Chosen by Brian, this month’s album is Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle, the band formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan (TOOL and Puscifer).
Thirteenth Step is the band’s second album, following the multi-platinum Mer de Noms, released in 2000 and debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, the highest-ever Billboard 200 debut for a rock band's first album.
Mer de Noms also has some great stories behind it. Most of its lyrics were dedicated to people Maynard James Keenan knew, with songs including “Judith”, “Breña”, “Rose”, “Thomas”, “Magdalena”, “Orestes” and “Renholdër”. The latter is a reference to guitarist and sound engineer Danny Lohner - “Re.Lohner” backwards.
We have Mer de Noms available to buy on vinyl here.
The video above isn't an official video for “The Package”, the opening track of Thirteenth Step – the band never released one. Instead, it's a rather cool fan-made animated interpretation of the song.
The album has just received a new Capitol Records Definitive Sound Series vinyl release, mastered from 24-bit/96kHz files transferred from analogue flat masters.
A Perfect Circle have also just announced an extensive North American tour for next year. You can find all the details on the band's website here.
For Brian, a massive TOOL fan, Thirteenth Step is “a superb album that is truly captivating from the magnificent opening track, The Package, to the beautiful closing track, Gravity.”
Essential tracks: The Package, The Noose, The Outsider, Gravity.
Last bit of advice from Brian: Make sure you turn the volume up a bit on your system and let yourself be transported!