Mer de Noms (Perfect Circle)

The first album of Maynard from Tool's other band 'A Perfect Circle'. A great album that really features Maynard's voice more than Tool does. Not to compare apples to oranges but in Tool his role is slightly different, so it's nice to have him more front and center. When Mer de Noms came out it sold the most copies in the first week of a debut album ever with 188,000, and eventually went platinum. It has a very flowing, even, crisp, mellow, and heavy sound to the whole album; it's a really fantastic work. Only four stars though because the later albums from A Perfect Circle are even better as they really find their sound.

This is the most artistic, beautiful, creative CD I have ever heard. EVERY song is as amazing and haunting as the next. I'm just prey they get back together for a new album soon it's been too long without A Perfect Circle! Highly, HIGHLY recommended!

Assured release from Keenan and a different, melodically dark company, successfully replaces crunching riffage with a slightly more soothingly eccentric palate, which produces the rare rock side project release beyond major reproach. Arguably more appealing than the increasingly bloated stagnation creeping into Tool's creativity at the time.

I really like this CD. I never get tired of it. The songs are great.

This CD was AWESOME..Too bad A Perfect Circle has broken up and is no longer recording together. Buy all of their CD's they are great. In my opinion Better than TOOL..

...go die. A Perfect Circle is its own project in its own field. Consider them a band rather than a mere side project. It's rather disconcerting, not to mention frightening, to witness the number of drones around unwilling to give melodic structure a chance and brush it aside as 'not as good as...' The fact of the matter is that this is a great album. Consider it mainstream, sell-out, bland, or whatever the junk else you deem 'applicable' to this album. It won't change the fact that it is a worthy mention and far better than what the world deems popular these days. '3 Libras' is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I believe that will be the only track in which I will mention specifically. The rest of the record deserves an honest and OBJECTIVE listen. Go into it thinking it's something different, not a spin-off. If you do that, it will make the experience more enjoyable and perhaps enlightening.

Tool is a great band, but they never really interested me. It wasn't until the formation of A Perfect Circle that I recognized the talents of these musicians. Not really sure where this rates as compared to Thirteen (though I'm more than sure that it's better than that awful cover album), but this is probably the best album by either band.

finally a c.d. worth commenting on, the 4th track couldnt be a more true statement about religion or what religion has become since man interviened. musically a brilliant record made by some of todays truely talented musical artists, well in my opinion anyway.

An excellent album held together by Maynard's superb vocals and cryptic lyrics. My favorite tracks are 3 Libras (an all-time classic), The Hollow (some great harmony), Rose, Orestes, and Judith. The song Judith may rub devoted Christians the wrong way, but it may go down easier if you know the story behind it: Judith is the name of Maynard's mother, who died of cancer shortly after the album came out. She was a devout Christian and Maynard simply couldn't fathom how God would inflict such a fate on her. He expressed his fury in the form of the song Judith. I'm not saying he's right to blame God for his mother's death, but it definitely puts some of his lyrics in perspective.

This is a great album by a great group of talented musicians. This is more of darker and gloomier side of modern rock. Tool fans may be dissapointed by number slower numbers on here.

This is an incredible album. Now, Maynard can say he is in two of the best rock bands out there. It's not the same style as Tool. The band has more of a basic hard rock sound. However, the songs are anything but basic. A wide variety of musical ability and great songwriting can be found on this record

This is a spiritual journey through the mind of a genius. This cd is a MUST have! Anyone who loves Tool will love A perfect Circle better!

Beautiful, soft melodies combined with heart-felt lyrics make this CD a must-buy. Maynard has the strongest voice I have ever heard. So deep and such a great range of vocals. And I'm going to agree with Dorkavitch Charnalsky on the religion thing. People shouldn't say they don't like someone or something because of the whole religion issue. I am atheist as well, and I couldn't care less what you believe in. APC kicks ass, and thats that

I think this band has some talent. I don't understand people's reviews sometimes. I think you can be a fn of the new bands and still like old ones as well. For example, I love Foo Fighters but I also am into Styx and other classic bands as well.

In my humble opinion I think Mer De Noms is the best album to come out in ten years. This is a classic. A work of art. This band has literally made a landscape of sound with some of the most melodic,complicated and heart felt songs I have ever heard. This is of course by Tool front man Maynard James Keenan's side project, A Perfect Circle. These talented and ingenious musicians have created an album that deserves to go down in Rock history. But, unfortunatly it won't. Why? It came out in the Rap Rock year of our Lord, 2000. This band and their incredibly dark, gothic sound were buried by such trash bands as Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach. How could one of the greatest bands ever assembled stand a chance? A band that pumps out the best songs in years? How could singles like Judith, 3 Libras or The Hollow ever stand up to songs like Break stuff, Last Resort or One Step Closer? Instead of pre packaged teeny bop rock, A Perfect Circle's Mer De Noms deleverse a mature and proffesional sound bac... Read more

great grand wonderful

This album will stir the emotions within that most the world want you to keep clouded over. This album is a positive way to release the rage that many of us have because of the ignorance that much of the world has succomb to.

Awesome debut album. Maynard rocks, as usual. It's not as good as the new Our Lady Peace 'spiritual machines', but it's not as mainstream either. Tool still rules.

Whatever Maynard touches, gold soon appears. Which is not to in any way emasculate the contributions of the rest of the band: The whole album is just enough of a departure from tool to be a wonderful creative entity in its own right but carries the same trademark genius of sweeping emotion and lyrical prowess. What a JOY!!!

PERFECT CIRCLE KICKS ASS.THE SONGS ARE SO DEEP AND DARK,I LOVE THAT.PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE APC, SUCK, AND DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF REAL GOOD MUSIC. ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS IS 3 LIBRAS.ANY APC FANS CAN MAIL ME AT [email protected]

For a first album, even from a group of vetrans, it has a lot of variety of sound, sometimes the guitar work is a bit of an 80's cliche but it is Maynard James Keenans (from Tool) voice that really stand out. It is very distinctive and unlike his work in Tool.

This album rocks, hands down. A must for anyone who is a fan of Tool, as both bands share lead the vocalist.

A sensuous collection which is marred only by a distinct tendency to the pedestrian at critical moments. Excellent as background music.

If you say this is awful, that is your opinion. But if you like true music that makes you feel, that has real meaning, then you'll really appreciate the work that this band has made to help so many people who relate to this album. There are some of you so called "rockers" that like music that is heavy, with no meaning to the lyrics. Like take, Static X. I 'm not offending anyone, its just an example. But this album has a whole story to it. I say, thank you A Perfect Circle. And if you don’t like them because they are “anti-christian”, that’s not necessarily true. Because this whole album is about God. Take for instance, “Magdalena”, it is about Mary Magdelene, the lady that Jesus was really in love with, that helped him, but couldn’t love because f Mary. (The Virgin Mary). And “Judith” is a song about when you feel like blaming God, when he wasn’t there, but it was really your fault. So I think this album is better than Tool. It may not be heavier, but it sure is more mean... Read more

Real good group. Better than Tool. I thought it would be a bust, but it wasn't. It made the band Tool better.

The music is okay, but I hate the anti-christian mockery crap they threw in the track "Judith" -it ruins the entire thing for me.

The orchestration of this album was wonderful. I loved it. Maynard's voice blended perfectly with the instrumentation. It was filled with soaring melodies that just flowed out of the speakers. One of the best albums of the year.

Great CD. The lead singer has the coolest voice. He also is the lead singer for Tool. Check out their new CD that is coming out.

It's a different CD. It's very average. Tool is still a much better band.

This album is a good departure from Tool. Tool is one of my favorite bands so it would be easy to follow them up with something inferior. This album concentrates more on blending melodies and textured guitars along with the excellent range of Maynard James Keenan (lead singer). Good dynamics make a huge difference.

This cd is great! This is a CD you don't need your remote to skip to a different song. The music is hard but very melodic.

great to hear from Maynard again. I think this album rocks because it ISN'T Tool. It's it's own entity. A great project. Especially great live!

great start to a post-tool band. sounds like tool but more and a little less but i am still satisfied. the voice and mood of maynard are still exquisite!! i still jam on the old tool along with perfect cd.

Maynard has a Godly voice!!!

Wow! This album is awesome! It is better than anything Tool put out, and is filled with emotional, mood-twisting lyrics and music. Plus this band is great live.

This is a new wave of Rock/Alternative. This is a tremendous music achievement from some great rock musicians.

With Maynard from Tool and its other members famous from other rock exploits, A Perfect Circle needs little publicity. The album is great for its Industrial feel and is a standard among the genre.

The multi talent of this band is phenomenal, Maynard is as always a god!!! Billy Howerdale is a genius at least...