The Package
Weak And Powerless
The Noose
Blue
Vanishing
A Stranger
The Outsider
Crimes
The Nurse Who Loved Me
Pet
Lullaby
Gravity
A natural progression from debut album 'Mer De Noms', 'Thirteenth Step' showcases a slightly modified line up for APC. Paz Lenchantin, formerly of ... Read review
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Thirteenth Step
Advantages: Excellent follow up to 'Mer De Noms' Disadvantages: One or two tracks fall into the 'filler' category
...'Aenima' album.
Thirteenth Step begins quite slowly in the shape of 'The Package', it gently simmers away with strangely timed drum beats throughout before a mini-eruption of sounds come the four minute mark and eventually fading out in a similar way to which it started. 'Weak & Powerless' is reminiscent of the bands previous release, the trademark sound of the band flowing through in a progressive rock style with gentle atmospheric ... ...lyrics with great aplomb.
The opening two tracks are quite challenging to get into at first, and it is only when 'The Noose' starts that you realise the band have moved forward. In a similar vain to 'Stay' by Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode fame), or something from the soundtrack to the movie 'Heat', track three starts melodic with gentle soundscapes and quiet choir-like moments coming in and out of the fray, the lyrics are stunning ("And ... more
The Package Weak And Powerless The Noose Blue Vanishing A Stranger The Outsider Crimes The Nurse Who Loved Me Pet Lullaby Gravity
A natural progression from debut album 'Mer De Noms', 'Thirteenth Step' showcases a slightly modified line up for APC. Paz Lenchantin, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins has been replaced by another ex-Pumpkin in James Iha, guitarist Troy VanLeeuwen was offloaded and Jeordie White (formerly 'Twiggy' of Marilyn Manson) bought into the ranks. Former session drummer Josh Freese and the two central figures of the band; Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howardel, a former guitar technician, remain ever present and so what was penned as a side project on their first outing has recently been termed, more accurately, a super group. Keenan created the band as just that, a side project while his main band; Tool, fought a nasty court battle with their record label over the release of their ground breaking 'Aenima' album.
Thirteenth Step begins quite slowly in the shape of 'The Package', it gently simmers away with strangely timed drum beats throughout before a mini-eruption of sounds come the four minute mark and eventually fading out in a similar way to which it started. 'Weak & Powerless' is reminiscent of the bands previous release, the trademark sound of the band flowing through in a progressive rock style with gentle atmospheric moods at every corner which encompass the feeling of the lyrics with great aplomb.
The opening two tracks are quite challenging to get into at first, and it is only when 'The Noose' starts that you realise the band have moved forward. In a similar vain to 'Stay' by Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode fame), or something from the soundtrack to the movie 'Heat', track three starts melodic with gentle soundscapes and quiet choir-like moments coming in and out of the fray, the lyrics are stunning ("And not to pull your halo down, around your neck and tug you to the ground, but I'm more than just a little curious - how you're going to go about making your amends... to the dead") and it just gets stronger and stronger as it progresses, each listen offers more and more from the track as a whole.
'Blue' is very much a similar composition to 'The Noose', a gradual pulse of a verse with a beautifully structured chorus featuring yet more inspiring lyrics ("Call it aftermath, she's turning blue, such a lovely color for you, call it aftermath, she's turning blue, while I just sit and stare at you"). 'The Outsider' is more of the same, with an increasingly darker feel, another track not too dissimilar to that of the previous album, with it's precise drum loops and catchy guitar hooks this is destined to be another hit for the band.
'Crimes' simply acts as a filler, or a break from the main action of the album, there's nothing wrong with it, but the album would be no less of an achievement without it. We get back into the swing of things with a bit of a lullaby in the shape of 'The Nurse Who Loved Me'. it's a bit like a distorted fairytale with pretty odd lyrics (see "I'm taking her home with me, all dressed in white, she's got everything I need - pharmacy keys, she's falling hard for me - I can see it in her eyes, she acts just like a nurse with all the other guys") but it's quite a sweet little jaunt for the band whilst being that little bit different.
Perhaps the most in-your-face moment, and certainly one of the strongest tracks on the album is 'Pet', a hard hitting rocker with excellent guitaring, more of the same from the drum master, exquisite vocals and memorable lyrical content. The stand out moments include "Swayin' to the rhythm of the new world order and count the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums, the boogeymen are coming, the boogeymen are coming" and "Keep your head down, go to sleep, to the rhythm of the war drums" which work so well with the ever-present siren-esque guitaring and throbbing riff smothered all over the track. The lyrics are as experimental as ever but after so much practice, with both Tool, APC and also Keenans other side project; Tapeworm, the genius behind them is becoming all too clear by now.
The album closes with 'Lullaby', a mellow drum beat carrying a half-in-tune / half-out-of-tune female voice that works surprisingly nicely, and 'Gravity', which revisits the style of tracks 2 and 7, a nice enough track, but these final pieces do seem to crop up in the wrong order, seemingly so because the singing and other main musical components of the music disappear when 'Lullaby' begins, then all of a sudden, albeit gently, they come back into the action for one last hoo-haa.
A Perfect Circle have created another work of art in this, only their second outing, bearing in mind their debut seems light years gone by now, and fans of all rock, alternative, metal and even, at a push, some of the pop community are likely to find at least a few tracks to their liking here. It's a progressive step in all departments by the band who - even though they have chopped and changed slightly in line-up - have clearly all got a knowledge of how they want this so-called 'super group' to sound, and it has to be said that, so far, they're sounding pretty damn good.
Advantages: Lyrical/musical complexity, quality of production Disadvantages: Not what fans of the band would have expected, copy protected (i.e. it's a lot of hassle to get it onto your iPod)
Thirteenth Step is a twelve-track album with no secret track. A Perfect Circle may well be familiar to you if you are a fan of Tool, although it is not, as many people think, the side-project of Tool-singer Maynard James Keenan. Maynard is, however, the lead singer in both bands. A Perfect Circle was founded by guitarist Billy Howerdel who also has worked with Tool. In their debut album, the similarities to Tool were obvious. Not so much with this ... ...very well be disappointed in Thirteenth Step. There are not a lot of distorted guitars, there is very little screaming and growling, and the drumming is not quite as impressive as what you'd expect from Tool. Although it in its exploration of the darker sides of the human psyche has its aggressive moments, you can forget head banging to this.
It is a complicated album. I'm going to say straight away that it's not for everyone. Neither those who ...
tommybk 06.02.2004 (15.02.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
Advantages: 12 tracks of magic guitar work, fantsatic riffs and amazing vocals! Disadvantages: Only 12 tracks lol!
The Album opens with 'The Package', which begins the journey into the album, a mellow beginning to the song, yet as we progress further as we've come to expect from APC song's, it kicks into over-drive, and we have a heavy song beginning.
'Weak and Powerless' (track 2) is one you should recognise along with 'The Oustider' (track 7) as they have both been released, and may I say a cracking video for both.
'The Noose' (track 3) is quite a sad track ... ...extends into amazing 'rocking-outness'. Vocals on this track are amazing once again.
Blue (track 4) is one they could/should have released. At 4:12sec. it's the prefect length to put out there on MTV2 or Scuzz shall we say?
Tracks like 'Vanishing' (track 5), 'Crimes' (track 8) and 'Lullaby' (track 11) deliver us some cracking musical work; very melodic and quite heavy at points (ref. to Vanishing). Keenan's vocal work on all are outstanding.
'The ...
chrisman225 05.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
Advantages: Good Music Disadvantages: Lot's of Covers
When I first discovered APC, i didn't think much of them...just another band to add to the collection...
Then i got hold of this album...and I loved everyminute of it...
The Best Songs.
-----------------------
Imagine - When I first heard this song, i just thought it would be another bad cover of a great tune...but i was wrong...The style in which APC performed this song was very original...both the singing and the music suggested completley ... ...that, "This is how we want the world to be, and this is how I want the world to be. Just think about this...but grow up...the truth is that as long as we exist...it will never be like this," and i agree...the dull music suggests the same...a sence of depression but at the same time a distant echo of hope...This sing is art in its own right...
The Nurse who loved me - Again a cover...but again a great cover...APC's affection echo's through in this ...
Lythria_2005 23.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
The bands latest album couldn't be any more perfect. If you are feeling down about something, or are just trying to relax, this song will really help. I can say that A Perfect Circle is one of the best bands out there.
WEAK AND POWERLESS - is the first single from the Album and a really good song. It’s has a really nice slow guitar intro which slowly fades in and gets going from there.
THE OUTSIDER –is second single and many people, including me ... ...didn't like it at first, but after I heard it a few times, and I can identify myself to this song.
VANISHING - this song starts out kind of weird, but then gets into some good guitar riffs from Billy.
BLUE – This is their 3rd single. This song has a really catchy chorus and a very loud bass that you can't help but sing. The lyrics are very meaningful and full of raw emotion. THE NURSE WHO LOVED ME- is a cover song originally done by a band called ...
deftroke 02.11.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
Advantages: Atmospheric, eerie, original Disadvantages: Maybe too unconventional for fans of the first album
...are a far cry from anything a band of A Perfect Circle's kind have done, especially anywhere near the mainstream.
Thirteenth Step is an album that not only reaches its grasp, but perhaps reaches even further. A triumph and hopefully a sign of what is to come with the band. ...
SecondThought 12.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
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Advantages: A chance to hear APC's take on old classics. Disadvantages: Possibly not as good as other releases.....at first.
This is the third album from the inspired American art-rock band A PerfectCircle. It was released in time for the last American election in a bid to encourage voters to vote out George Bush. Although sadly (in my opinion) this did not work, I do not feel that it was a total waste of time as it is still a very decent album in its own right!
It comprises of mostly covers of anti war songs throughout recent times, most famously John Lennon's "Imagine". An exception to this being "Passive" which the band wrote themselves and featured on the recent movie "Constantine". (For those who have seen the film it is the song that is on in the night club) Also there is "Count the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums", which is basically the song "Pet" from "ThirteenthStep" with a lot of the music taken away. For my money that is ...
Advantages: Well, it's rather good Disadvantages: A few indeciferable things
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Product Information for "Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle" »
Product details
Title
Thirteenth Step
Performer
A Perfect Circle
Genre
Rock & Pop
Release Date
15/09/2003
Recomended Retail Price
16.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2003
Label / Distributor
Virgin / EMI Operations/CEVA Logistics
Engineer
Billy Howerdel
Producer
Billy Howerdel
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
724358091823
Catalogue Number
CDVUS 247
Additional notes
Album Notes
A Perfect Circle: Maynard James Keenan (vocals, gourd); Billy Howerdel (guitar, piano, bass, programming, background vocals); Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar); Jeordie White (bass); Josh Freese (drums, percussion). With its sophomore effort, THIRTEENTH STEP, A Perfect Circle permanently sheds any clinging notions of being a Tool side-project. Although Maynard James Keenan's plaintive vocals immediately conjure up thoughts of his other outfit, APC distinguishes itself by furthering the melodic elements present on the group's first outing, MER DE NOMS. "The Package" starts things off slowly, with a foreboding guitar line and minimal drum cadence that gradually build into a full-blown Sabbath-like dirge. Carried along by the fluid bass playing of Jeordie White (formerly known as Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson), "The Noose" gives a tip of the hat to the Cure's gloomiest work, while White and guitarist Billy Howerdel create an entrancingly chiming bass/guitar tapestry on "Blue." Though many of the album's tracks surge with APC's powerful metal riffs, the folky "A Stranger" and the lush "The Nurse Who Loved Me" both feature Keenan's voice supported by a gorgeous bed of strings and little else. A cycle that touches on themes of corruption, despair, and redemption, THIRTEENTH STEP is brought to a fitting conclusion by "Gravity," a powerful song that captures both the dark and light aspects of this fascinating band.
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (10/2/03, p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The band's second album, THIRTEENTH STEP, sounds more like the dusky thrum of DISINTEGRATION-era Cure than it does any of the members' previous bands..." Entertainment Weekly (9/19/03, pp.86-7) - "...Frontman James Maynard Keenan sounds as elliptically tortured as ever....his band's winding, off-kilter rhythms and contrapunctal guitar riffs create an omnious atmosphere..." - Rating: B Q (11/03, p.105) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Keenan's voice is naked and clean....[The songs] affirm that Keenan is more than capable of writing bewitchingly unique songs..." Mojo (11/03, p.131) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The frisson of anxiety crackles, brought to nervous pitch by fretful trash-can drumming, pomp rock guitar and disquieting and pervasive bass..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Package
2.
Weak And Powerless
3.
Noose
4.
Blue
5.
Vanishing
6.
Stranger
7.
Outsider
8.
Crimes
9.
Nurse Who Loved Me
10.
Pet
11.
Lullaby
12.
Gravity
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13/12/2003
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