{"product_id":"a-perfect-circle-thirteenth-step","title":"A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step (Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDark, hypnotic and beautifully unsettling - alternative rock that finds extraordinary beauty in the struggle to start again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReleased in 2003, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThirteenth Step\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is the second studio album from A Perfect Circle, the alternative rock supergroup founded by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Building on the atmospheric heaviness of their debut, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMer de Noms\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the album explores addiction, recovery and the fragile line between self-destruction and redemption.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe sound is instantly recognisable: Howerdel's layered guitars and carefully constructed arrangements create vast, cinematic soundscapes, while Keenan's vocals move between restrained vulnerability and chilling intensity. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Package\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e opens with a slow-building sense of menace, before \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeak and Powerless\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e delivers one of the band's most memorable riffs and choruses. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Outsider\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e hits harder still, pairing muscular guitars with lyrics that confront the destructive patterns of addiction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe album's title references the twelve-step programmes commonly associated with addiction recovery, with the “thirteenth step” used informally to describe an unhealthy dynamic within recovery communities. That idea fits the record's uneasy exploration of dependency, manipulation and the difficulty of escaping destructive cycles.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDespite its heavy subject matter, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThirteenth Step\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is remarkably melodic. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlue\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e balances a driving rhythm with an almost dreamlike atmosphere, while \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGravity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e offers a quieter, more reflective moment. Throughout, the band's arrangements feel meticulously constructed without losing their emotional force.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Perfect Circle's lineup also brings together musicians from across the alternative scene, including bassist Jeordie White, formerly known as Twiggy Ramirez, and drummer Josh Freese. Their contributions give the album both technical precision and a powerful sense of momentum.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThirteenth Step\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e remains one of the standout alternative rock albums of the early 2000s - immersive, intelligent and heavy in ways that go well beyond volume.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEssential for fans of alternative rock, progressive rock, atmospheric metal and the darker side of early-2000s music.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nightshade Books \u0026 Vinyl","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55460094443849,"sku":"APRFC_THRTNTH-LP","price":65.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1032\/4721\/6969\/files\/A_Perfect_Circle_Thirteenth_Step_Pic_1.jpg?v=1790590152","url":"https:\/\/nightshade.ie\/en-ca\/products\/a-perfect-circle-thirteenth-step","provider":"Nightshade Books \u0026 Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}