Who We Are: The Band, the Albums, the Crescent
If you've ever lost an evening to Mer de Noms, you already know us. Before you pick a design, here's where we came from and who is in the band.
Where are we from?
We formed in Los Angeles in 1999. Guitarist Billy Howerdel, then working as a guitar tech for Tool, played his own songs to Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, and the two of us started a band together.
Who is in the band?
Howerdel and Keenan are the core. Today we are joined by James Iha on guitar and keyboards, Matt McJunkins on bass and Josh Freese on drums. Over the years our line-up has also included Paz Lenchantin, Troy Van Leeuwen, Jeordie White and Jeff Friedl.
What do we sound like?
Our music is filed under alternative rock, art rock and alternative metal: atmospheric, heavy and often melancholy, with Keenan's voice over Howerdel's songs. We've always said it's a full band, not a side project.
The albums
- Mer de Noms (2000)
- Thirteenth Step (2003)
- eMOTIVe (2004), an album of reworked cover songs
- Eat the Elephant (2018)
There's also the 2013 greatest-hits collection Three Sixty.
What does the logo mean?
The crescent logo is everywhere in this shop. Billy Howerdel has said it actually holds two perfect circles, one for Keenan and one for himself.
Sessanta
In 2024 we went on the road with Puscifer and Primus for Sessanta, a tour celebrating Keenan's 60th birthday. It came back in 2025 as Sessanta V2.0.
Wear the crescent
Every piece at A Perfect Circle Merch comes on tees, hoodies, sweatshirts and kids' sizes, with a size chart on each product page. Whether you've been listening since 2000 or just found us, there's something here for you.