Customer Reviews

Thirteenth Step

5 star:		(719)
4 star:		(158)
3 star:		(67)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

The modern radio era is dominated by bands that fancy themselves latter-day Sex Pistols but sound more like bad Green Day knockoffs. Into this musical climate, A Perfect Circle has injected a potent breath of fresh air with its sophomore effort, Thirteenth Step.

The record doesn't overpower the listener. It has a quietness, a subtlety that makes it nearly impossible to fully appreciate on first listen. But with each subsequent listen, its layers are uncovered, slowly and deliciously. It's a masterpiece that comes full circle on the promise of the band's debut, Mer de Noms.

Thirteenth Step can be taken as a concept album of sorts, with each of the twelve songs exploring a different aspect of psychology and addiction. Opener "The Package" draws you in with quiet guitars and beats and Maynard James Keenan's gorgeous vocals. He's an addict looking for his next fix, and we're along for the ride as the music and voice go from an urgent whisper to a desperate growl and back again. It sets the stage for the journey to come.

The first single, "Weak and Powerless," is a standout. Like much of the record, it's clearly influenced by the new wave of the late 80's and early 90's -- there are points at which Keenan's voice seems to channel that of the Cure's Robert Smith -- yet strikingly original. It's disarming, with a haunting quality that carries throughout the record.

The musicianship is impressive. From band founder/guitarist Billy Howerdel to drummer Josh Freese to new bassist Jeordie White, there isn't a weak link. White, in particular, is a revelation. His confident, driving bass lines are just the right counterpart to Freese's rhythms; who knew that such a fine musician lurked within the former Twiggy Ramirez? The music and vocals both prove capable of holding back when appropriate, making the moments when they explode all the more powerful. The band is tight, skilled and creative.

As we've come to expect from Keenan in APC or his other project, Tool, the lyrics are cryptic, metaphorical and beautiful. They are consistently powerful, intelligent and thought-provoking as they explore the darker subject matter.

Among the quieter, more atmospheric tracks, "The Noose" stands out with its haunting guitars and poignant lyrics. The band showcases its sense of humor on Failure cover "The Nurse Who Loved Me," with Keenan stepping into character as the sad, delusional patient. The song is stark and surpising. String instruments provide an understated, elegant sound, and Keenan conveys just the right vulnerability and pathos.

There are heavier songs, too, and they are some of the best on the record. "The Outsider" is the most powerful, musically and lyrically, with Keenan's angry vocals lashing out and tearing loose. "Pet" can be taken as a political commentary on post-9/11 America and the war on terror; the music hits just the right notes from heavy to scary to gentle, to coincide with the alternately reassuring, commanding and ironic tone of the lyrics and vocals.

Perhaps the record as a whole is the recovery, the thirteenth step. It lingers in your mind and your soul, long after it closes with the oddly uplifting lines, "Heal me/lift me back up to the sun/I choose to live."

The album Thirteenth Step is a marvel to behold, and its one of the few albums I can't seem to take out of my playlist after years of listening. That seems to oversimplify the dilemma in the experience too, because the disc has been pumping into my audio veins for so long that it feels like it's become a part of my disc changer subconscious, and I still love it. In fact, I've nicknamed it "#45" because that slot has become the place it haunts whenever it and my discman need one another.

I've wanted to review the album quite a few times since I purchased it, actually picking the work up on several occasions and attempting to hammer out something that captured it, but I've found myself sitting the album back down in frustration and putting off an attempt at verbalization because its really hard to descriptively sample. And, really, how does one capture the essence of an album that seems to contain a little taste of "soul" in the lyrics? Is calling something "Audio ambience lighting the paths and subsequent pathos that showcase the beauty need and neurosis can birth" really explaining a marvel? Is saying the work is "genre-defying" really covering any ground and getting one closer to "you really should buy this work" without doing the piece a disservice? I'm not sure how to capture the album even now, truth be told, but I will attempt to break down a couple of its achievements to say why it merits high praise for me.

First and foremost on the list, I have to say that Thirteenth Step is a testament to the power of a human voice. I've heard so many people try to sing in my life that its hard to say that any of them are "moving" anymore, but I have to say that Maynard can be breathtaking when it wants to be. In fact, when listening to the harmonics within Maynard's vocal precision, it becomes apparent that the man has talent. He doesn't have to hit you like a hammer with his voice to make a point, and he never tries to overpower you when he pours you an emotive soliloquy and asks you to sip it for a while. Most of the time he's more like a shadow that slowly comes to rest on your shoulders, with you finding yourself slowly immersed in the vibrance and beauty that the voice projects. It's empowering when I think of how Maynard does what he does, changing his sound depending on the song and becoming an instrument unto himself, and how he can birth atmosphere simply by formulating syllables that most voices emit like waste.

Next, there's the issue of content driving the songs themselves and how they manage to impact. I'm not really a fan of oversimplified music, not enjoying what mundane hymns brings to the game lyrically, and have to say that this is another reason I enjoy Thirteenth Step so much. Its one of those works that lets the wording worm its way into one's emotive inner eye, relating both situational experimentation and crescendos of feelings all in one stroke, and it does so by letting the backdrop cast so many emotions in the length of a album. Some tracks become dark overtures camouflaged in pretty packages that seem to denote what monsters we can become, some are mediums of pain and perhaps love - depending on how you define the artifice of the heart, and others simply writhe with anger or limp across the stage like a broken child's lullaby. And I like that; the diversity in it AND the fact that it tastes real.

In you want highlights from the album (and these, by no means, are meant to overshadow the other tracks on the album), I'd go with The Noose, Blue, A Stranger, The Nurse that Loved Me, the heaviest track on the album - Pet, and Gravity. I'd also say that you should relax when listening and give yourself to the sounds, because immersion is the beauty within the process.

I have to admit, I'm a little aprehensive about picking up albums based on radio singles. However, Mer de Noms was definitely a great album overall, not just with a good couple of tracks (Judith, 3 Libras, The Hollow), so I chanced it with Thirteenth Step and "Weak And Powerless," and I truly feel I pulled in a great return on my investment.

Danny Lohner of Nine Inch Nails, recently of Underworld Soundtrack fame, was in to help Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan on the production of the album. So what do you get with an all-star production team and an all-star cast? One damn good album.

The Package, track no. 1, sucks you into its eerie sound at its beginning and proceeds to tear you apart at the end with Howerdel's amazing guitar riffs. From there, the darkness of the Thirteenth Step, which I think is a concept album about recovering from...well, recovery (13th step of the 12 step program), is enough to keep you interested. The addition of perfected vocals, guitars, and percussion are what keeps you GLUED to the sound system.

The Thirteenth Step is by far the best rock album of the year thus far. I highly recommend picking it up.

I think the problem here is that some people have taken to writing bad reviews for this album after only listening to the disc once, if that. I am a firm believer that before you write a review you become familiar with the albums nuances first. I've had the luxary of hearing this album for the past week at work before it came out yesterday. Like some of you, upon the first listen I didn't think much of it at all. Of course there were a few tracks that grabbed me like 'The Noose', 'The Outsider', 'The Package' and of course the lyric heavy first single 'Weak & Powerless', but the other tracks seemed lacking in a way. However, as the days passed by and the spins increased, I slowly fell in love with the subtle beauty of this album. It became apparent that though this album, as a whole, is not as heavy or direct as 'Mer De Noms', it does have far more textures that only reveal themselves after repeated listens. The tracks I originally panned off as filler like 'Blue', 'A Stranger' and 'The Nurse Who Loved Me' (and yes I realize it's not one of there own tracks, but it doesn't matter) became so stunning that when I finally heard them on my home stereo they nearly brought me to tears.
Maynard and Billy have outdone themselves crafting a masterpeice here but only those who have an open mind and no pre-conceptions heading in will be rewarded.

Since Tool exploded onto the scene in 1992, Maynard James Keenan has been a powerful force in the fieldof challenging and expressive music. To call A Perfect Circle his 'side-project' would be to commit a grave fallacy though, as A Perfect Circle can only be viewed as a band in the classical sense of the word. Despite this, Maynard and Billy Howerdrel certainly emerged as the creative force behind the unit on their debut, 'Mer des Noms' which was a perfectly compact selection of biting and at times beautiful music, which pushed the band into a small genre of their own, with their transecndental melodies and spacious instrumentation. Since Tool's 2001 masterpiece 'Lateralus'my expectations for 'Thirteenth Step' have been running at fever pitch, and now its finally here it delivers in style.
Many people seem to look on A Perfect Circle as a kind of second rate tool,or a mellower alternative to switch to as mood dictates. This is most certainly not so. On 'Thirteenth Step' the band moves even farther toward carving a musical niche entirely their own. Indeed, much of the material here is drastically original, and the album holds together as a sprawling statement rather than a disparate collection of songs.
At first I was rather taken aback by the fact that thealbum seemed to abandon the ruthless consistency of quality that characterised 'Mer Des Noms'. the band have progressed to a musical space that is extremely dreamy and elegant, with heaviness used very sparingly, and each instrument contributing in almost equal measure to the whole. Opener 'The Package' is over seven minutes long, which I certainly did not expect, and it epitomises the album extremely well, combining ethereal lyrics and delicate guitars with Maynard's powerful vocals caressing us gently, then exploding into life as the song jumps in a heavy direction. The lead single 'Weak and Powerless' is actually one of the weaker full songs here, which is saying something, as its a very accomplished track, with a deceptively catchy vocal hook.
My standout tracks are 'The Noose', which seems to see Maynard attack organised religion yet again, and 'The Outsider' whose lyrics are violent and impulsive, with Maynard intoning 'disconnect and self distruct one moment at a time.....everyone will have his day to die'. As one of the heaviest songs present here, 'Pet' is also a definite highlight, with crunching guitars and somewhat worrying lyrics.
At the risk of undermining my authoritarian stance when it comes to music, I'd never heard of Failure before tracking down the original authors of 'The Nurse who Loved me', but I must admit the version on'Thirteenth Step' is superb, and is something of a departure for the band, being a quirky and almost comic number which is jam packed with hooks .I like it a lot, and will investigate failure as a result (which islikely what Maynard and Billy intended).
This review has become gargantuan, So I should round up by saying that Josh Freeses' drums are absolutely killer throughout this record, Billy's guitars are sweepingly original and tasteful, and the production as a whole is stunning, with incredible textures and vivid soundscapes combining effortlessly. My only gripe with the record is that songs like 'Crimes', 'Lullaby' and 'Vanishing' feel underdeveloped, despite being beautiful and dreamy. I do believe they add to the album's overall impact though.
A Perfect Circle are one of the most relevant, original and vital bands on planet earth right now, and this opus only serves to consolidate their postition as forerunners in a movement of intelligent and techical rock music that transcends the demands of the mainstream.
Hugely recommended.

The extended version of The Package lasts about a minute and a half longer than the album version. Maynard sings, "take what's mine" a few more times along with some other lyrics. This version of the song ends with an extended fade-out that sounds like the intro to the song.

A Perfect Circle, with their first album Mer De Noms, defined a whole new outlook on instrumentation and the romanticism of the vocalist and guitar driven rock songs. However, Thirteenth Step utterly encaptured an entirely new way of looking at how a rock record can be written. It [thirteenth step] is an album of extremes, from soft and sweet melodious malaise to crashing feats of distortion; from timid whimpers of surrender to barbaric screams of domination. It has the dynamic of progressive rock, but without the unnecessary "fat" usually encased in rather obese fits of grandeur displayed in most rock-with-a-point records. As usually the different from a band's first album to their second, where Mer De Noms is an amazing collection of songs, Thirteenth Step is definitely a better 'album'. (I hope that makes sense to somebody).

Much in the same light at Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile, this record capitalizes on the power of subtlety and quiet heaviness. Along with the rest of the band, mainly the vocals and lyrics capture Maynard at a terribly personal point in his life (I believe all art that is highly acclaimed is also deeply personal), so much so that it is easy to mistake his words for your own.

The first song on the album, "The Package" is a testament to the road traveled by the band and in and of itself screams, "this is different than last time". Timid and childlike at its beginnings it eventually thrusts the listener head first into a smashing fit of dominance, seeming to be more agitated and angry (a feat that could have only been accomplished by this distinguished frontman). At times it seems as though Maynard would've made a mark as an actor.

The whole album is amazing from front to back, not just in the songwriting and arrangement, but down to the very mixing and clarity of the instrumentation. "The Nurse Who Loved Me" is a brilliantly mixed and arranged track and if one gets a chance to listen to this album on a pair of high-end speakers, you will really experience a wonderful example of masterful arrangement.

Anyone who is still looking for a Tool album or another Mer De Noms will surely be disappointed. However, anyone looking for an amazing album and landmark title will find one in Thirteenth Step. Check it out if at least only once, but really it takes three times.

Well, I guess I'd better get my TooL comparison over with.

Unless you've been living in a bomb shelter for the past decade or so, chances are you HAVE heard the music of TooL. This band has absolutely transformed metal into a form of art, and has completely changed the face of rock music in general. Regardless of your feelings about them, you can't deny their talent or influence on modern rock.

Perhaps the driving force of TooL is the lead vocalist, who is, of course, Maynard James Keenan. His talent and style make him, without a doubt, the most original and downright breath-taking vocalist of ALL modern music, and is greatly recognized for his abilities around the world.

So when news came of a new band with Keenan's name on the roster, it's safe to say the world went nuts. Although it was Billy Howerdell who formed the group and wrote the songs, it's pretty obvious that A PERFECT CIRCLE's immediate popularity came from Keenan.

Although this band's music is a tad bit calmer then the normal crushing complexity of TooL's roaring instruments, A PERFECT CIRCLE is no less extravagantly beautiful and precise, and Maynard's voice is no less blatantly gorgeous. And even if Maynard's style is different here than with TooL, it's remains unmistakably Maynard, and that's enough please anyone.

What's even better is that Maynard isn't the only thing to like about A PERFECT CIRCLE. Billy Howerdell REALLY knows his frickin stuff, and his conviction and talent, as well as the rest of the band's contributions, is what makes this album such a gem. The album opener `the Package' is the absolute perfect song for realization of this fact. Each instrument is easily defined throughout the 7-minute track, and each artist displays their abilities with dazzling style. The lead single `Weak and Powerless', even with it's somber and quiet melodies, remains a compelling and ridiculously brilliant song. The soft acoustic number "a Stranger" is probably the most beautiful track on the album musically, and it's beauty is realized once again with Maynard's riveting vocals.

The only two existing heavy pieces here(`the Outsider' and `Pet') are not to be ignored, as each is sung INCREDIBLY, each played MAGNIFICENTLY, they are easily among the greatest of all the hard rock songs that I have personally heard. Which, in all sincerity, ain't much.

The lyrics on this album are, again, something special. Maynard, I believe, also took on responsibilities for lyric-writing, and he remains a steadfastly potent and able writer. The song `Pet' deals with deception and lies from the point of view of the deceiver, bent on leading his prey to destruction with lines like:

"put your head down child, I won't let the boogyman come/count bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums/pay no mind to the rabble, pay no mind . . . stay with me/safe from pain, and truth, and choice--and other poison devils, saying `they don`t give a f**k about you', like I do . . ."

It's chilling and downright COOL CRAP. At least to me.

"Thirteenth Step" is an elegant contribution to any record collection, and should certainly please any fan of Maynard's past works. Though, if you ARE a fan of Maynard's past works, then you probably already have this album, which makes this review absolutely pretentious and useless, so now I feel like a complete retard. Thanks alot, jerks.

After three years of no new material, and after some speculation that they may never make another record together, A Perfect Circle has released a new album, entitled Thirteenth Step. Essential, A Perfect Circle is the brainchild of Tool vocalist, Maynard James Keenan, and former Tool/Smashing Pumpkins guitar technician Billy Howerdel, except A Perfect Circle focuses more on atmospheric music than on heaviness and complexity. The band debuted in 2000 with Mer De Noms, which spawned the hit singles "Judith" and "Three Libras," and sold over one million copies in the United States.

However, since their last album, the band has experienced some lineup changes. With the departure of bassist Paz Lenchantin (who went on to join former Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan in the short lived project Zwan), and guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen (who joined Queens of the Stone Age, but appeared on most of this album), the lineup of their debut was significantly altered. Replacing Lenchantin and Van Leeuwen, is former Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez), and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. White played on most of the tracks on Thirteenth Step, yet Iha joined after its completion just in time for an American tour.

The band's sound has not changed drastically, relying on the detuned guitars, melodic vocals and ambience of their first album, but they also have expanded their sound as well. Songs like the 7-minute opener "The Package," "Blue," and "The Noose" still contain Keenan's distinctive vocals, textured guitars, and heavy drumming provided by Josh Freese, but it reflects more on bands like The Cure circa Disintegration, than early Black Sabbath or Jane's Addiction. Even songs like the first single "Weak and Powerless," which strikingly resembles "Judith" off their debut, and the acoustic "The Stranger," show a new side of A Perfect Circle, a sound they only hinted at on Mer De Noms. The band also covers "The Nurse Who Loved Me," by the alternative band Failure.

A Perfect Circle are one of the few "metal" bands out there that keep the otherwise prosaic genre interesting and relentlessly innovative. It's another remarkable addendum to Maynard James Keenan's musical endeavors, and makes Billy Howerdel a prolific composer and a vital guitarist in the music scene. It even benefits James Iha and Jeordie White, who have kept a low profile since their respective bands severed ties with them; it gives the two underrated musicians a new breath of life in the music industry. Thirteenth Step is a massive leap for the band in terms of musical growth, and for the listener it gives them a worthwhile venture through its atmosphere.

But then I was listening to it with a friend of mine and midway through the album he was about to cry. I asked him what was wrong, and he asked me "You know the twelve step program right?" Now, for those of you who don't know what this is, the twelve step program is a type of spiritual rehab that goes through twelve steps of recovery. He told this to me and explained that he had went through the program and he could relate to every song on here because of that. Thats when I realised what the album name meant "Thirteenth Step".

So I go home and I listened to it again the whole way through, and, knowing what I now knew, I wass truly moved by the album. Every one of the 12 songs represents one of the steps and here they are:

Step 1. The Package: 10/10: The intro describes the person befor he got into the program. It tells about taking my package, don't need another friend, taking whats mine, lie to get what I want, etc etc. Describing how much he relies on the drugs and how he would lie and what he would do to get "the package".

Step 2. Weak and Powerless 10/10: Now the addict is realising that he needs help with his addiction and is describing why its so difficult and that he feels "week and powerless.

Step 3. The Noose:10/10: At one point in the program you must go to people you know and talk to them about how your addiction has affected them. This song describes how the addict has to deal with the people he has harmed and even killed becaue of the addiction.

Step 4. Blue:10/10: Now he is describing how he saw the people he loved where suffering and he acted like they were fine and 'didn't want to know/keeping it in the dark/ignore the smoke/turning blue/I just sit and stare at you/ because I dont wanna know'

Step 5. Vanishing 8/10: At this point he is describing what it was like to be high on the drug and is looking back on it and missing the high 'disapear/ higher, higher/ into the air'

Step 6. A Stranger 8/10: This is someone who is unable to forgive the addict of all the pain he has caused and is acting like he/she doesnt know him 'You're just a stranger so what do I care'

Step 7. The Outsider 10/10: This is from the perspective of someone who doesn't know what its like to be an addict and is just like "Quit being such a baby and walk it off!" and acts like this person just wants attention and is threatening to commit suicide cuz he's weak. 'If you choose to pull the trigger/should your drama prove sincere/Do it somewhere far away from here'

Step 8. Crimes 4/10: Now the addict is recalling all of the crimes he has commited and is haing trouble finishing because of all the guilt '1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...9...10...10...10...10'

Step 9. The Nurse who Loved me (cover) 7/10: Now the person is in rehab and is being delusional about a nurse who is helping him through the treatment and believes she is falling for him and is giving him shortcuts 'she has everything I need/pharmasy keyes'.

Step 10. Pet 10/10: This is from the perspective of the addiction and it is trying to get the addict back to his old ways and is trying to make him believe that the addiction is his only friend, the ony thing he can trust and love 'Pay no mind what other voices say/They don't care about you, like I do/Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils/See, they don't give a f**k about you, like I do.'

Step 11. Lullaby 5/10: Now the addiction is taking controle and the addict is getting ready to back to his old ways

Step 12. Gravity 10/10: The addict finally realises that he needs help through his addiction and get rid of the pain forever

Overall: 102/120: about 92% As you can see, this is a very powerful album. However I must warn thee fans of tool; This is a lot more mellow than Tool. The only truely heavy songs here are 'Weak & Powerless', 'The Outsider', and 'Pet' and even they have their quiet moments. But keep in mind as well that these are exelent musicians and this band should not be overlooked. Thank you