Review – A Perfect Circle – Eat The Elephant

 

Artist: A Perfect Circle

Album: Eat The Elephant

Rating: 10/10

 

A Perfect Circle have returned with their most finest piece of priceless art to date with, “Eat The Elephant” an album that’s been long-awaited for 14 years since, “eMOTIVe” which was the last album the was released. A Perfect Circle will amaze everyone because this anticipated album is more of a work of art than a rock album. “Eat The Elephant” is a nuanced steady work of masterful precision due the fact most of the songs entirety are mellow which is not down playing the genius that is “Eat The Elephant” with it’s depressive and hypnotizing vocal and musical delivery.

The opener is title track “Eat The Elephant” respectively, giving a glimpse into a moderately honed look for the rest of the album. The track offers down tempo, piano led ballad that sets the tone for all that follows–dark, understated, and delicate, with Keenan’s vocals that stand out from previous albums, and it’s safe to say this a good setup for the next chapter of A Perfect Circle.

“The Doomed” is very ominous, and speaks about the Apocalypse, with many biblical fire and brimstone references. “The Doomed” begins with a soft intro with paced drums and Maynard comes into the beat with some ominous lyrics with some well executed backed guitars and heads to a rocking ending. This was an amazing release for A Perfect Circle to daze fans and will leave them wanting more.

Maynard and Howerdel formed A Perfect Circle in a cottage back in the nineties. Maynard (Tool, Pucifer) and Howerdel (Ashes Decide) decided to bring the long awaited album due to Howerdel being successfully being unfrozen from his ‘cyrogenic stasis’ , Maynard jokes.

“The Disillusioned” is a beautifully written and composed melodic ride. It offers some heavy guitars and a nice sombre piano. The track is mentioned as a sort of dedication to the late Robin Williams and the movie, “What Dreams May Come” which the actor started in.

I first seen a live performance of “Hourglass” and I knew it would be a song I would look forward to hearing, which is why it is a stand out track to me off “Eat The Elephant” because it offers a more industrial feel to it which is a slight ‘out of the comfort zone’ for A Perfect Circle which they are known for their nuanced melodies, Maynard, while still forming an adherence to his traditional sounds also brings some new added cathartic and more out spoken frustrated outlooks.

The second stand out track is “Feathers” it sounds like it’s going to slot in nicely with the rest of A Perfect Circle’s discography characterised by a building crescendo throughout and ending with a minute of beautiful harmony by the whole band. It’s definitely a great addition to, “Eat The Elephant” and sure to not disappoint.

The band is currently made up of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, along with guitarist Billy Howerdel, former The Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, as well as bassist Matt McJunkins and drummer Jeff Friedl, had last issued new music with the release of the 2013 single “By And Down” Earlier this year they debuted a new song entitled “Feathers” and “Hourglass” during a show on their first North American Tour since 2011.

Talk/Talk” is one of the most recently released tracks and one on the album that holds it’s own next to, “The Disillusioned” and “The Doomed” which got alot of radio play due to the lack of A Perfect Circle in these recent years. Talk/Talk brings alot to the table with mentions of a type of religious apathy towards a sort of preachiness in this world. The track has moments of intensity in Mynard’s vocal delivery that gives you a sense of suspense while it plays out.

Overall, this long awaited album has some definite gems for A Perfect Circle, but something seems to be missing, I feel it could have been lengthier, but at the same time I’m glad to have heard, “Eat The Elephant” with it trance, nuance and haunting pianos and spectacular vocals delivered by Mynard which are some of the purest vocals of his entire catalog. I will say that some of these tracks seemed to be pulled off the shelf of latter-year but that’s not to say they don’t belong or fit because, “Eat The Elephant” is an album worth of A Perfect Circle’s discography.

Order “Eat The Elephant” here

Available Now!

Official Video for, The Doomed

Official Video for, The Disillusioned

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