forhekset's Full Review: Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle
Being an avid Tool fan, and admiring the masterpiece that was Mer De Noms, I was anticipating the release of this disc for months. Having truly been moved by Mer De Noms I hoped that this release would be different, yet have the same emotional effect. I was wrong.
This disc seems to lack the..direction. It's as if you're sitting in a plane waiting for take-off and you hear the engine start up, start getting excited, and then all of a sudden you hear the engine shut off, and you're back to just sitting there.
Thirteenth Step lacks the "thing" that Keenan seems to find time after time. One reason for this could be lyrical content, but you'd think that it would be more powerful with a running theme to it. This is certainly not the case.
The Package kicks off the album - the first ten seconds of this suggest that it's going to be quite an interesting song. As you wait patiently to hear Keenan's beautiful vocals..you get let down. His voice seems to be lacking hidden emotion that could be heard within it. Listeners can sense the tension within the band as Keenan sings "Just give me what I came for, then I'm out the door again.."
Second track is the highly acclaimed Weak And Powerless, a good track at first listen, and you can tell why the label chose to release this as the first single. It quickly loses its appeal though.
The Noose. I really thought this song could be the 3 Libras of the album, but it would appear I was wrong. (Then again, you might say, how could there ever be ANOTHER 3 Libras. The lyrical content of this song is powerful, but perhaps a little wasted. The song carries on for a little over 3 minutes, while its listeners' await the climax. When it's delivered it's certainly well worth the wait, but I feel there could be more done with it than what was presented.
"Your halo's slippin' down..to choke you now.." is the last we hear from Keenan in The Noose, and is followed by riffs leading into Blue. I guess there really is no rest for the wicked. Like The Package and The Noose, this is another great track from the album, probably due to the eerie feel that it seems to give off. It reminds me of someone walking around a forest, but they can't see where they're going (due to the smoke, of course).
When I first heard Vanishing, I have to admit I pressed the skip button. After having this disc for several months, this is the only song that hasn't gotten old, it has a beauty about it that the others seem to lack.
A Stranger follows on, much in the same light as The Noose, lacking the take-off.
After we're left with a very blunt ending on A Stranger, "I'm better off without you, tearing my will down.." it's straight into the opening riff of The Outsider. Keenan's deeper vocals on this track work well in order to create a certain element of angst required, along with excellent guitar work. The ending to this song is simply delightful, and it shows as the side of Keenan we've all come to know and love.
Crimes then follows on, and whilst I know it's often been the victim of the dreaded skip button, in the same light as Vanishing, it's a very intriguing track to listen to.
After Crimes much in the same way it came on, we're introduced to the slightly psychotic tale that is The Nurse Who Loved Me. I wasn't sure whether to take this track as a joke, or to take it as something simply beautiful, so I'll lean towards to latter. Keenan's vocals are simply beautiful and teamed with the music it creates a floating feeling.
That feeling is quickly whipped away from under you as you're introduced to the heavy riffs of Pet. The one thing I admire most about this song is the uncertainty factor. You never know what to expect from this song, one moment you think the band are going to tuck you into bed, and the next you're in the middle of the desert. The emotion factor is definitely present on this song, especially around the 2:50 mark. Brilliant track.
Lullaby follows, with some interesting vocals, but I'll leave this one up to your own personal interpretation.
Gravity is one of the best lyrically, but yet again, you wait for it to take you somewhere that it has no intentions of going to. Perhaps this is intentional, but at times it proves a little frustrating.
After owning this disc for quite a while now, I've found the..novelty of it to have worn off rather quickly. It went from being played non-stop all day, to..well not being played. I almost feel guilty for writing such words about such talented people, but I feel it's justified.
Thirteenth Step is still definitely worth checking out, just don't expect another Mer De Noms in terms of the emotional aspect.
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