A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step

Got this cd a while back for 25 cents, having never heard the band's music before, but knowing their cred and that Maynard fronts the group. Haven't listened to it a ton since then, but enough to have some thoughts, which are always subject to change. It's a very good album but doesn't have the consistency needed throughout to be considered great. Here are my quick thoughts:
*This isn't really a bad or good thing, but "Blue" has big-time Deftones vibes to me, and it's a fine song.*

The Good: Track 1- "The Package". This is a perfect album opener. This song builds tension so well, and releases with its "drop" featuring some heavy guitar work and most notably the incredibly well-recorded drum kit, with its hard kicks and tight snare.
In less detail, some of my other favorites are "Weak and Powerless", "Pet"(which also gives me Deftones vibes), and "The Outsider". Essentially, I love the tracks that start slow and/or soft and then explode (repeat).
Maybe the CLEAREST strength of this album is the recording itself. I say clear in all caps because that's what this album's sound is. It is so well tracked and produced that it comes out crystal clear even on a mid-2000's cd.

The Not Good: Some songs that kill my interest and hamper the flow of the album. These being "A Stranger" and most notably, "The Nurse Who Loved Me". I hate that song. Basically the string-backed tracks are not my thing.
Also, I did say that I think the album is well recorded, but there's a reason I didn't say it was well mixed. To be fair, I find most of the instruments to be perfectly in place, but oftentimes the bass becomes wayyyy too prominent in the mix, especially when you really try to get some sound and crank the volume. It's just too much. And yeah, I could just drop the bass setting on my system a little, but I don't want to sacrifice any of the drums' clarity and dynamics.

With all my gushing and gripes out of the way, "Thirteenth Step" is a special album that leaves me wanting more.
Rating- 7.5/10