By Lilliana Ferrone ‘25
Twenty-one years later, A Perfect Circle’s Thirteenth Step continues to hold up as a must-listen for alternative metal. With the songs “Weak and Powerless,” “The Outsider,” and “Blue” topping the charts for Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks after its release, their placement there could never be considered undeserved.
The album, with lyrics written by Manyard James Keenan and music written by Billy Howerdell, is full of sounds that are simultaneously ethereal, enraged, and painful. The concept revolves around addiction; the title being a reference to the Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 step program.
It opens with “The Package,” a raw and aggressive exploration of an addiction where anything would be done to get their fix. The song starts admittedly mellow, slow paced and with Keenan’s most delicate singing voice possible. It progresses to a visceral plea for what he “craves,” using the repetition of “mine” in a desperate voice to highlight the fixation driving to greed. The song then abruptly returns to its gentle (but ominous) backing track, as the instrumental gets more and more gentle. It evokes the feeling after a meltdown, where you’re pent up with rage, and suddenly you lose that aggression and are forced into a quiet reflection, like the aftermath of a storm.
The album progresses with many unique perspectives, notably of a friend witnessing the crippling addiction second-hand. “The Outsider,” the seventh track on the album, is written through the eyes of a friend who doesn’t understand the complexities of addiction. The lyrics are apathetic and accusatory, every line is a spit in the face to nuances and shades of grey, and this is by design.
In the line, “Medicated drama queen/picture perfect numb belligerence,” the speaker sees their friend as someone exaggerating, acting out for the sake of acting out. Keenan’s voice is pointed, hitting the listener as if they did something wrong themselves. It’s gravely, condescending, and contrasts beautifully with his angelic tone with the songs leading up. He switches back to the ethereal vocals for the bridge, a repetition of a simple statement: “They were right about you,” and immediately back to striking the listener where it hurts most. It ends with a truly callous statement, “If you choose to pull the trigger, should your drama prove sincere/Do it somewhere far away from here,” nailing the concept of a truly uncaring and victim-blaming loved one.
Further down the tracklist, “Pet” takes a truly unique perspective; that of the drug itself. It manifests as a gentle and maternal figure, cooing at the listener and promising comfort. The lyrics begin with the line “Don’t fret precious, I’m here, step away from the window./Go back to sleep,” Keenan’s voice melodic and coercing. The lyrics get progressively more controlling and aggressive, transitioning from “They don’t care about you like I do,” to “They don’t give a —- about you like I do,” The lyricism feels as if the singer, or the addiction, is wrapping its arms around you from behind and covering your eyes, making you blind to the world.
Thirteenth Step is a fresh take on a subject covered countless times, with Maynard James Keenan’s lyricism shining through as it does on all of his work. Any alternative metal fans, especially those who already like TOOL, should listen the whole way through. Every song stands out in its own way.