A Perfect Circle gets serious

A Perfect Circle members: Josh Freese, Jeordie White, Maynard James Keenan,James Iha and Billy Howerdel. Picture / Supplied

Billy Howerdel is angry. The A Perfect Circle guitarist usually leaves the politics to frontman Maynard James Keenan, but since President Bush's re-election he's feeling more fiery than usual.

"I really thought Kerry would win," he says. "We're all pretty shocked."

It's a bit weird talking American politics with a rock musician. Especially one who is normally associated with the swirling, gothic guitars of A Perfect Circle, a band who, a year ago, topped the charts here with their second album, Thirteenth Step.

But things have turned serious in the APC camp. Howerdel, Keenan and their revolving line-up of players _ which now includes former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha _ were propelled into action by what they believe was an "unjust and unnecessary" war against Iraq.

eMOTIVe, released in the States on election day, is their noisy protest. (The album made it to number two here.)

"Even though I really don't see us as Rage Against the Machine it just seemed to be emotionally relevant to us," says Howerdel. "That's how we've always moved forward, from emotional responses or reactions to things."

Keenan, not shy about vocalising his acrid views of those in authority, wanted to write and record a collection of anti-war songs while on tour with the band last year; the plan was to have it finished in time for the presidential election. But the pressures of touring, not to mention his commitment to his other band, Tool, conspired against them. They ran out of time.

Instead they rewrote the music to other people's songs: John Lennon's Imagine, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Memphis Minnie-Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks, Depeche Mode's People Are People, Devo's Freedom Of Choice, Black Flag's Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Fear's Lets Have A War, Joni Mitchell's Fiddle And the Drum and Nick Lowe-Elvis Costello's (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding.

The band added two originals (Howerdel jokes they did it for the royalties): Passive and the ominously named Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums. The latter is a reworking of Pet, from Thirteenth Step.

"The covers idea seemed even more relevant because those songs would be familiar to people," says Howerdel. "We gave them a different feeling _ how we were feeling _ and rewrote them as a movie score to what's going on."

While detractors might assume their creative juices have run dry, most of the tracks have undergone such a transformation they're barely recognisable.

The version of Imagine, for instance, turns John Lennon's plaintive ballad into a dismal, minor-key dirge. "People either love it or hate it," says Howerdel. "I think their negative reaction was, 'How could you touch such a sacred song?' I don't even get that, to be honest. It's just a song. It's a great song but it's just a song."

Given APC's penchant for warped visuals, it's not surprising the music video has also elicited a negative reaction. Film-maker and Devo founder Jerry Casale spliced together news footage showing graphic scenes from the war in Iraq. Some American broadcasters have refused to screen it. Here, both C4 and Juice are playing it _ just not in prime time.

"I guess the way the images were put together somehow was offensive, but when you see it on the 9 o'clock news it's somehow not," says Howerdel. "I dunno. Try and figure that one out."

Howerdel knows eMOTIVe could alienate 50 per cent of their audience _ long-standing fans included.

"I'm just a music guy. I don't know anything. But things are too disturbing to ignore. The record wasn't meant to shove an opinion down your throat. It's not saying 'F*** Bush' in particular, it's just trying to give an overall political theme with an ominous kind of message _ a warning of what could come or what's happening now. I hate thinking about it; it sucks. Unfortunately it's necessary. It's time to get involved because it affects everybody."

- INDEPENDENT