This album just makes me emotional every time I listen to it. It has some of the best vocals of Maynard's entire career as well as some of his saddest lyricism. This and Thirteenth Step are my favorite APC projects by a country mile, but between the two I honestly can't choose. They're pretty different but both excellent
His vocals are great on this record, I agree! There's a power to them that really remind me of Tool's earlier stuff but he fuses on a really soft vulnerability to his voice at the same time. It makes for very emotionally charged music.
I feel the same way. Mer de Noms is special and Thirteenth Step is also special. Sometimes I'm in the mood for Mer de Noms and sometimes I'm in the mood for Thirteenth Step but nearly every time listening to one makes me want to listen to the other.
Just has a special place in my heart! 13th Step is great too. 1st time I saw APC was Lollapalooza 2003 in Phoenix AZ. During Judith Billy Howerdel threw his glass guitar slide after the last chorus solo and I caught it! And also Jeordie White threw his bass pick and hit me right in the forehead and I got that one too! Lol Im lucky to have seen them many times since then but I never got to see the original lineup with Paz Lenchantin on bass. Definitely an all time great super group.
One more thing: There’s an alternate lyrical version of “Orestes” that starts off “Picture a parish in a playground Innocent faces in a circle Tiny hands hold round the edges A fret for every gentle moment My heart high above their heads On a billowing diaphram of memories And I struggle to catch a glimpse of you But I’m bound by webs of habit Gotta cut away, clear away snip away and sever this umbilical residue” There’s live video of it too! I just love that both version exist! Cheers!
Can't wait for you to listen to Thirteenth Step. It is, IMO, one of the best made albums of the 00s. Josh Freese's drumming carries so much weight, and the songs are unbelievable.
For White Pony, Deftones had a small 'writers block' and enlisted Maynard to help. Maynard had Deftones switch instruments amongst each other, and experiment with time signatures. Maynard also had them do other artsy weird stuff that Deftones just didn't resonate with haha. We got 'Passenger' from that. Just an EPIC time for music.
Super talented guy. His 2008 album under the moniker "Ashes Divide" - 'Keep telling myself it's alright' is amazing. Well worth a listen, I fell in love with it.
@@mollyesanborn His solo album from this year is called _What Normal Was,_ and it's a strong contender for my favorite album of the year (which is saying something, because Stabbing Westward, Porcupine Tree and the Mars Volta all also released albums this year, each after a lengthy hiatus). It's got a very pronounced 80s new wave/synth-rock influence on it-- it's like if the Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen were blended into A Perfect Circle's sound.
One thing I really like about your videos is that you remind me of certain long forgotten elements within albums I love and have listened to hundreds of times, elements that I'd completely let slide into my subconscious and muscle memory. Your fresh ears and new found interpretation really bring those notes I've taken for granted over the years back to the fore once again, and make me want to revisit them again with a more active attention to the sound. Thank you. Love your videos and keep up the great work!
my favorite part of the entire album is on the bridge of Orestes: "And I don't wanna feel this overwhelming" and the vocals bend upwards. 3 libras and rose are also in my top 3 from this album. I really like how this album mer de noms is mixed. a perfect circle also opened for NIN on their fragility 2.0 tour.
more info: the guitarist Billy Howerdel wrote the songs on this album and initially wanted a female vocalist. Billy Howerdel also used to be a guitar tech for the smashing pumpkins in the mid 90s.
This brings back High school memories so much. Imagine being 16 & listening to Tool, then this pops out of no where. Man good times. Loved this album, it's so unique & unexpected. Flawless execution. I was hoping to see this review & glad to see someone else experience this for the first time.
Judith by A Perfect Circle and Wings For Marie Part 1 and 2 by Tool were both songs about Maynard's mother,(Judith Marie).Judith was a devoted christian, but she spent the last years of her life physically handicapped, and in the song "Judith" Maynard basically asks his mom "How can praise a God who put you in the state you're in"?, and several years later after she died, in the Tool song "Wings for Marie" Maynard is basically saying to God "Hey after all the crap you put my mom through, and all the time she's devoted to you, you better let her into heaven!" ("Give me my wings!")
@@mollyesanborn Yeah turns out I was wrong. Turns out, Maynard's mother was physically handicapped ever since Maynard was 11 years old, she suffered from what was known as a "paralyzing cerebral aneurysm", and yeah it was obviously a pretty sad and lousy situation.
They came out swinging with this debut and IMO it's their best album. Maynard with a new sound was so wild at the the time. Judith and 3 Libras are my favorite tracks. I like how their sound is heavy and hypnotic--the production on this album at times feels so grand and polished, almost a cinematic vibe. Solid album!
This version of APC Is Maynard James Keenan -vocals Billy Howerdel -Guitar former guitar tech for TOOL, APC’s producer and long time friend of Maynard’s Troy Van Leeuwen -Guitar and former member of the band Failure who are also long time friends of TOOL Paz Lenchantin -Cello, violin, bass and piano Renholder is a partial reverse of Danny Lohner’s name, a former member of Nine Inch Nails.= Red Lohner Josh Freese -Drums, also played drums notably, for Evanescence and Nine Inch Nails
Super excited. Been in love with tool and apc since my parents jammed them kn repeat as a kid. Thankful I was born into a family with great taste introducing me to metallica, tool, apc, the strokes, portishead, and more. Hope you like this record as much as I do!
Oh how lucky to have been brought up listening to this as a kid! And yes, I did enjoy this album a ton. Looking forward to diving more into A Perfect Circle's discography.
@@mollyesanborn You’ll get a kick out of 13th step for sure. They dive even further into what I would call the ‘art metal’ style, which I am sure you picked up on in this record. Kinda like deftones’ direction. Love your content btw, thx for the heart and keep up the enthusiasm for that good music!! ☺️
I love the parallels you make to NIN, and Deftones here. Josh Freese, who drums on the majority of this album (track 1 was drummed by Tim Alexander (Primus)), also provides drums on NIN's Year Zero and The Slip and Billy, the guitarist and key songwriter toured as a guitar tech with NIN, so it's almost certain his time with them would have had an influence on his writing for this album.
Lots of people will say their favorite APC is 13th Step, but Noms is by far my favorite. A masterpiece of an album. Brena is his ex by the way and I'm fairly sure Sleeping Beauty is about her pill addiction.
A curiosity is that one of the first options Billy wanted for the band was Siouxie Soux, since he mentioned that APC was a mixture of Siouxie and the Banshees and Ozzy's first 2 solo albums with Randy Rhoads, his guitar influence. While you are in the Tool world, I recommend Replicants, by former Tool bassist Paul D'Amour, who released a single covers album so far in 1995 by the same name.
"It almost feels like 2 vocalists on this part." Billy Howerdel, the guitarist and impetus of the band's formation, sings harmony on many of their songs.
Summer/Fall 2000: my freshman year of HS and so confused about my place and where I fit in. This album helped me at that time tremendously. I can’t believe you’ve been listening to music I grew up with and giving my fav bands a chance (korn, rage against the machine, took, slipknot, faith no more) all helped me so much during the late 90s early 2000s
Awesome album. My dad bought me this album the day it came out. He got me into TOOL when I was about 12 years old. It totally influenced my outlook on Rock, Metal and guitar music.
Judith was the first single released for this album, and within the first 5 seconds my jaw dropped and I believe I audibly muttered "Holy shit." Knew we were in for something special with this album, and I still get that same feeling to this day from that song, and this whole album. So distinct. Thirteenth Step is also a fantastic album, albeit different from Mer De Noms.
The song Judith is about Maynard’s mother she had a brain aneurism that left her paralyzed and the song seems to be his frustration with the idea that his mother is still religiously devout despite all her suffering.
As is Wings for Marie, Part 1 and 2 from 10, 000 Days, and the whole album. '10,000 days in the fire, you're going home...' 'Judith Marie, unonfitional one...'
Such a great album. I'd listen to this when I was rollerblading and working out a lot 20 years ago. That and Deftones were such an awesome part of growing up, and being able to see all those great acts for like 20 bucks.
I'm happy to read from some the comments that people still notice and appreciate just how well produced this album is. I don't know that I've found Maynard's voice as pleasing and emotionally communicative in some of his other projects as it is here. I wasn't able to connect with any of APC's other albums the way I did with Mer de Noms, it has a very open or vulnerable quality to it combined with being really easy to listen to front to back. I never felt like they were trying to impress upon the listener too much, even though it's not necessarily a laid back album, the more ambient tones or more somber melodies seem like they fit so nicely in each song that before you know it the album is over. I also think that can make tracks blend together a bit and not necessarily stand apart on their own but call me old fashioned, I think that's a good thing. One of the best introductory albums I can think of and extremely well produced for the time period.
Glad you are starting your APC experience. Maynard can do no wrong and brings more talented musicians with him; nice to hear him in a different context and APC allows him to work with sounds and textures he couldn't with Tool. Really enjoy your reactions/reviews/analysis of my favorite bands/albums. I like the format you chose by listening to entire albums and it's so nice to hear your insightful/honest reviews with a nice logical analysis done with intelligence. Thanks for all the time/hard work you put in.
This album is on my top 5. I met Maynard and Paz when I saw them in Seattle when I was 15, that show blew my head off. Mer day noms is “a sea of names” in latin. It is inspired by Cocteau Twins album “Treasures” which has all songs as someone’s name, as does mer de noms.
Sea of Names is such a Masterpiece of an album! Their absolute best work of art Thirteenth Step comes close but no cigar. Great Review as always Molly will you review my suggestion album? My Top 3: Rose Orestes Three Libras
Yes, an absolute masterpiece, I couldn't agree more! Definitely looking forward to Thirteenth Step now. And I am for sure gonna plan on doing The Black Queen in the future, I'll probably finish up with Dillinger's discography first and then plan on diving into their music :)
Just to add a bit more info the other vocalist you hear goes by the name of Billy Howerdell and he's the brains of APC and wrote most of their songs . he used to work behind the scenes at Tool shows then maynard and him formed A Perfect Circle. He has another band called The Ashes Divide that are awesome. great reaction as always👍
Korn is my all time favorite band, but this album is one of my favorites of all time. Definitely top 3. Orestes is basically the perfect song. I've been listening to the album since its release and it never gets old. Blown away more and more every time I hear it. Glad you checked this one out!
Here Maynard embraced his inner Chris Gaines, a goth look, a tortured spirit, vampiric. I loved this album when it came out. 3 Libras and Orestes are phenomenal, they always make me shed a tear. Hauntingly beautiful. Although I prefer 13th Step, their definitive masterpiece. Mer is a bit spotty in places, 13th is perfect from beginning to end. Eat the Elephant is good too, although nowhere near as rocking as their first 2. Emotive is an album almost full of covers that I never got into, but you might want to check it out, as completion.
Magdalena is currently my favorite too, but this whole album is absolutely stacked with great tracks and I could totally see that changing. And as for Dillinger I'm still planning on doing their whole discography, don't you worry! I can't wait to hear more from them, such an awesome band.
Yeah I'm so happy I've finally heard this one! It's been on my list for a long time now. I can totally see how it influenced you wanting to be a musician, it's a phenomenal album.
Great reaction. This is one of my favorite albums of all time and came out at a very meaningful time for me. Glad you can hear it over 20 years later and hear how great it is as well.
Mind-blowing that you're just discovering them; you have so much amazing music to look forward to. I've seen Maynard live multiple times; both of his bands are incredible. Enjoy the journey
Great album. One thing I've come to love most about this and their follow up is Josh Freeze's drumming. He has a way of choosing what and what not to accent that's really interesting and unexpected. One of many things to love about Mer De Noms
Yessss!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of A Perfect Circle. The greatest megaband of all time. This album has sat in my Top 5 Albums of all time since 2000…! At that time, it was so different than anything else that had ever been made. Instant Classic! Glad you got to finally experience it.
Orestes from Greek mythology for deeper lyrical interpretation & ties back to his real life. Enjoying your reactions & I can't wait for the Thirteenth Step! (The live album version takes it up a notch imho - the Fourteenth Step? haha)
Finally! I recommended this one a couple of times here in the comments, I'm happy you gave it a listen Judith was the "mainstream" single from this one, its a powerful song but my overall favorite is 3 Libras for the meaning and feeling it trasmits
It's a great album, one of my favourite albums. If you like recommendations check out a band called Down, especially their second album Down 2: A Bustle in your Hedgerow, their lead singer is Phil Anselmo who used to be the lead singer of Pantera and all their band members have been in bands before they joined together and formed Down
Vibes from Tool, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Opeth, Mastodon and some older Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Korn and Depeche Mode albums, made My life something more.
I saw APC live... they were as amazing live as they are on their albums... again.. thank you for your take on the album.... You really should look into doing a career in radio or something in that spectrum (I know I mentioned it before, but your voice has good tonal qualities and is very smooth in presentation.. )
one of the most out of the blue, best alt rock records of all time, not to mention the members of the group at this time were all on top of their game for this album
The thick eerie atmosphere, industrial sounds, tension, large sonic landscape, and perfect vocal delivery of Keenan make this album a progressive rock masterpiece.
Great breakdown! After you’ve listened to the Thirteenth Step and eMotive albums, I highly recommend APC’s Stone and Echo: Live at Red Rocks. I keep it on repeat
this is the first cd i bought after moving to another state after college. songs from this album still surface very vivid memories of driving around in early summer with the windows down, learning the lay of the land. and while i wasn't quite a teenager anymore they evoked such ecstatic yearning for what the future held.
Wait until you get to Thirteenth Step! That was A perfect circles best Album (in my opinion). Weak and Powerless, and The Outsider are the stand out's on that album.
Not many bands have matched the absolute living I have felt the 3 times I've heard Maynard sing "IT'S TIME TO BRING THE FIRE DOWN" in the shows I've seen them in. This album is very important to me. But when you listen to 13th Step: it's probably the best-produced album ever? Oh man, it's special.
In my 41 years on Earth I've heard a lot of music and I think I've developed a pretty strong sense of what is quality music across a wide range of genres and after all is said and done I would add this to the very short list of 10/10 albums ever made.
"Judith" is what I tell people to listen to if they want to understand my take on religion. There is a whole story behind it... You have a very good ear!
This is one of my favourite things Maynard has ever done. Glad you gave it a listen, it's such a cool album and a really great time capsule of that early 2000s era musically.
😀 Yes! I know I say this a lot, but I knew you’d love this one. It’s fucking beautiful. How could you not? Mer de Noms means Sea of Names, in case you didn’t already know. I quite like the title, no matter how you say it. The cuts kill me. I honestly wish they didn’t make you do that. I like reading your face and body as much as I like to hear your insights. I’ll be waiting for a certain part to come up, and I’m watching you, and all of a sudden…cut! 😂 Well, I can’t wait to see you react to Thirteenth Step, and Eat the Elephant. Then it’s on to Puscifer. And, let it be known, you’re gonna love every bit of it.
@@mollyesanborn I forgot to mention, you’d have loved seeing this live, when they were touring for this album…with NIИ, for the Fragility tour. Best concert I’ve ever been to thanks to that double feature. If you haven’t watched the And All That Could Have Been DVD then you really need to.
I snagged a leaked version of this off of Usnet several months before release. It was slower and heavier than the release version. I uploaded it all to Google Play Music and it replaced everything with the release. 😭
There is some excellent industrial tinged guitar sounds throughout the record which I think can perhaps be chalked up to Billy howerdel working as a NIN guitar tech in the 90s - at least to some degree. It's one of my all time favorites.
Orestes is my favorite APC song. I still remember listening to this album when it first came out. I couldn’t wait to get to school and tell everyone about it.
