If a band puts out an album of political songs--most of which are actually covers of iconic anthems like "Imagine" or "People Are People"--does that make them part of the cultural elite? If so, add goth-inspired supergroup A Perfect Circle [ tickets ] to the list.

Released on Election Day, the band's third album contains just two originals alongside completely reworked versions of songs by Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Black Flag, and others. While some tracks are dead on arrival (see Devo's "Freedom of Choice"), others are riveting.

A slow, simmering reading and guitarist Billy Howerdel's punching-bag vulnerable vocals uncover the heartbreak in Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding." "What's Going On" and Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" are nearly unrecognizable. Ethereal piano, otherworldly strings, and haunting echo are the colors on this palette.

Then there's the industrial original "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums," APC's nihilistic take on the current state of American politics. As machines grind out an ugly incessant march, Maynard James Keenan meditates, "Step away from the window/Go back to sleep/Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils." It may sound elitist, but like most of "Emotive," it is damn satisfying.