A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
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Free Music Notes for Mer De Noms
Free Music Review: probably the best alternative album since melon collie
Hit: 5 Stars
maynard made a great move with this band. he wholely puts his nice voice to use with this band and doesn't sound like a pretentious douchebag MOST of the time(like incubus' brandon boyd who seems to think he's mike patton). the lyrics are well written, and i'd put them on par with aenima's lyrics cuz i liked those as well(and i consider tool alternative hard rock so i believe comparisons can be made).a perfect circle has a nice, dreamy, friendly musical landscape and it makes you happy to hear such well composed music like this. it's like a darker, 'edgier'(what a word), version of smashing pumpkins' machina but this is way catchier and you've got maynard on vocals. you've most likely already heard 3 libras or judith or the hollow on the radio, if you like that , buy this. everything else is just as good. the only tracks that aren't as good as the rest are sleeping beauty(but the solo makes up for it), thomas, and i'd say thinking of you. but that's cuz i'm one picky jerk and i like music with a lot of changes. most people won't complain, unless you're a diehard tool fan and by listening to tool you're too 'hardcore' for this. if you're like that, get over yourself, tool aren't that hard, and at least give this a listen. it's a very pleasant experience.
the only thing that annoys me about this album is that maynard just had to put a song on here where he tells a god he doesn't believe exists 'fxck you' over and over(judith). good song though, but he could give the god-bashing a rest. it's about as annoying as hearing sully say 'get away' on every cut of his albums or hearing aaron lewis whine about insecurity. BUT judith is still a good song despite that..
if you like this i would also suggest buying failure's fantastic planet.
Free Music Review: A haunting debut from A Perfect Circle
Hit: 5 Stars
I was first exposed to A Perfect Circle when they opened for NIN. Although the band filled the arena with haunting, atmospheric music, they didn't particularly "grab" me ... when I bought "Mer de Noms" a few weeks later, I expected little more than a great single for my money. I was surprised to discover a mature, well-produced album filled with truly beautiful songs.Unlike many "debut albums," "Mer de Noms" is a polished, professional, and almost-fully-realized piece of work. The songs are startlingly original -- they completely disregard the formula that so many pop/rock/alt bands use in order to conjure radio-friendly hits. Some songs crept up on me, while others dipped and soared.
The vocals are superbly performed by Maynard James Keenan, AKA "Maynard from Tool." He has a distinctive, resonant voice which successfully tackles the rolling cascades of APC's operatic rock. Unlike many of today's raspy-voiced singers, Keenan has a clear, powerful voice that particularly shines during the opening lines of "Orestes."
The near-flawless single "Judith" is by far the hardest song on the album; listeners anxious for more of the same will be disappointed. If albums had genders, "Mer de Noms" would be female, and that's not a BAD thing. This is a melancholy, melodic, relaxing recording. Several songs fail to captivate, but the forgettable songs can be forgiven ... after all, they are sandwiched between three minute works of art such as "Magdalena" and "3 Libras." So many of the songs on "Mer de Noms" are outstanding ... if ALL of them were, this album would have approached perfection.
Free Music Review: Amazing debute.
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD has not left my cd player for a long time. But, I had the CD burned for me without track four, "Judith", because I just couldn't have that song on a CD. WHile it might sound pleasing to my ears, it was just offensive lyrically.
But the rest of the cd is absolutely amazing. When I first got it, I only liked a few songs, but then it grew on me. Some of the songs don't sound too different from Tool, Maynards other (and in my opinion, better) band. But then "Rose" sounds like Tool mixed with Nine Inch Nailes.
Everybody was raving about the track "Orestes", and i was impressed when I listened to it. It's a track I find myself listening to more than others.
Nevertheless, this is a CD you put in, and it's hard to listen to the first song without letting the entire thing spin. I've come to love this album as probably my favorite I own, or close to it, and have a hard time thinking certain songs are better than others.
The single best bridge in the entire song is when Maynard chants over and over in a whisper "Thinking of you" while the band plays crazy, atmospheric carnival sounding Toolesque music in the background.
BUT, even though every song on this album is amazing, i'd still have to say that the reason to buy the CD would be "Brena". This track is a love song. I don't know if "Brena" is the girl's name, or if it's a word that means or represents something else, but it is a beautiful song. The emotional noise of the wave crashing guitars will pull you into the "Perfect Circle". This is by far my favorite track amongst a lot of amazing songs, and is even better than "3 Libras."
All in all, a wonderful album. (MInus Track Four).
Free Music Review: Perfect
Hit: 5 Stars
Yes, like many people out there that went out to buy "Mer de Noms" I'm a TooL fan. Yes, I thought I was going to hear TooL when I bought "Mer de Moms". No, I did not hear TooL. Yes, I'm very, very pleased with "Mer de Noms."In a nutshell, huh? Anyway, let's examine this ingenious piece of work from Howerdel and Co. First off, from what I've read of the band, Billy Howerdel wrote most of, if not all the music for "Mer de Noms." Howerdel was/is a guitar tech for TooL and has been sitting on some of the songs off "Mer de Noms" since High-School (I'd say he's at least 30 yrs old now). Knowing that piece of information made this album even more amazing. Not only are the songs on "Mer de Noms" ahead of their time in the year 2000, some of them were probably written (at least envisioned and then molded with "Circle") 10-12 years ago. That is astonishing.
From beginning to end this album is solid. "Mer de Noms" offers a blend of previously abandoned Moody Rock, mind melting lyrics, and edgy melodies. There isn't a bad song off "Mer de Noms." My personal favorites are "The Hollow," "Magdelena" (becomming one of my favorite songs of all time), "Orestes," the Dave Matthews-ish "3 Libras," the heavy "Thomas," and the overwhelming Cult sounds of "Thinking of You."
I don't know if all TooL fans will like this album, but anyone that can appreciate melody and moody rock will eat, sleep and breathe "Mer de Noms" for weeks. Hands down the best album of 2000.
Free Music Review: Perfect Circle has a perfect debut, but they're not Tool
Hit: 5 Stars
Coming from a confessed Tool fan, and someone who's been following both Tool and APC, there is one thing you need to get past when you first listen to this CD: APC is NOT Tool! I know that a lot of fans are comparing APC to Tool, simply because of the presence of Manyard James Keenan as vocalist, but they are two completely different bands with two completely different sounds. There pretty much is no comparison. Tool is a death-industrial-heavy metal band (that's the best way I can describe them), while APC is a lighter, mellow, more mainstream rock-oriented band than Tool. Manyard's presence adds a bit of class to APC and proves that he can do more than just scream. Now for the music. On this CD, there's a good balance between the heavier songs on the disc (Judith, Thinking of You, Magdalena, Sleeping Beauty) and some of the more mellow songs on the disc (Orestes, 3 Libras). Some of the songs on this disc are the best I've ever heard for a debut. The main highlights are my favorite on the disc, 3 Libras, the single, Judith, Orestes, Thinking of You, and The Hollow. The songs that are OK are Sleeping Beauty, Rose, and Thomas. That doesn't mean that the whole CD isn't worth listening to. I did notice some Tool influence in a couple of songs, mainly Thomas and Thinking of You, but as I've said, they are two completely different bands with two completely differnt sounds. This will probably be one of those albums that'll be an industry standard, like Nirvana's Nevermind. Especially since The Hollow and Judith get lots of airplay on alt-rock stations. I think this CD is going to be a classic that'll rank right up there with Undertow and Aenima (heh-heh, I know, I know...).