LATERALUS

Gee, what a neat .....tool, this object makes for Cd. It almost looks like a Sigur Ros album, but I can tell you that it does not sound like one! Apart from the plastic booklet with all these peace, gory and anatomic pictures, Aenima's successor is another scorcher right from the opening tracks! However early tracks Grudge, Mantra and Patient, are quickly the alternating pattern between shorter and quieter tracks (serving as interlude or intros to the following tracks) and longer and harder songs and this process is quickly boring/tedious and rather too predictable, although some of the better moments of this album come from these "interludes". Gradually those "intros" are getting longer and by the start of Disposition, they have become full tracks of their own, that very track being closely linked to Reflection and Triad. By this second last track, the mood of the album left its metallic core ambiances towards a more psychedelic feel slightly reminiscent of Aenima. Reflection is clearly the highlight of the album, finally bringing the proghead to the climax (and in itself, that track is a small masterpiece) he was expecting from the third track on. Better late than never!!!!! Its follow-up, Triad, bringing small Arab influence instead of Asian ones, concludes quite nicely the album.

Contrary to many prog metal bands (but Tool I understand is a controversial inclusion in the genre, but to me as a non-specialist, I have no problems with them being considered progressive) Tool does not seem to take their main influences not only from the usual models (such as DT and Queensryche), but also from Red Hot Chilly Peppers, Black Sabbath and The Bevis Frond.

I prefer their previous album, but this one confirms that Tool is one hell of a rock band regardless of the "progressive" factor or not!