Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle

Pros: A few songs that range from 'decent' to simply amazing.
Cons: Too boring too often. Doesn't even begin to scrape the brilliance of Mer De Noms.

In the past, I've struggled with the concept of incredible bands releasing unimpressive albums. It's almost like I was once in denial that such a thing could be possible, so I adapted the theory of "If most of [insert band name here]'s music is genius, ...

Pros: Some original stuff, some hard stuff, some interesting lyrics.
Cons: Maybe a bit on the self-indulgent, (ohh I hate this word) pretentious side.

It is in that time of reviewing true rock music that my fellow reviewers totally kick my ass. If you don't believe me, go ahead and suffer through this blathering tub of mediocrity and then check out some of the other reviews. A Perfect Circle...

Pros: Some good songs and lovely arrangements
Cons: Not at all cohesive or focused

When a man whom you’ve come to expect the best out of doesn’t deliver the goods, listeners are even more disappointed. Such is the case with Maynard James Keenan of both Tool and A Perfect Circle fame. In the matter of less than a decade, Ke ...

Pros: A radical change to ambient, sonic beauty, without compromising the band's core virtues
Cons: An offensive term not applied to discs like this one.

There are precious few things in life that can be truly relied upon. Humans, for all their virtues, have an inexplicable tendency to change, backstab and prove wholly unreliable. Cars break down. Stuff falls apart. Computers crash and delete entire re ...

Pros: Great lyrical content, unified sound
Cons: Occasionally boring, almost universally slow-paced

I wasn't actually going to buy this album, but it's tough to watch p unkrawka get flat-out giddy about an album I'm not going to buy. Indeed, his review pushed me off the proverbial fence, as I'm not a huge fan of A Per ...

Pros: Harmonious, edgy, and captivating.
Cons: A shaky second half holds the album back from greatness.

Three years after the release of the maddeningly inconsistent Mer de Noms, A Perfect Circle returned with a more polished and determined album that blends all of the performers’ talents together with stunning regularity. It’s not quite ...

Pros: Freese's drumming, Maynard's lyrics, ambitious musically
Cons: it falls flat and bores me to death in more than a couple spots

As a writer, I've struggled over the past few months in just how to reconcile music as art and music as fun in my reviews. I say this because I'm currently a bit perplexed as to handle this review. Oh well, I guess the best thing I could do is shut up, ...

Pros: Maynard James Keenan's voice. I REALLY like the tenth track!
Cons: Generally slow paced and boring.

Wouldn't you know it. I finally decide to review a band that most people would know about and it already has five reviews and it's only been out three days. Oh well, I'm going to do it anyway as a counterpoint. Fooled Again I di ...

Pros: Peaceful, Calming, and any other synonyms for those words you can think of
Cons: It's not 100% consistant; a few tracks don't work

Maynard James Keenan obviously wasn’t looking to make a band that sounded like Tool with his side project, A Perfect Circle. But that makes sense: if he wanted to write Tool songs, he would’ve done them with Tool. Instead, “Thirteenth Step” is a ...

Pros: Clever and dark but innocent in approach, like the opposite spectrum of a nursery rhyme.
Cons: Crimes and Vanishing. Sex with tornadoes is wrong and should be illegal.

A Perfect Circle's music works much like a mathematic equation: You + X = Your experience with their music. In Thirteenth Step the x variable is addiction, the whole thing swirls itself around a mysterious addiction to something, ...

Pros: Transcendant sound scapes take music art to a new level of thought and wisdom,
Cons: Erm, it will leave you and the world feeling numb around you after its over

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce myself, for I am a young chap who has been interested in music for quite a while now, and since this is my first review I just like you guys to bare with me. Please mention that you thought this review was helpf ...

Pros: Keenan's beautiful voice, Howerdel's music, the lyrical genius that is A Perfect Circle.
Cons: Excuse me? I think not.

Summary Ye Gods! I was turned on to A Perfect Circle by one of my good friends, and the instant I heard the CD, I was infatuated. After attending their concerts, I have nothing to say but that this is indisputably one of the greatest ...

Pros: Still APC. Still great. Plenty of tracks for you to love.
Cons: Not as magical as previous album. A couple of tracks feel mailed in.

Alright, review-boy, what's the story here? Well, I've been a passing, casual fan of Tool over the years. I appreciate some of their songs, and always turn up "Sober" and "Prison Sex" whenever they pop up on the radio, but I don't actually own ...

Pros: Different.
Cons: Lack of direction.

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 ...

Pros: Brilliant music, brilliant idea, just a brilliant album
Cons: "Crimes" and "Blue".... maybe

WARNING: This review may be a little long, this entire album tells a story that I believe should be correctly analyzed. There are times in which music is not even the main focal point of the album; this is one of those times. Back in 2000, Virgin ...

Pros: 7 really great songs
Cons: 2 average songs, 1 horrible song, and 2 pointless fillers

For those who don't know, here's the quick story on A Perfect Circle. APC was formed in 1998 or so and was composed of Maynard James Keenan(Tool) on vocals, Billy Howerdel writing guitar and bass, and Josh Freese(Vandals) on drums. Paz Lenchantin ...

Pros: Jeordie Orsborne White on bass, eclectic mix of music
Cons: Some songs seem too short, like "The Noose"

Alright. I’m throwing away the fact that my favorite band in the world is Tool. I’m throwing out the fact that my favorite vocalist in the world is Maynard James Keenan. I’m throwing out the fact that this album is TOTALLY different than APC’s last ...

Pros: Um ... there are a few decent tracks on here.
Cons: It's quite dull.

Well. I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. (This cliché will never get old!) The good news: This is an album done by professionals. Three of these band members have come from several famous groups, including "Guns N' Roses" (Josh ...

Pros: Angelic and demonic.The best of tool meets it's softer side.
Cons: The albums to me are never long enough. In this case fourty minutes isn't.

I warn all: Mainly a verbatim of the lyrics from the songs off of this album [true some of these songs appear on APC's website-only 2 songs... state full-lyrics,but I wondered and decifered the rest by ear]...technically my review is in my comments of ...

Pros: Maynard James Keenan.. Rich, powerful, stimulating.
Cons: Nope.

Coming, as it does, near the end of one of one of the most musically drab years I can remember, “Thirteenth Step” comes as such a powerful blast of fresh air that I’m afraid my opinion might be somewhat skewed by the sheer novelty of it. I haven’t had s ...

Pros: All of the guys in the band. Rocks, yet is subtle.
Cons: Subtle, yet it rocks.

If you love Mer De Noms (APC's first CD) then you will be surprised to hear 13th. Step - nothing like the first at all. That could be a bad thing if you are lame and expect musicians to continually make the same noise over and over or... a good thing for ...

Pros: Maynards voice, A story like formation of the album. the sound, the riffs.. everything!
Cons: not a good album for singles, weak and powerless not my song of choice.

When I first heard Thirteenth Step I was disappointed. After listening to a couple times, ... I realized the entire album spans a story of a drug addict that is so sick of the world around him he spirals into depression and insanity, only to lift himse ...

Pros: Intricate, well crafted songs. Moody, dark ethereal production.
Cons: Perhaps too abstract for some?

A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth step provides a well recorded, atmospheric musical journey courtesy of some well crafted and detailed songs. The short review for the impatient is that I reckon this is a bloody good album. If you want a longer story, rea ...

Pros: Melodically beutiful and awesome drums (Josh Freese is the Awesome!!!!!!!!)
Cons: A few weak songs (but easily made up for)

I really hate reading those stupid 5 page reviews, which give a detailed description of every song so i will make this blunt. I love a perfect cirlce, ever since i heard that Marynard had a side project (Tool is the best band in the world, though with ...

Pros: A true work of art.
Cons: This is a negative term & does not apply.

After my long, anticipated wait for "Thirteenth Step" to be released my wait finally came to an end. I rushed right out to get it. It's obvious with the opening of "The Package" that APC has grown & matured. The progress of this band is overwhelming ...

Pros: You will not be disappointed!
Cons: I have no cons to report

Another perfect CD from A Perfect Circle. Thirteenth Step is completely mesmerizing! This phenomenal piece of work has taken me to heaven and back! Incredible arrangements, brilliant guitars and lyrics that pierce your soul! Billys brilliance, Maynards beautiful vocals and Josh's heartfelt pounding of the "wardrums" never cease to amaze me! Although I absolutely love the whole cd, a few of my favorite tracks are "The Outsider", "Blue" , "The Noose" and "Pet". Many heartfelt thanks for sharing your talents with the music world and I definitely look forward to the future.

Pros: The cover of Failure's "The Nurse who Loved Me," "Package" , "Weak and Powerless"
Cons: The subject matter was not original, the whole album was fragmented and pretentious, not definite

This review is not song- specific, but more of a general feel for the album, Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle.If you liked Mer de Noms you might like 13th step.
Overall, Thirteenth step does not have the energy or spark like MDN. In attempt to create a dark but fluid sound similar to that of the Cure's Disintegration album, Thirthteenth step comes out whiny and fragmented. I enjoy the first songs "The package", and "Weak and Powerless": those songs represented a darker yet definite APC.
Beyond those, I felt the album was not united. "The Noose" felt like "Judith" ( ie another anti-God song). The Outsider was preachy. Pet was especially annoying to me because it was yet another anti-war song. yawn. I enjoyed the ballad " The Nurse Who Loved Me" but it did not fit into the album to me.
If you are an APC fan then it is best to pick it up to keep up your collections. Otherwise, I would suggest you borrow first then decide if it's a good choice.

Pros: Vocals are perfect, musically amazing
Cons: NONE!

I am very confused by some of the negative comments I have ready, especially those accusing the album of being boring.

I have been a hardcore Tool fan for a long time. Anything I can get of Maynard between Tool releases is good by me, but this album really blew me away. I truly feel it is some of the best work I have heard from him. His vocals alone make this album one of the best out there. Musically, it is mesmerizing. It is an album that you have to listen to in a dark place with your eyes closed. Yes, it is slow paced, but that's the point. It has very subtle aggression to it.

If you are a fan of Maynard's and can appreciate something different than everything that is out there right now, buy it!

Pros: none
Cons: Don't buy the CD, it's on the radio constantly

A Perfect Circle has officially entered the contest to try and sound like every other hard rock band currently being allowed to produce music. Please don't buy into this awful genre of music, spare yourself the regret you'll feel when you look back on this CD purchase 6 months from now.

Pros: Amazing piece of art all around.
Cons: NONE!

My lord, what an amazing album! First of all, the artwork for this album is AMAZING, also, I like the slightly changed line up. (I.E. Jeordie White). What can I say? I mark for Twiggy. . . Heh. Anyways. . . The CD starts off with an epic track called "The Package". "The Package" takes you on a 7 minute and 40 second musical voyage. Awesome. "Weak & Powerless" is the first single off the album, but I don't really like it. "The Noose" is incredible, we're talking "3 Libras" re-incarnated, that sounds great to APC fans who have yet to pick up this album, right? It's the truth. Other stand out tracks are "Blue", "The Outsider", "A Stranger". All in all, a must have as it is a godsend for all poets, and any form or artists. . .

Pros: I can listen to every single song, unique sound, great vocals, variety of music
Cons: Some depressing lyrics

I love everything about this CD! I bought it with fairly high expectations ( I am a Tool fan so I was skeptical about APC ) and all were met. This is a wonderful CD.

Every song is a new story with great, although some depressing, lyrics. The singer has a great voice. It is more of a mellow CD, but that's okay. One thing about Thirteenth Step that I like a lot is the fact that I can listen to the whole CD - every single song.

There isn't too much that I can say about it, other than the fact that I love the singer's voice, and I can listen to every song. It's great!

Pros: Addicting, pure talent, Finally great new music Leaves you wanting more
Cons: NONE

This has to be the best album out in years. These guys are Talented every song is GREAT!!!I am a King Crimson fan I can hear them in this album. I just cant stop listening to it. You will not be disappointed.