I mean, hello? Tool (and just about any Maynard band) sells out just about every venue they perform at, and they’re the first band I think of when I consider the merit(s) of purchasing a physical copy of an album. Each song on Lateralus is so original and different that this album is not for everyone - mostly just rock listeners and hardcore Tool fans.Wow, guys… seriously? You write a book called “1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,” and you don’t include any Tool albums whatsoever?! ? I’m astonished that such a fascinating band could possibly go overlooked by the writers of that book.
If Tool and its new album Lateralus become popular it’s because for once, listeners want to hear something original and wonderfully different that can appeal to all groups.Įxpect to see Tool around for a long time if they keep making great records like this. Tool is a band that defies the pop culture standards of Heavy Rock set by bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn. Still he calms himself down in the song for awhile before he explodes again in a fury of loud verses and screaming. It shows a much angrier version of Keenan that is not shown on the rest of the album. “Ticks and Leeches”, at around eight minutes long, is the one song that does not really fit in with the sound of the CD. Still its thundering rock sound and original voice make this song shine when you hear it on the radio.Īnother Tool song one could be hearing on the local Rock station soon is “Parabola.” It starts out slamming with loud guitars and drums and aggressive vocals from Keenan, but soon it cools down to a great rhythm that every rock listener will love. This song does not have a long opening and the vocals start quickly. The single out now is “Schism” its sound is very much like the first two Tool records, but not common to this record. The few tracks that could actually become singles, such as “Eon Blue Apocalypse” with its great beat and its interesting vocals, are good. By making many of the songs very long like “The Grudge”, which is 8 minutes 34 seconds, and “Lateralus”, nine minutes and twenty-two seconds. Tool has decided to make this album very un-MTV like, which is a delight to many. This is probably because of the huge success of Aenima. This weird behavior shows just how much control Tool really does have over its songs and producing. Many of the tracks run together like “Eon Blue Apocalypse” and “The Patient.” They are basically the same song just split into two tracks. The CD case says it includes 13 tracks, but this is misleading. This is a Tool trait and no band can do it better. The band is based in Los Angeles and includes guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor and lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan (who’s side project A Perfect Circle, is a huge commercial success.) The whole band just loves to drown the listener in deep guitar rhymes and drums for minutes before any lyrics are sung. The new CD will probably not carry the same success as Aenima but nonetheless it is a great disc. Lateralus, is the follow-up to the 1996 Grammy Award winning album Aenima. This is Tool’s third album and has been in the works for over five years.
The album takes awhile to get used to, but once it happens Lateralus will be enjoyed greatly. The sound of Tool is a mix of constant percussion and bass, with lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan whining and yelling in the background, and it comes out beautifully. Then, abruptly, the sound becomes soft again. Soon a massive battle is raging and the music is blaring. It starts out slow then slightly grows louder and more interesting.
Listening to Tool’s music is like watching an epic war movie. Tool is a band that plays by its own rules and its never been more evident than when you listen to their new CD “Lateralus.” This seventy-seven minute disc plays like few out there.