THE DROP
A Perfect Circle dropped "Starless" on May 27 — their first new song in eight years and only the second since 2018's *Eat the Elephant* *†. Billy Howerdel says it "took shape quickly, as if it had been there all along" *, which is either a good sign or means they've been sitting on their hands.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Recorded at Howerdel's Lankershim Ranch Studio with Josh Freese back on drums after rejoining in late 2023 *‡
- Howerdel produced, Matty Green mixed — the guy who's worked with U2, Florence + the Machine, and TV on the Radio *§
- Described as an "ensorcelling melody over a writhing rhythm with a riff-driven structure" *
- Drops days before their first European tour in eight years, kicking off June 3 at London's O2 Academy Brixton †§
- Limited 7-inch vinyl with the band's crescent logo etched on the B-side, two color variants capped at 1,000 copies each †§
THE TAKE
One album in 16 years is a glacial pace even for Maynard's side projects, but Freese back behind the kit and Howerdel handling production in-house suggests they're keeping it lean. The riff-driven structure and "writhing rhythm" description points away from the more restrained *Eat the Elephant* material — whether that means they're actually hungry again or just road-testing festival-ready material before another long nap remains to be seen.