A PERFECT CIRCLE
One of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever been to was A Perfect Circle (i.e. the more mainstream MJK) playing the Tacoma Dome in 2004. I can still rather vividly remember just how dark, moody, and absolutely amazing it all was. A formative experience, really, just in time for college graduation and the “real world”. (Sadly, that concert seems to have been lost to the ether. A very similar show from about a month later in Worcester, MA is up in full on YouTube ... in all its gloriously poor 2004 recording quality.)
If nothing else, listen to the last three songs, “The Outsider”, “The Noose”, and “Judith”. That’s two from The Thirteenth Step, easily one of the best alt/rock/metal/whatever albums ever, and the big hit from their first album, Mer de Noms.
That was fourteen years ago. Neither Keenan nor Howerdel made any new APC music since then.
Until now! (Well, technically the music was made before the album release but whatever.)
The new album is out as of last week and it’s ... different. (And not just because it’s available on streaming, unlike Tool.) A fair bit. But yet still very much APC and still very much Maynard. Perhaps even more so.
It’s certainly beautiful. The whole album. The early release singles were okay; my two early favorites are “Hourglass”... (yeah, I have no idea what’s up with the album art either, but who cares)
...and “So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish”. This latter is hilariously unique but it’s great. Howerdel apparently had it slated for his other band, but Maynard said to put it on this album because people are “going to hate” him for it, “so let’s do that”. LOL. Dolphins!
And because three is the Hungarian truth, let’s go with a throwback to my underrated favorite of The Thirteenth Step, “Gravity”. Oh that outro.
Lift me back up to the Sun.
FOOTBALL (all times BST):
19.45: Champions League, semifinal, 1st leg: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid