A Perfect Circle
Mer de Noms

"A perfect circle.
This is the literal translation of the name of this new hard-to-categorize group, representing the complete conjunction of poetry, music, and art".[Rockol Reviews]
Mer de Noms Side Project of A Perfect Circle, known to many for the participation of frontman singer Maynard from Tool, is a rock album, but that kind of rock that you can't wait to become a niche genre again: intense, melodic yet raw at the same time, it leaves no moment of respite.

There was much talk about the APC project even before the release of their first (and for now only) album due to the stature of the protagonists who animated it: Billy Howerdell (technician and collaborator of Smashing Pumpkins, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails) and Josh Freese (Vandals, Devo, Guns 'n' Roses), Paz Lenchantin, the beautiful bassist now with Zwan, and the aforementioned Keenan.

Mer de Noms, the album's name, is inspired by the song titles, mostly names each with its story, either the result of one's actions or the weight of a name. Magdalena, the biblical symbol of prostitution, is adored as a "black madonna" to the point that for a kiss, a single kiss: "I lost my self control, I'll sell my soul, my self esteem, one kiss one taste of you my Magdalena" everything around becomes sacred and pure more than the altars in the temple and this is done solely by the power of love.
The Hollow is a desperate request to quench desire (sexual being) that hurts like a blade straight to the heart, always growing and slowly consuming us... "It's time to bring this fire down" says the song in the end, whose tone is as much of a dramatic, spontaneous, and innocent request.
Love and desire are fundamental themes of this album, which strips off a moral guise to show their natural beauty and purity, the emotional drive in the songs I've talked about is remarkable and is a point to reflect upon, in my opinion.

The harsh critique of morality, on the other hand, takes center stage in the song Judith: "You're such an inspiration for the ways that I will never ever choose to be. Oh, so many ways for me to show you how your savior has abandoned you. Fuck your God, your Lord, your Christ" there's a strong invitation to find oneself outside models and paths already taken without mortifying oneself... A particular note to avoid protests: the verse clearly states: "fuck YOUR God, YOUR Lord, YOUR Christ".

The following are the splendid Orestes and 3 Lybras, both very sweet ballads, so intense they give chills... the first is a crescendo that explodes towards the end in a threat so heartfelt it seems a plea while the second is a true ballad: opened by a simple yet splendid guitar riff that introduces us to the lyrics: intimate is the despair of being just a name among millions in the eyes and memories of a love that no longer sees anything... not even its past.