NEW YORK (Virgin Records) - "eMOTIVe," the new album from Virgin Records recording group A Perfect Circle, has made an explosive impact on this week's charts, coming in at No 1 on a number of SoundScan rankings.
The collection, which sees APC reimagining radical rock classics for a new generation, is the top-selling record on three SoundScan sales charts: "Top Album Retailers," "Top Hard
Music Albums," and "Digital Albums" (marking the first-ever Virgin Records release to top the "Digital Albums" listing).
As a result, "eMOTIVe" will make a stunning No 2 with-a-bullet debut on this week's Billboard 200, coming in as the week's best-selling single artist release. A Perfect Circle's second consecutive No 2 entry, "eMOTIVe" is also the band's third consecutive top 5 debut.
"eMOTIVe" - which is the No 1 album on iTunes for the second week in a row - is without a doubt the hottest new rock record in the country. The album's first single, a twisted take on John Lennon's "Imagine," is currently blowing up at rock radio outlets coast to coast. The song is quickly bulleting up the chart at both Active Rock and Alternative formats. A chilling companion video for "Imagine" - along with exclusive interview footage with APC vocalist Maynard James Keenan and co-founder/guitarist/producer Billy Howerdel - is currently available at A Perfect Circle's official website, https://www.aperfectcircle.com.
"Our 'Imagine' video has received an incredible response on the internet and on music channels around the world," Keenan notes, "but sadly, it has proven too controversial for broadcast on the music channels here at home in the United States. I can't figure out why they are afraid of our video when the images have been shown on national television newscasts during prime time while families are sitting down to dinner."
Much of the album's success can be linked to an inventive guerillapromotional campaign, which kicked off this summer with the online premiere of the sardonically funny animated video, "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of the War Drums." After drawing record-setting hits on the APC website, 50,000 DVDs of the Bush-baiting clip were distributed at retail outlets across the country with purchase of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD.
Other online activities included a rare glimpse into A Perfect Circle's artistic process via a series of daily audio commentaries by Keenan. The in-depth remarks - a track-by-track discussion of the motivation and political views behind "eMOTIVe" - were featured on a variety of music websites in the week leading up to the album's release.
Along with its commercial success, "eMOTIVe" has reaped a wide range of critical acclaim in a variety of national publications. "A straight-up, take-no-prisoners protest record," declared Revolver's Andy Langer. "Unapologetically heavy, surprisingly beautiful, and downright scary, 'eMOTIVe' is exactly the piece of unrelenting art you'd expect from (A Perfect Circle) in a time of crisis."
"On... this eccentric concept album," wrote Rolling Stone's David Fricke, APC "revisit classic protest hits, jacking up the terror by throwing out iconic arrangements and performing heretical surgery on the melodies."
"Strange and disturbing," affirmed New York Daily News' Jim Farber, noting that "Keenan and his main collaborator, Billy Howerdel, turn the melodies upside down, play havoc with the songs' pace and eviscerate the arrangements."
Entertainment Weekly commended "eMOTIVe", noting that Keenan "turns the words of others to his own dark but peace-loving purposes. Thus does Depeche Mode's 'People Are People' transform into a Goth carnival and Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' morph into a whispered, sweeping plea." The collection also received praise from the New York Post, who observed that "because lyrics are supported by unfamiliar and aggressive rock arrangements, the words, rather than hooks, become the heartbeat of these covers."
"eMOTIVe" - the first pressing of which comes with limited edition lenticular cover art - will be followed by a special CD/DVD package, dubbed "aMOTION." The double disc set - scheduled to arrive in stores on November 16th - collects APC's classic videos along with an assortment of imaginative remixes.
Described by Keenan as "a collection of songs about war, peace, love and greed," "eMOTIVe" finds APC bridging three decades of protest songs, spanning an array of genres -- hardcore punk and heavy metal, new wave and Delta blues, folk rock and rhythm & blues.
Among the insurgent classics reinterpreted on "eMOTIVe" are Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Memphis Minnie's blues stomper, "When The Levee Breaks" (made famous by Led Zeppelin), Fear's "Let's Have A War," and Depeche Mode's "People Are People." "eMOTIVe" also features a pair of thought-provoking APC originals - "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of the War Drums" and "Passive."
"An emotional response in generally my motive," says Keenan, explaining the set's title and confrontational concept. "This is a much more emotional album for me than our previous ones.
Everything else before this has been about social politics - things like relationship dynamics or exploring your own weakness and strengths. But in light of everything that's going on politically, my emotional energy has to be directed towards more obvious political stances."
"eMOTIVe" also marks guitarist Howerdel's debut behind the mic. Theproducer/musician offers lead vocals on a number of tracks, including Devo's "Freedom of Choice," and the Nick Lowe (by way of Elvis Costello) anti-anthem, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding."
Produced and engineered by Howerdel, and executive produced by Keenan, "eMOTIVe" includes string arrangements by APC founding member Paz Lenchantin, as well as contributions from Nine Inch Nails' Danny Lohner and Telefon Tel Aviv's Josh Eustis. "eMOTIVe" is A Perfect Circle's third full-length release, following 2000's RIAA platinum-certified "MER DE NOMS," and 2003's platinum-selling "THIRTEENTH STEP."
