10 Hard Rock Music Bands That Avoided The Sophomore Slump
8. Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle
When A Perfect Circle first got the ball rolling, it was hard for a lot of fans to separate the band from being just a side project for Tool. Even though the entire group was formed in the mind of Billy Howerdel early on, it always came back to Maynard James Keenan's vocals, which didn't sound all that different than what was happening in the Lateralus era of his other outfit. Whereas Mer De Noms showed them with their teeth out, Thirteenth Step was where they started dipping their toes into more atmospheric places.
Framed as a concept record dealing with addiction, every one of these songs has that strange psychedelic haze that comes with being under the influence, whether it means floating on air during the song Weak and Powerless or on the verge of a panic attack on The Outsider. While Billy is the puppet master here, the addition of Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha in the band really gave this album a shot in the arm, making for lush soundscapes that put you in that drunken mood.
Much like Tool albums had done back in the day, this is the kind of record that puts you in a specific environment while you're listening to it. It might not be the most healthy place to be all of the time, but the songs on here keep tempting you to come back in for more. There may be a few scars to be accounted for, but by hard rock standards, this is the best kind of bad habit to have.