A Perfect Circle

Artist Image: A Perfect Circle
Attribution
Image Credit: Carlos Montes (Flickr: A Perfect Circle Lollapalooza Chile 2013), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Formed by Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan and former Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle is an extension of the alt-metal-fused-with-art rock style popularized by Tool in the early to mid-'90s. While similar to Tool in intensity and melancholy, A Perfect Circle is less dark and more melodic, with a theatrical, ambient quality that incorporates occasional strings and unusual instrumentation. After the release of Ænima in 1996, Tool found themselves in the midst of an extended legal battle with former label Freeworld Entertainment. When the dust settled two years later, the band reached a 50/50 joint venture agreement for future recordings and, feeling a little burned out, decided to take some time off. It was at this point that Keenan joined up with Howerdel and Paz Lenchantin to form A Perfect Circle. Keenan had met Howerdel in 1992 when Tool opened for Fishbone. Howerdel had been Fishbone's tech at the time and had played Keenan a few of his songs. Keenan was impressed and the two talked of collaborating in the future. However, the opportunity didn't present itself until after the Freeworld settlement. With Keenan on vocals, Howerdel on guitar, and Lenchantin on bass, the trio recruited ex-Failure and Enemy member Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar and ex-Vandals and Guns N' Roses member Josh Freese on drums. The quintet rehearsed together but didn't announce the formation of a new band until performing for the first time on August 15, 1999, at a benefit concert at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Howerdel, who had been composing songs for years, as well as working with bands such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, became the band's chief songwriter and producer. A Perfect Circle released their debut album, Mer de Noms, in 2000. Thirteenth Step followed in 2003, and the covers album Emotive appeared in 2004.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1999
Number of Albums 13
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia A Perfect Circle on Wikipedia
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Trivia

Who is the guitarist of A Perfect Circle?

Billy Howerdel

...t Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has releas...
How many studio albums has A perfect circle released?

four

...el and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three releasing in the early 2000s: Mer de Noms...
What was the name given to the first three albums released in the early 2000s?

Mer de Noms

...sed four studio albums, the first three releasing in the early 2000s: Mer de Noms , their debut album in 2000, and followed up by Thirteenth Step in 20...
What is the name given to the album Keep Telling Myself Its Alright?

Ashes Divide

...sed a solo album, Keep Telling Myself Its Alright, under the moniker Ashes Divide . However, the band reformed in 2017 to record a fourth album, Eat th...
Which album was released on April 20, 2018?

Eat the Elephant

...vide. However, the band reformed in 2017 to record a fourth album, Eat the Elephant , which was released on April 20, 2018. Prone to downtime due to Ke...
Who is the drummer?

Jeff Friedl

...ing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl , the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and ...
Who is James Iha?

Smashing Pumpkins guitarist

...of activity and inactivity. The bands current lineup features Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, ...
Who is Matt McJunkins?

bassist

...he bands current lineup features Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latter two also being con...
What is Jeff Friedl's profession?

drummer

...ures Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latter two also being contributors to the related Pus...
When did Howerdel meet Maynard James Keenan?

1992

...ies collectively as of 2005. Howerdel met singer Maynard James Keenan in 1992 , when Tool was opening for Fishbone, and the two became friends. Three y...
How long after Tool's first meeting did Keenenan offer him a room?

Three years

...1992, when Tool was opening for Fishbone, and the two became friends. Three years later, Keenan offered Howerdel, who was looking for lodging, a room ...
Who formed A Perfect Circle?

Maynard James Keenan

...dered career suicide for some, such was not the case when Tool's Maynard James Keenan formed the alternative rock group A Perfect Circle. Tempering th...
When was Tool formed?

1990

...ral fare that smolders rather than burns as an allout inferno. Formed in 1990 , Tool consists of Adam Jones (guitar), Paul D'Amour (bass) and Danny Car...
Who is the drummer for Tool?

Danny Carey

...n 1990, Tool consists of Adam Jones (guitar), Paul D'Amour (bass) and Danny Carey (drums). They released the Opiate EP in 1992, Undertow in 1993, Aeni...
What was the name of the EP released by Tool in 1992?

Opiate

...guitar), Paul D'Amour (bass) and Danny Carey (drums). They released the Opiate EP in 1992, Undertow in 1993, Aenima in 1996, the bside collection Sali...
When was the bside collection Salival released?

2000

... 1992, Undertow in 1993, Aenima in 1996, the bside collection Salival in 2000 , and Lateralus in 2001. Known as much for their artfully composed and sl...
What year did Tool headline Lollapalooza?

1997

...ombining thrash, metal, and progrock, the band headlined Lollapalooza in 1997 and has sold millions of records worldwide. In 1996, Tool was faced with...
How many records has Tool sold worldwide?

millions

...al, and progrock, the band headlined Lollapalooza in 1997 and has sold millions of records worldwide. In 1996, Tool was faced with a long and drawn ou...
What year was Tool faced with a long and drawn out legal battle?

1996

...ined Lollapalooza in 1997 and has sold millions of records worldwide. In 1996 , Tool was faced with a long and drawn out legal battle with their manage...
When did Tool release a full length album?

2001

..., Aenima in 1996, the bside collection Salival in 2000, and Lateralus in 2001 . Known as much for their artfully composed and slightly twisted videos a...
How many albums has A Perfect Circle released?

three

... backing vocals, and Jeff Friedl on drums. A Perfect Circle has released three albums: Mer De Noms (2000), The Thirteenth Step (2003), and eMOTIVe (20...
What was the name of the CDDVD set released by a Perfect Circle?

aMOTION

...ms (2000), The Thirteenth Step (2003), and eMOTIVe (2004). A CDDVD set, aMOTION , was also released and include thirteen music videos in addition to a ...
How many music videos were included in the aMOTION set?

thirteen

...nd eMOTIVe (2004). A CDDVD set, aMOTION, was also released and include thirteen music videos in addition to a number of song remixes. The band went in...
What album did Keenan work on in 2006?

10,000 Days

...er projects, the most notable is Keenan's work on the 2006 Tool album 10,000 Days and Howerdel's Ashes Divide album Keep Telling Myself It's Alright. ...
What year did the two band members announce that they had reformed?

2008

... Howerdel's Ashes Divide album Keep Telling Myself It's Alright. In late 2008 the two announced that they have reformed to work on new material, altho...
What band was Tool opening for?

Fishbone

...rdel met singer Maynard James Keenan in 1992 when Tool was opening for Fishbone , and the two became friends. Three years later, Keenan offered Howerde...
How long after Tool opened for Fishbone, where did Keenn offer Howerel a room?

North Hollywood home

...nan offered Howerdel, who was looking for lodging, a room in his North Hollywood home . This provided Howerdel the opportunity to play demos of his mus...
What was Howerdel looking for?

lodging

...riends. Three years later, Keenan offered Howerdel, who was looking for lodging , a room in his North Hollywood home. This provided Howerdel the opport...
What style of music was popularized by Tool in the early to mid'90s?

altmetalfusedwithartrock

...Mer de Noms, A Perfect Circle were seen as an extension of the altmetalfusedwithartrock style popularized by Tool in the early to mid'90s. Despite com...
Mer de Noms debuted in the Top Five of the Billboard 200 and went what?

platinum

... Noms debuted in the Top Five of the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum . The band took a short break between albums, allowing Keenan to hop ba...
What was the name of the 2001 album that Keenan released?

Lateralus

...ally went platinum. The band took a short break between albums, allowing Keenan to hop back to Tool for the release and promotion of 2001's Lateralus ....
What is Keenan's name?

Maynard James

...ergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first...
What year was the band formed?

1999

...ect Circle is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Pe...
What was the name of the third album released by the band in 2003?

Thirteenth Step

...y 2000s: Mer de Noms, their debut album in 2000, and followed up by Thirteenth Step in 2003; then in 2004, Emotive an album of radically reworked cove...
When was Eat the Elephant released?

April 20, 2018

...7 to record a fourth album, Eat the Elephant, which was released on April 20, 2018 . Prone to downtime due to Keenan's other musical commitments, the b...
Who were the only constant members of the band?

Keenan and Howerdel

...ty and inactivity, and has changed lineups on each album, leaving Keenan and Howerdel the only constant members. The original incarnation of the band ...
What was Paz Lenchantin on?

bass

...members. The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass , Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Josh Freese on drums. Primus drummer Ti...
What is James Iha's job title?

guitarist

...ing any material. The band's current lineup features Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latte...
How many copies of Tool's first three studio albums were sold as of 2005?

4 million

...tically and commercially, with their first three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005. Howerdel met singer Maynard James Kee...