A Perfect Circle (APC) is an alternative rock supergroup formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums. The latest line-up features Marilyn Manson bassist and former Nine Inch Nails bassist Jeordie White, former guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins, James Iha, and session drummer Josh Freese, who is most well known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and The Vandals. Despite having a varied cast since inception, the stylistic content of the songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as composer, and Keenan penning the lyrics.
A Perfect Circle has released three albums: Mer de Noms, Thirteenth Step and Emotive. A CD-DVD set, Amotion, has also been released and contains thirteen music videos in addition to a number of song remixes created by Danny Lohner. The group has not recorded, toured or released any new material since its hiatus began in 2004. Since then band members have worked on other projects; the most notable being Keenan’s work on Tool’s 2006 album 10,000 Days, and Howerdel’s founding of the band Ashes Divide.
External Links (Official Site) (Wikipédia)
eMOTIVe
With “eMOTIVe,” A Perfect Circle restore rock ‘n’ roll to its revolutionary roots by throwing a 12-megaton musical bomb in the face of the ruling class. Described by APC’s Maynard James Keenan as “a collection of songs about war, peace, love and greed,” the astonishing set blends all-new original material with a provocative selection of cover versions. The tracks chosen bridge three decades of protest songs, spanning an array of genres – hardcore punk and heavy metal, new wave and Delta blues, folk rock and rhythm & blues. Among the insurgent classics reinterpreted on “eMOTIVe” are John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Memphis Minnie’s blues stomper, “When The Levee Breaks” (made famous by Led Zeppelin), Depeche Mode’s “People Are People,” Devo’s “Freedom Of Choice,” Black Flag’s “Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie,” Fear’s “Let’s Have A War,” Joni Mitchell’s “Fiddle And The Drum,” and the Nick Lowe (by way of Elvis Costello) anti-anthem, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding.” The album kicks off with an explosive take on “Annihilation,” originally recorded by Berkeley aggro-punk legends, Crucifix. The eMOTIVe release is a limited edition special package that includes a lenticular cover.
aMOTION the DVD
“aMOTION.” The double-disc set is the ultimate APC fan-piece, with the CD featuring nine remixes of such APC favorites as “3 Libras,” “The Outsider,” and “Weak And Powerless,” retooled by such artists as Massive Attack, Danny Lohner, and A Perfect Circle’s own James Iha. The “aMOTION” DVD content gathers together unexpurgated versions of APC’s amazing video output, including “Judith” (directed by David “Fight Club” Fincher), “Thinking Of You,” and the sardonically funny “Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of the War Drums” clip. Also featured is a stunning live take on “The Noose,” along with a brand-new video for “Blue,” directed by Jose Perez, who won the opportunity to helm the clip via an online contest held on www.aperfectcircle.com. As if that weren’t enough, the “aMOTION” DVD includes the three “Blue” runner-up videos, exclusive commentary, a photo gallery, and a trio of trailers for the cult film series, Bikini Bandits.
Thirteenth Step
Virgin recording group A Perfect Circle has concluded a half-year creative process of emotional soul-searching with the completion of their much-anticipated second album, THIRTEENTH STEP. A dramatically powerful album that picks up sonically where Mer De Noms left off, THIRTEENTH STEP is a conceptual exploration of the darker side of the human psyche. The final sequence of songs includes: “The Package,” “Weak and Powerless,” “The Noose,” “Blue,” “Vanishing,” “A Stranger,” “The Outsider,” “Crimes,” “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” “Pet,” “Lullaby,” and “Gravity.”
Mer de Noms
The introduction of A Perfect Circle on Mer de Noms was that of a side project of Tool. Over the development of the project and certainly leading into present, the strength of the A Perfect Circle brand has shifted the balance from “side project” to a “band in their own right”. A Perfect Circle has grown to a powerful rock force — one of the premier lifestyle bands and a major success in the rock and alternative rock formats.
