A PERFECT CIRCLE
Mer De Noms (Virgin)
Reviewed by Christophe Chuvan

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This band seems to have sprung out of nowhere and into the spotlight. The fact that it is presented as a side-project of Maynard J. Keenan (Tool), has probably helped giving them a lot of exposure. However, one would be wrong to dismiss this band as just an after-thought by Keenan, to fill up his time while Tool is on hiatus. As he ackowledges himself, he's only the singer here. This band is primarily about one man, Billy Howerdel, and his songs.

Some people seem eager to label A Perfect Circle as a "Tool-lite" offering. Again, while they're not totally wrong in seeing similarities between the two, this is taking the wrong approach. Apart from Maynard's voice, this record does share with Tool's material an affinity for multi-layered sonic landscapes and intricate, hypnotic, almost repetitive grooves and percussive patterns.

However, once one drills a bit further, the individuality of Howerdel's writing becomes more obvious. The sound of the record walks a thin line between contemporary, mainstream heavy rock ("The Hollow", "Thomas" ) and light sonic experimentation, along with neat exotic touches (the oriental scales on "Renholder"). The songs altern between heavy, gloomy rockers ("Judith") and dreamy balladry ("Orestes", "3 Libras"). That dichotomy is also evident lyrically, with the slower, acoustic numbers being usually lighter-mooded than the heavy, dark rockers. Nonetheless, while a melancholic romanticism permeates the entire record, optimism is not out of the question and a few rays of light sometimes shine through the clouds, which is something one would be hard pressed to find on a Tool album.

While not a great album, this is an impressive debut. Billy Howerdel has assembled a cohesive collection of songs painting a wide canvas of influences without getting lost into mimickry. The band sounds tight, the sound is modern, agressive and the material has depth. Assuming that Maynard can keep juggling duties effectively between his "other" band, the next one should be a classic.

© 2000 - Christophe Chuvan