It starts slowly.<\/p>\n
A swell of thousands of excited voices in unison, then quelled gently by Maynard<\/strong>\u2019s solitary introductory vocal, \u201cfrom dehumanization\u00a0to arms production, we hasten this nation towards its destruction.\u201d<\/em> A sweetly sinister music box melody and Billy Howerdel<\/strong>\u2019s moody guitar work, it\u2019s already enough; the audience\u2019s attention is entranced in anticipation, the intimacy is infectious, and the stage is already set for Stone and Echo<\/em>'s Red Rocks\u00a0<\/strong>Amphitheater<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cPower is power, the law of the land. <\/em><\/p>\n And those living for dead will die by their own hand.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n But\u00a0just hang on a second, John Lennon<\/strong>\u2019s \u2018Imagine\u2019 is peeking round the corner now. That sullen piano line and wonderfully somber vocal always had something twisted-ly captivating about it. \u201cYou may say I\u2019m a dreamer \u2013 but I\u2019m not the only one.\u201d <\/em>And the show\u2019s only just begun…<\/p>\n Like many, \u2018The Outsider\u2019 caught me. Can\u2019t be considered surprising; the roar of the vocals and Howerdel<\/strong>\u2019s guitar riffage in full onslaught on my senses, it was absolutely my kind of music. \u201cDisconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time\u201d. <\/em>Un cercle parfait<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s signature hit that most know had my attention immediately and completely, but it didn\u2019t stop there. Before long it was the sparse, beautiful \u2018Orestes\u2019, or the tense introductory bass leading into \u2018Weak and Powerless\u2019s eclectic electric guitar licks and pitter-patter percussion. Mer De Noms <\/em>et Thirteenth Step<\/em> had the kind of allure that meant you had to listen closer, pay more attention or simply risk missing the point, and the momentum lead neatly into 2004 cover album, Sensible<\/em>. But this was where things came to a close, for a while. With Keenan<\/strong>\u2019s responsibilities towards Outil<\/strong> et Puscifer<\/strong>, et Billy Howerdel<\/strong> focusing on solo project Ashes Divide<\/strong>, Un cercle parfait<\/strong> spent fourteen on-and-off years mostly absent from the scene, save for touring appearances, the greatest hits album Three Sixty<\/em>, and of course A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo<\/em>, in 2013.<\/p>\n The appearance of Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em> (and it\u2019s thoroughly perplexing artwork) was, at the very least, a little surprising. Sure, the members of Un cercle parfait<\/strong> are not entirely known for taking themselves aussi<\/em> seriously, Maynard James Keenan<\/strong> in particular being especially guilty of this; the Puscifer<\/strong> project is filled to the brim with sarcastic references to a number of taboo subjects, even naming their debut studio effort V Is For Vagina<\/em>, while Outil<\/strong>\u2019s various sexual allusions are relatively self-explanatory. Despite this, taken at face value, Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em>\u2019s artwork is just plain peculiar, but it\u2019s important to note that it is, of course, everything it was intended to be; take into account just how violently juxtaposed it is by pre-release single \u2018The Doomed\u2019, a track stylistically backed by huge Billy Howerdel<\/strong> guitar riffs, furious percussion, and beautifully utilized music box chimes and haunting atmosphere.<\/p>\n Lyrically, \u2018The Doomed\u2019 spends much of its time being a polar opposite to the ridiculousness of the strange figure that inhabits Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em>\u2019s artwork, instead engaging in a full-frontal assault against social inequality, \u201cwhat of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?\u201d <\/em>And yet, much like the artwork, \u2018The Doomed\u2019 is loud, in your face, and catches your attention. It faces the \u201celephant in the room\u201d problem of the lyrical content head on, with Maynard James Keenan<\/strong> vocally toeing the line between vulnerability and enraged frustration, with the track\u2019s ending boiling point culminating in an eruption of frantic drums and Keenan<\/strong> delivering a final aggressive roar of \u201cfuck the doomed, you\u2019re on your own.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n To say that Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant <\/em>has immediately painted itself as somewhat confusing to the wary, inattentive listener, is probably accurate enough, but this really is only just scratching the surface of what the album has to offer. Indeed, to completely polarize things right from the very beginning, Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em>\u2019s introductory title track is the album at its most unexpected; \u2018Eat The Elephant\u2019, a track once in connection with none other than Linkin Park<\/a><\/strong>'s Chester Bennington<\/a><\/strong>, is a jazz song. A sweetly delivered, mellow, beautiful<\/em> jazz song. Gently swaying back and forth in fluttery percussion and light piano keys, Maynard James Keenan<\/strong> croons away with not a hint of guitar distortion in sight, \u201cwithout you to remind me, just begin.\u201d <\/em>And begin it does, the track bleeds softly into the more traditionally \u2018Un cercle parfait<\/strong>\u2019 track, \u2018Disillusioned\u2019. Moody, reverb-heavy guitar work and euphoric atmospherics swell gorgeously behind Keenan<\/strong>\u2019s tentative vocal delivery, lyrically the track reflects on societal disconnection and calls for a change; \u201ctime to put the silicone obsession down, take a look around, find a way in the silence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Continuing onwards, Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em>\u2019s ever-contrasting stylistic approach keeps things moving forward intriguingly, the tense, overbearing nature of \u2018The Contrarian\u2019 deceptively welcoming at first, an elegant introductory harp rippling through the mix, before Keenan<\/strong>\u2019s rather disturbing vocal delivery plunges the track into far more harrowing atmosphere. Lyrically the track focuses on the fear of an individual rejecting the popular or socially accepted; \u201cbeware the contrarian\u201d<\/em> – beware the one who rejects the norm. Considering the tone of \u2018The Contrarian\u2019, this is then completely uprooted by the far more uplifting direction of \u2018So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish\u2019, a track that borders on the likes of vibrant, U2<\/strong>-esque guitar tones and euphoric vocal delivery, taken into far more cinematic territory and lyrically describing itself better than anything that could be written here; \u201cHip hip hooray, for this fireworks display. Mind and body blown away, what a radiant crescendo.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n And so, the album strides forward, delving into some unexpected territory while still maintaining a level of what should be expected from the band; \u2018TalkTalk\u2019 effectively acts as a richly blended result of the heavier Mer De Noms<\/em> elements with Thirteenth Step<\/em>\u2019s more mellow direction, while \u2018By And Down The River\u2019 incorporates more orchestral instrumentals alongside Billy Howerdel<\/strong>\u2019s warped, flanged out lead guitar tones, reminiscent at times of the likes of Riverside<\/strong>'s Piotr Grudzi\u0144ski<\/strong>, et Maynard James Keenan<\/strong>\u2019s vocal delivery setting a longing, mournful stage for the track to explore. \u2018Delicious\u2019 mixes acoustic riffs in with some of the more conventional electric guitar riffs of the album, with Howerdel<\/strong> utilizing a chunky overdriven tone and Keenan <\/strong>delivering some of his more sarcastic lyrical content of the album.<\/p>\n Now, while piano instrumental \u2018DLB\u2019 drifts by and allows for a moment to breathe, reflection seems to certainly be the focus for just a few moments; it\u2019s a rather sombre two minutes as the track gently progresses, the mood is low and things are calm, yet feels uneasy. Exactly why this is the case, becomes apparent the instant \u2018Hourglass\u2019 enters the fray. Abruptly usurping the poignant mood of its predecessor, \u2018Hourglass\u2019s abrasive synthesiser work, robotic vocal processing, and heavy bass has the track sharing far more similarities with the likes of the band\u2019s iconic \u2018Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums\u2019, or the more industrial side to Keenan<\/strong>'s Puscifer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Overall, it\u2019s easily one of the boldest offerings seen on Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em>, a final punch into stranger territory before the album is lead neatly into the penultimate \u2018Feathers\u2019, a return to the wailing guitar textures of \u2018Disillusioned\u2019 and \u2018The Doomed\u2019. Again, \u2018Feathers\u2019 sees much of the refrained side to Keenan<\/strong>\u2019s roar, far less reliant on the kind of delivery that makes \u201cfuck the doomed, you\u2019re on your own\u201d <\/em>rip through the mix, Keenan<\/strong> instead croons and aches as the track continues, before Billy Howerdel<\/strong> once again takes to the enthralling reverb-heavy lead guitar work that he so effectively brings to light, before closing gently on a last piano section and one final whisper; \u201cmay they become, may they all be feathers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Taking in the broad scope and gorgeous soundscapes Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em> so lovingly embraces isn\u2019t something that happens quickly. It takes time, attention, and a little bit of patience. At heart, the album is by no means rushing things \u2013 it\u2019s taking every step with exactly the amount of focus it needs. Closing track \u2018Get The Lead Out\u2019 essentially acts as the epilogue to what stands as an absolutely outstanding body of work; a strange, seven minute sample-heavy track, wandering softly with no real aim or reason except to just take a moment. To breathe. Despite carrying the statement of \u201cchit chat, chit chat, ain\u2019t got time for that\u201d, <\/em>it starts slowly, builds gradually and with care, swelling for a moment before Keenan<\/strong> quietens things again. Manger l'\u00e9l\u00e9phant<\/em> simply adores this kind of approach, allowing time to digest the \u201celephant\u201d, and this ultimately results in some of the band\u2019s most brilliant material to date. It\u2019s been a very long fourteen years, and it\u2019s been well worth it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a radiant crescendo.\u201d<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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