Release of Thirteenth Step

Keenan rejoined the sessions in early 2003, and the music began taking a different direction with the new lineup and Keenan’s influence. Beyond the new personnel, the dynamic had changed: With Mer de Noms , Howerdel had already written and finalized all of the music, with Keenan just contributing the lyrics and vocals. This time around, Keenan was more active in vetoing or altering musical ideas, determined to make something different than just another hard rock album, in fear of it being redundant. Sessions became tense, with Howerdel preferring the heavier compositions written while waiting for Keenan to return to the band, and sometimes taking offense to Keenan’s suggested mellower rearrangements. White would play the role of a mediator between the two; being newer to the band helped him provide an outsider’s perspective, helping them to find common ground. The band released their second album, Thirteenth Step , on September 16, 2003. The album debuted even higher than Mer de Noms , charting at number 2 in its opening week and selling over 233,000 copies. The album, and its accompanying new sound, fared well critically as well. The AllMusic review praised the band’s new sound, describing it as “moodier, tenser, and more atmospheric (if that is possible) recording than its predecessor … The wide dynamic swathes that were so prominent on the band’s debut are all but absent here. The squalling guitars have taken a backseat to carefully crafted melodies where atmospherics are maximized and pulled taut over the listener. While not a radical departure from Mer de Noms , there is a real progression here…. Lyrically, musically, sonically, the Thirteenth Step is proof positive that mainstream rock has plenty of life and vision left in it.”