a different stroke for good ole' Maynard, but definatly one thats gonna make people spooge... if not, than youve got some impatency problems.

This is the most amazing CD i heard in 2003, although i'm listening to at least 5 to 10 new records in a week for my job. A dark and powerful Prog-Rock classic.

BEST ALBUM I've heard for years

the girl in Weak and Powerless video is so sexy. What is her name???

Flawless.....they have created another master piece.

WOW!!! Maynard does it again... His lyrics and soul shine through yet again... His talent and musical genious is so obvious in eveything from APC and TOOL..

I think this is by far the most political album Maynard has put out. He always has a lot of soul in his songs but the Thirteenth step just hits right to my heart with all the problems and fears we are all facing today. He is a voice for our generation.

First off, I'ld just like to say Maynard is GoD.(but you knew that!) Now I'll move onto this Cd. After the Second Time I listened to it, I was Hooked. When I first got it in my player, I was a little shocked by the quiet tones and a little standoffish about whether i truely LOVED this cd, as I have with past Maynard Albums... I have listened to this cd for the past 48 hours non-stop, and have not been able to shut it off. When I'm not listening to the cd, I'm watching the Weak and Powerless video, trying to pull out everything I can from the Video, and the thoughts beyond all the lyrics. What comes forth from APC is a GIFT to all, and I just hope those that buy this, take the time to ENJOY it, and hear the lyrics as The Heavenly Voice of Maynard plays upon their senses!!! - another satisfied listener!!!! … Expand

they've done it again.....touched my soul with beautiful, meaningful melodic, painful emotion. i can't get enough of this disc.

I took awhile to grasp the meaning... but once I found it. I couldn't stop.

When I hear people talk about how similar Tool and A Perfect Circle are, it angers me. though they are cut from similar threads, A Perfect Circle has gone far and away from what Tool has become. Thirteenth step flows, like poetry or romantic language, it's melodies are etheral and serenly dark. Tool is mathematical, they are calculated and deliver either upon a hammer's stroke or a delicate segue. Thirteenth Step is one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard, lyrically brilliant, musically mastered and deep in spiritual reflection. Maynard proves that this is not a side project, nor just an offshoot of Tool, APC on this album defines themselves as something else entirely. Where Mer De Noms was a beautiful precursor to something upcoming, This album proved to be a progressive and emotional masterpiece. Just as Tool may have reached their musical zenith with Lateralus, I doubt whether A Perfect Circle can eclipse what they produced with Thirteenth Step. All in all, it's a damn brilliant effort by one of the best rock bands today.… Expand

one of my top 10 albums of all time. giving stiff competition 2 my other beloved albums from the likes of tori,jeff buckley and depeche m. what a voice! what a bunch of extraordinary good and honest songs! what a gem! a must.

Awesome record!

I love this album because that song the noose reminds me of one of my good friends that had to move away ,he had me to listen to this song man do I miss him! I want that song on my myspace profile but I can't figure i out.

gorgeous

it is the best album sence mer de noms

more than most expected

yummi

neverless

one of the greatest things i have ever heard. a must buy for any music fan.

I admit that the music of tool and a perfect circle is an aquired sound but for those who like it, this CD is awesome and a must buy.

I repeat... absolutley mindblowingly awesome!

cd is sick. A Perfect Circle is an ill band.

Beautiful i love Pet I love APC

each of these talented musicians have brought a new perspective to the meaning of emotion for me personally. Such a small price to pay for such a deep atmospheric masterpiece, and for the last time...APC is NOT Maynards SIDE PROJECT, it is a creation which can be credited just as much as prior projects, discluding Tapeworm.

OMG!!! Maynard captures soft but painfully melodic sounds in songs like weak and powerless. His voice has the amazing ability to go from soft to heavy in a hearbeat which is what really makes this album the best yet. Songs like vanishing, crimes and lullaby which were lacking lyrics gave off the emotinal side of the song. Much better than Mer De Noms which was also awesome... It took me a few listens to really get into it but i cannot stop listening now.... APC's dvd AMOTION has maynard explaining wat sum1 of the songs meanings are.. once i heard this i listened to the songs in a whole new way.. it just blew my mind.... I know this is a long review but i cannot express enough how perfect this album is.. 5 star… Expand

No album has a line-up of "perfect" songs, and this album does not achieve that. However, between brilliant vocals, lyrics, musicianship, mood-setting, and poignancy, this is most definitively my vote for the best album in the last twenty years, bar none.

This CD definitely diserves a 10. Maynard is so in depth with his songs. He manages to put out great albums every time. All i can say is keep it up I will always be a fan.

Perfection...both this CD and Mer De Noms never cease to satisfy...the only problem is trying to figure out which one is better.

Another cd to add to the rare collection that the skip track button is uneeded.

This is a masterpiece as good as Mer de Noms, Aenima and Lateralus....

beautifully haunting and atmospheric. more radiohead than tool.keenan is the man.

i dont care what any of you critics say, this CD is the bomb, it's so beautiful and really good wake up/go to sleep music. maynard has yet to steer me wrong

Great Album. Had More of a Tool sound than the first.

awesome

The best album of the year!

The best album of the year!

this album is by far one of james best work and even though i still prefer tool a perfect circle take #2 on my list of favorites

this album is incredably amazing. Maynard is a genius, his lyrics are amazing. Mer de noms was amzing and so is this one!!!

Very good album. Almost ties Mer De Noms but still not as good.

It's hard to objectively review an album that launched several of my favorite songs of all time and pretty much defined my years as a young adolescent, but it's still just as good as it was seven years ago. Haunting lyrics combined with bittersweet melodies results in a sound that isn't just "Tool Lite" but carves its own trail.

usually when i first listen to keenans work, it takes a few listens before it leaves a lasting impression. not w/ 13th step, it immediately reeled me in. this album trudges through thick and thin addiction, suicide, and everything around and in between. but it also leaves you with a positive message of hope and satisfication, w/ the last song on the record titled, "gravity" a song about humbleness and healing from your mistakes & diseases. "i choose to live" - mjk.… Expand

Just Ignore The Smoke And Smile

My boyfriend and my sister are always all, "Ah, you've got to listen to Maynard, he's sooo good..." blah blah blah. For the last couple years I just resisted because it all seemed to mainstream to be any sort of alternative I'd like, and I'm more of a ska person. But... yes but... when I did finally start giving it a chance, first liking Mer de Noms, then a bit of Tool, Thirteenth Step hit me pretty hard. Maynards soft voice combined with disturbing lyrics just sticks in your brain and kind of twists you into a pretzel from the inside out, in a pleasant way if you can imagine such a thing. (?) Anyway, I think this album was a breakthrough in music itself, and I think it was a lovely expression far beyond what Maynard becomes for Tool. The only reason it's not a 10 is there's no brass LOL j/k… Expand

Another fantastic album. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. How can you not? Maynard rules and so does this album.

Freakin awesome! The band has definitely evolved in a good way from their first album. I am psyched that James Iha has joined the band, too.

Takes a few listens to get into but it is easily a better album than Mer de Noms, albeit less accessible. The Outsider, The Noose, and Pet being highlights.

its not mer de noms-but its still amazing and just as gorgerous, even if it is about drug-abuse!!

This album is just stunning! MJK has once again out done himself. If it weren't for the tracks Vanishing, Crimes, and Lullaby, I would have given it a 10. This is definately one of my all time favorite albums. Every time I listen to it I am in awe at the fact that Maynard can fill songs such as The Noose and The Outsider with such emotion without having to scream. Thankyou Maynard, I am forever in your debt.… Expand

i think this album is definatley a step in the right direction. people may have trouble listening to it because the rhythms at the beginning of each song aren't superior pleasant. however they setup the pre-climactical journey of each song individually. in a since i think the whole album is some what of a tease, especially to those fans who enjoy apc's heavier songs. i look at this cd as foreplay and not a tease. it's got everything i need.… Expand

This is certainly a CD that requires multiple listens. if you're expecting another Mer De Noms, be ready for disappointment. a great concept album, with a pretty harrowing description of what drug use, and eventual rehab and recovery, is like. ratings for CD's like these are really subjective anyway. there's no arguement that the production value is amazing, or that these guys are all incredibly talented. it becomes a matter of some people getting it, and some not. So listen to it for yourself, and make your own judgement. … Expand