Ashes Divide - "Keep Telling Myself It's Alright" CD

I really liked A Perfect Circle. But it seems that they are, for all intents and purposes, dead. But one thing that must be remembered is that it was really Billy Howerdel's band. Sure, Maynard lent his pipes to the songs, and his presence surely garnered them a lot of attention, but the music itself was chiefly composed by veteran rock behind-the-scenes-man Howerdel. Ashes Divide is his new solo work-slash-band, and here he's accompanied by former NIN guitarist and keyboardist Danny Lohner, former APC bassist Paz Lenchantin, APC/every other band's drummer Josh Freese, and others. Suffice to say, if you liked APC, you will most likely appreciate these moody, atmospheric, and dark electronic-tinged sounds. Sure, it's really quite slick, melodic, and mainstream (read: clean) - along the same lines as stuff like 30 Seconds To Mars in spots (like 'Enemies', which isn't one of the album's standouts), so beware of that, but really, that's my only complaint. Otherwise, it's a quite pleasant if unchallenging modern rock album. There are thunderous drums, nice keyboard textures, Cure-like rainy-day guitars, and Howerdel's perfectly agreeable vocals. Pretty good, really. My favorite cuts include the sad and piano-laden 'Ritual', and the anthemic 'The Pray', with it's uptempo electronic drums and fuzz bass sounds. 'Forever Can Be' could be mistaken for a lost APC outtake, almost. So you already know whether you'll like this one or not. (Island)
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Puscifer – "V Is For Vagina" CD

First heard on the soundtrack to the otherwise repugnant first Underworld film, Puscifer is a more personal solo outlet for the evidently boundless creativity of Maynard James Keenan (who many of you know as the enigmatic Tool / A Perfect Circle frontman). With this new project, Keenan is at his most internalized - a microscope on his own weird thoughts and obsessions, and without the crutch of a band's input. From creepy hip-hop-inflected unclassifiables (“Queen B”) to dark and slinky electronic soundscape mantras (“Vagina Mine”) to more rock-oriented efforts (the industrial-edged “Undertaker”) to demonic funhouse mirrors (“Drunk With Power”), Puscifer offer a variety of twisted, provocative, and sometimes frightening moods and textures - and it's all tongue-in-cheek. Very enjoyable and a fascinating counterpoint to Keenan's other work. Listen for a guest spot from one Brian Lustmord, too. (Puscifer Entertainment)