LABEL: Virgin Records Us
VINYL RELEASE DATE: 9/2/2008
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 2000
VARIANT: 180 Gram Black Vinyl 2LP

Side projects don’t always take off, but A Perfect Circle soared. The brainchild of TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel launched when Keenan’s main band were firmly stars, but Mer De Noms, their 2000 debut, was immediately received with gushing praise and impressive sales upon its release, rivaling the hype around TOOL themselves. To this day, Mer De Noms’ braided alignment of spindly alt-metal and dreary alt-rock remains one of Keenan’s most lauded feats.