Review Summary: Elephants never forget and neither do A Perfect Circle.
Eat the Elephant is a haunting, daunting, and delirious venture into the depths of A Perfect Circle. Over a decade in the making, A Perfect Circle hung up their usual shtick in exchange for a more contemporary approach to their current record. Somber tones and emotional vocals explode into a decadent array of 12 mesmerizing tracks. As unique and individual as the music is,
…Elephant proves to be the groups most daring record yet.
Eat the Elephant tackles usual themes of faith, trials, and society through a more mature lens. Mellow vibes and mysterious messages await those who take the leap into
Eat the Elephant.
For those expecting more of the same, this album is not for you.
Eat the Elephant will take time to grow on faithful fans of A Perfect Circle. Maynard’s vocals are a lot softer this round. Most would call it similar to his work in Puscifer. The band’s contemporary approach to music puts a lot of emphasis on atmosphere. The atmosphere for
Elephant is very immersive. The dark and captivating texture captivates listeners instantly. ‘The Contrarian’ easily is one of the albums hallmarks. The cryptic picked intro leads into Maynard’s bleak vocals. The quietly tense atmosphere fades in and out of the forefront to deliver the uneasy tone of the lyrics. I would regard ‘Contrarian’ as one of the best representations of the record.
Eat the Elephant doesn’t stray too far from the norm. Familiar themes weave their way through the record. ‘TalkTalk,’ one of my favorites of the record, continues the ongoing narrative of Keenan’s battle with religion. “Talk without works is faith without works is dead, dead, dead,” toys with the ‘faith without works’ concept of Christianity. The song deals with those who do not act on their faith yet preach to others anyways. The line is also an example of Circle’s lyrical style for
Elephant. The songs, for the most part, are lyrically baron. Similar to Nine Inch Nail’s
The Fragile,
Eat the Elephant relies more on music to deliver the song than lyrics.
‘Hourglass,’ ‘Feathers,’ and ‘By and Down the River’ are repackaged for the album. All three have better production value and don’t deviate too much from their original format. ‘By and Down the River’ is a tad faster and more dramatic to match the tone of the album. Otherwise, the vocals are more or less similar to the original. It’s easy to tell it’s rerecorded since Maynard’s delivery is tailored differently. ‘The Doomed, and ‘TalkTalk’ are the more abrasive side to
Eat the Elephant. While all of the songs are dark and heavy tonally, these two are presented angrier than the others. ‘…Doomed’s’ chugging guitars and rolling drums are sure to appease those longing for a gritty banger.
Eat the Elephant is an otherwise stellar display from A Perfect Circle and, along with MGMT’s
Little Dark Age, one of my favorites from 2018. While different than anything A Perfect Circle’s done before,
Elephant is diverse enough to give the band a wider spectrum to work with. The dramatic emotional flair of the record provides enough depth for fans to invest in and enough music to explore just the same. It’s easy to see why most wouldn’t enjoy the record. The overall presentation might be *too* different for some, but for those looking for quality and experimental music, this is just for you. The days of
Mer de Noms may be in the past, but if
Eat the Elephant is their future, I’m all for it.
Standout Tracks
The Contrarian
Hourglass
Feathers
By and Down the River
TalkTalk
The Doomed
