Maynard James Keenan and ‘side project’ A Perfect Circle return with an ambitious, intriguing, moody new single, “Disillusioned.”

“We have been overrun by our animal desire / Addicts of immediate keep us obedient and unaware / Feeding this mutation, this Pavlovian despair.” Wow! At some point, it seems A Perfect Circle will be returning with a new album, or at least, that seems to be the case.  In late 2017, Maynard James Keenan and his side project dropped a superb single, “The Doomed”. Now, in early 2018, they drop yet another new single, “Disillusioned.” Lengthy at nearly six minutes, “Disillusioned” proves to be an intriguing, if ambitious listen.

“Disillusioned” opens mysteriously, in fact, somewhat forebodingly.  The foreboding quality is temporary, as the sound lightens a bit, while retaining the minor key. There’s stability – things anchored by a driving groove. It’s at this point that the aforementioned lyrics – the first verse – appear.   At about one-minute-and-twenty-seconds in, there’s a change of pace. The vibe is mysterious, while the pacing grows quite deliberate, never feeling rushed.  Here, the chorus is unveiled.

“Time to put the silicon obsession down / Take a look around, find a way in the silence / Lie supine away with your back to the ground /Dis- and re-connect to the resonance now / You were never an island.”

There’s a strong progressive rock sensibility, making “Disillusioned” feel incredibly left of center. Keenan delivers solid vocals throughout, coming off expressive while exhibiting restraint.

The energy and groove picks up once again after the three-and-a-half-minute mark.  Here, there is a shift in pace and production, returning to the original sound and overall script. It coincides with the second verse, patterned after the first. Towards the end – slightly before reaching the five-minute mark – we return to the more enigmatic side of the disillusionment – the chorus.

Final Thoughts 

What does one make of “Disillusioned?” A Perfect Circle are in ambitious mode, delivering an intriguing, thoughtful, if left of center single.  “Disillusioned” isn’t your ‘straightforward’ record, and takes a couple of listens to digest and analyze.  Still, Keenan sounds beautiful vocally, and overall, this is quite a radiant record in itself.

A Perfect Circle • Disillusioned – Single • BMG Rights Management • Release: 1.2.18

Photo Credit: BMG Rights Management