.

[kel]

?

a lot of the shows from late last fall had dismal ticket sales. a friend of mine sent me pictures of the crowd in seattle and aside from ga, the upper bowls were just kind of peppered with people. loads of empty seats. the maverick center in salt lake will be no different.

[halo eighteen]

^Surprised taking pics didn't get your friend kicked out! Joking but ha.

[Toadflax]

I think about expectation a lot, and expectation for this album was weird. The Doomed suggested we might be getting a nicely heavy album, but then the next three singles (along with By and Down being on the track list) and that goofy cover threw expectations all over the place. As much as I would love more heavy songs, I felt like my expectations had been dampened enough by the time it came out to just take the album for whatever it was.

Along those lines, I'm actually finding I appreciate the order of songs on Eat the Elephant. With NIN, I love All The Love In The World and HYPERPOWER!, but they suggest an album that isn't coming - oddly enough, they'd be much more appropriate intros if they swapped places. By starting ETE slowly, it sets you up for what's coming. There's very little hard rock on the album, so why start it with a punch if it's just going to pump you up for something that isn't there? Granted, if you think the individual songs are boring, that's another story, and I'm definitely not saying this is the perfect order of songs, but I'm coming around to the sort of bell-curved structure of the record.