A Perfect Circle

Formed in the late '90s by Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan and that band's former guitar tech Billy Howerdel, American rock supergroup A Perfect Circle fuses alt-metal and art rock, focusing on lighter, melodic sounds and a theatrical, ambient quality incorporating occasional strings and unconventional instrumentation, which helped them move beyond early comparisons to Tool to develop into its own entity. Over the decades, members of Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Queens of the Stone Age have played a role in the band's revolving lineup under the core duo of Keenan and Howerdel. They released their debut album Mer de Noms in 2000, with sophomore set Thirteenth Step following in 2003. After the release of their covers album eMOTIVe in 2004, the project was put on hold. They ended an extended hiatus in 2018 with the release of their third album, Eat the Elephant.