With a band containing Tool's Maynard James Keenan, Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, Marilyn Manson's Twiggy Ramirez (aka Jeordie White) and the Vandals' Josh Freese, the uninitiated would be forgiven for expecting heavy going from the disc but A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth Step has The Cure as its most obvious point of comparison, particularly on Blue and Vanishing.
The record is broody rather than brash, moody bass lines underpinning Keenan's distinctive vocals, and the big guns are broken out rarely - but most effectively on quiet/loud masterpiece Pet.
Apparently, Thirteenth Step is a conceptual exploration of the darker side of the human psyche, according to the band's website, majestic The Noose the dark side and whimsical The Nurse Who Loved Me a rare glimpse of the light, perhaps.
The record is occasionally a little pompous in its complexity and is somewhat frustrating when songs appear to slowly build, never to reach any discernible climax. But the painstaking care with which each track has been created is undeniable and rewarding. A good record when all's said and done, Thirteenth Step - the band's second long-player - should keep the Circle spinning for a bit longer.
A Perfect Circle
Thirteenth Step (Virgin)