A Perfect Circle are marking the 25th anniversary of their landmark debut Mer de Noms with two deluxe reissues that highlight both the band’s striking visual identity and the groundbreaking sonics of their 2000 release.
Out September 25 via Virgin Records/Ume, the first edition is a 2LP zoetrope pressing, featuring four unique animations — one for each side of the vinyl. The moving visuals include the album’s signature glyphs, never-before-seen photos from the original line-up’s session (Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, Paz Lenchantin, and Troy Van Leeuwen), imagery from the David Fincher-directed “Judith” video, and the A Perfect Circle iconic logo spinning in hypnotic loops.
On October 10, Mer de Noms will also be reissued as a One-Step Definitive Sound Series (DSS) pressing. Limited to just 3,000 hand-numbered copies, the audiophile-grade edition was cut at RTI and mastered by Levi Seltz (Metallica, Green Day) from 96kHz/24bit transfers of the original analog flat masters. The result promises unmatched clarity, depth, and fidelity — a pristine showcase for the platinum-selling record’s enduring highlights, including “Judith,” “3 Libras,” and “Rose.”
Upon its release in May 2000, Mer de Noms made history as the highest-charting debut album from a rock band, storming into the Billboard Top 200 at No. 4. Both intimate and ferocious, the record established A Perfect Circle as one of the era’s most compelling new voices.
Reflecting on its creation in a recent Revolver cover story, Keenan recalled: “It seemed really emotional. There were a lot of elements that I responded to – where I could explore shadow aspects of myself.” Howerdel remembered “getting goosebumps” the first time he heard Keenan‘s vocals layered over their shared North Hollywood demos.
Pre-orders are live now for both formats: the zoetrope vinyl edition here and the One-Step DSS edition here.
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