A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms

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Music reviews of Mer De Noms

Music Review: Good, but not perfect
Rating: 4 Stars

The music is a melodic overture of darkness and beauty intertwined and dominated by exquisite guitar workmanship by both Billy Howerdel and Troy Van Leeuwen, accentuated by the steady percussion and beat of Josh Freese and finalized with the added depth and passion of Paz Lenchantin's bass and violin interludes. Very dynamic and experimental in all facets of the music creating a sound that may sound similiar due to Billy Howerdel's previous songwriting with other popular bands (most notably Tool), but the music still has a fresh and distinct edge.

Maynard James Keenan just has an aura about him that brings about the best of the surrounding musicians with his mere presence. With his poetic lyrical stanzas, incredibly soothing and dynamic voice, and his passionate and distinctive singing style, Maynard breathes life into A Perfect Circle. By far, some of his best work ever, especially as a vocalist as he was able to explore aspects of his voice not dreamed before, establishing himself as one of the premiere vocalists out there today. His songwriting, though far better than what most bands today could ever hope to achieve, was not up to par with what I think Maynard is capable of writing. This is, I believe, due to the fact that Maynard is used to writing both the music and the lyrics, nevertheless, exquisite.

A few songs on the cd feature Toolesque qualities, most notably "Rose", due to Maynard's distinct singing style and Toolesque beat, "Magdalena" for the singing again, and "Judith" for the music. The most complete and beautiful song on the cd is "Orestes", while "The Hollow" is another beautiful song with more of a darker edge that seems to be abruptly ended. "3 Libras" is another song with more of a melodic, mellow edge while "Sleeping Beauty", "Thomas" and "Thinking of You" feature melodic stanzas intertwined with harder-edged interludes. "Brena" is another beautiful song that ends the cd because "Over", like "Renholder", are not really songs at all, just mindless music and nonsensical words that really add no depth to the cd.

Overall, for a band that has not really been playing together for that long (5-6 months before the cd was completed), this cd is an exquisite piece of workmanship. A Perfect Circle created music that is more for themselves and the fans, not for the mass market, which is hugely appreciated. Unfortunately, the band will get lumped alongside Tool for Maynard's presence, which can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on what people are expecting. If you are expecting this to be another Tool cd, then you will probably be disappointed, but if you have a mind of your own and are looking for a band with tremendous talent and potential then you will not be disappointed. A Perfect Circle is one of the better new bands out there, although they could use a little work, improving their songwriting by adding more depth and flesh to them. Over time, if given a chance this band should mature into their own identity. In the meantime, this little "side project" should only have helped Maynard as he prepares for the next Tool cd. Other upcoming debuts to check out: Taproot, Sinnistar, Crease, Sicboy, Boiler Room, Professional Murder Music, Relative Ash, Flybanger and Deadsy.

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