A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle, the rock supergroup fronted by Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, has charted a melodic and uniquely theatrical path over the past two decades. ∙ The band came together when Keenan offered former touring mate and ex-Fishbone guitar tech Billy Howerdel a place to stay in his North Hollywood home. ∙ Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford advised the band to pick the tension-filled “Judith”—a song based on Keenan’s mother’s paralyzing illness—as the group’s first single. ∙ Upon its release in 2000, their first album, Mer de Noms, landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart—the highest-ever entry for a rock group’s debut LP. ∙ Both Mer de Noms and its follow-up, 2003’s Thirteenth Step, went Platinum, and all four of A Perfect Circle’s studio albums reached the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. ∙ The group’s evolving lineup has included members of Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Queens of the Stone Age.