TOOL

As I've likely insinuated in Tool reviews past, when I last listened through Ænima, or any other Tool release, I not-so-begrudgingly, yet very-much-regrettably, listened through them all in a very short period of time [a few days]. Talk about burnout. Or ear fatigue haha. Tool is a band that I simply love to hate, and I'm blessed to have friends that can at least take it on the chin. But that 'hatred', whether warranted, legitimate or otherwise, may as well have started then and there. But here, with their second LP in 1996, things are certainly looking up for the band; honestly, they do seem to figure something out with each subsequent release. Going into this, though, no promises on being nice (as usual).

The album begins with the hit single "Stinkfist", one of those successful tracks which has floated around for much of my Millennial life. And happily so. The percussive guitar at the front is fantastic. Low and slow enough for feel, but with a mean Alt-Metal-meets-many-Prog-greats groove thanks in greatest part to Danny Carey behind the kit. Justin Chancellor on bass fills things out very well with a beefy drone, and I think this is one of those obviously great vocal performances from Maynard James Keenan. I'm hoping to appreciate more out of the guitar here, the element that (along with bass, frankly) I don't really think much of: and this track is an awesome showcase of Adam Jones. It's not all chugging, but features some really lovely melodicism and heavy sonics for the time; I'd be surprised if bands from Deftones to Sevendust hadn't taken a few notes. "Eulogy" next begins with a robotic chirp and what I assume to be a polyrhythmic sticks-hit (like the kind Steven Reich used in "Music for Pieces of Wood"), which evokes an Eastern (Raga-esque) vibe. Good example of Tool's longform, loud-soft-dynamics style, which I'd consider a norm, an expectation. Overall, and again, beefy and groovin'; and generally a success.

"H." was the album's second single, and right off the bat, I have to say, this feels an odd choice for one... With the working title of "Half Empty", and the identity and general meaning of "H." speculated since its release, Keenan's mentioned the old devil-angel-duo-on-shoulders bit as a clue, and that it's the middle initial of his son. Anyway, not much my thing, although the more 'alternative', borderline radio-friendliness of the track is distinct for them. This is interluded via the lightly harsh white noise of "Useful Idiot" into "Forty Six & 2" (not a Chicago cover, I promise you). One of three or four tracks which should be recognizable from here, it was Ænima's fourth and final single. Great, memorable melody over another East-meets-West driving drone; honestly, love this chorus. Compositionally only minorly interesting, but who cares? Cool, great song everyone should know.

"Message To Harry Manback" is a melancholic piano interlude featuring a voicemail. I feel nothing about it and it now just feels cliche. In all honesty, never would have thought much about their lyrics, but I guess I just had to know with the uncomfortably Tool-titled "Hooker With A Penis". It's not all bad: a very angsty f*ck you to our subject, I guess. It feels like punching down, but that's not exactly what we're all here for. It's plenty cringey though... Yep. I hope it's somewhat ironic, but just yikes. This is followed by "Intermission", a track I genuinely like... since it sounds nothing like Tool ha! The track is entirely instrumental, strictly featuring Eban Schletter on an organ (my brain goes to Wurlitzer). A nice intro to "Jimmy", another which I've historically, and actually, enjoyed. Low and slow groove, ya know, that one Tool thing, but the cymbal play by Carey is certainly tasteful and fun. And the bridge, not to mention the great closing of the track, really is the thing that saves it from being that very boring norm; a big'n; praise be.

Next is the overtly Industrial, and surprisingly funny, "Die Eier von Satan" (The Eggs of Satan), which is a spoken word baking recipe. And despite the name, the eggs are excluded in the end... LOL. "Pu[&*!#]" begins with that canned vocal which I honestly think is just so schlocky now. I prefer obvious, aware and in-on-the-joke schlock; it just feels like Tool are constantly saying, 'Pretty awesome, right?' At nearly 10 minutes, my brain let out a little scream before it started. This is generally the opposite of what I need from Tool: I'll take less, please, and thank you. 4 minutes of boredom is followed by some peace and quiet, and honestly, this middle section was reminding me of a less cool Ozric Tentacles, with the guitar's clean echoing. On the return, nicer than the start, Danny Carey is naturally the treat to enjoy. On "Cesaro Summability", a baby's cries feed the static, a dystopia dropping to complete silence. Then we get the title track, "Ænima", and I'm enjoying it more than my memory served it. Tool is one of those bands where I'm occasionally unsure if there are actual verses per se, but that compositional uncertainty is really working here. For them especially, more is more. Oh yeah, and Carey is once again set ablaze atop his fiery throne.

Approaching the long-time-coming end to the album, next is "(-) Ions". A fitting title, they utilize the apparent found-sound of a loud electrical current's whirring and snapping. I feel... safe? We're in an electrical thunder storm, but I'm indoors. Honestly, pretty interesting for them. Is it a song? Sure! [Tough listen though.] And onto the final track! My first guess with "Third Eye" is that it's a play on the 'one-eyed monster' some of us have below the belt (statistically likely to be the vast majority here haha). But nah, just a terrible acid trip story, although ever-fittingly, over the course of 14 minutes of dark psychedelia. It opens with an eerie vibe and a Bill Hicks monologue about being "really f*cking high on drugs". At the top of this 2-minute slow-go crescendo, the drum figure Carey uses throughout then reminded me of "Ghost of Perdition" by Opeth, 9 years later (not like it's wholly unique anyway). The song definitely fits into Psych at large, again fittingly so. Just moreso horror inducing; speaking of, more and more impressed with some of their lyrical content. Thankfully, it can't all be dicks, sh*t and ass jokes, can it(?)... Still, I'm grateful it's over. It's the Tool thing: way too long, regardless of how good it can and has been.

The flawed masterpiece.

(This is all based on my personal opinion!)

While tool is not the band that I typically consume, I understand why people adore them and consider tool as "Prog Giants", and I always see Lateralus hailed as one of the greatest records that graced the prog scene.

For me, this album is one step away from being a masterpiece. Some songs like Parabol/Parabola, The Grudge and Lateralus are some of the finest the band has done that are just as good as songs in Ænema, such as Third Eye, Hooker with a Penis and Ænema!

So why do I consider it a flawed masterpiece? There are two reasons. First of all, the track list is kind of a bowl of spaghetti, and Lateralus feels like it should be a concept album. Some of the tracks share the same meaning, and I feel like if re-arranged, the track list could be stronger and could make a really good concept album!

Second of all, the final four tracks. Don't get me wrong, Disposition/Reflection/Triad is a great medley of songs, I just feel like it doesn't really fit with the rest of the songs, because it works much better as its own thing. If it was released as an EP, then I'd be happy with that! But Faaip de Oiad? Yeah, that song is just pointless.

So overall, while I don't consider it a masterpiece, it's still a really enjoyable album here and there, it just happens that I think its not the best. 3/5!

Disturbing and convulsed, with that mysterious halo that Tool has always made a trademark of, "Lateralus" is an exercise in overflowing and contained nuclear energy, and that goes hand in hand with the permanent sensation of balancing between the limits of sanity and madness. Where the hypnotic and claustrophobic share and exchange roles permanently.

Going into unknown territories is what "Lateralus" generates the most attractions, the uncertainty of not knowing how far the proposal can go, allows tension and suspense to be maintained throughout the album. And with very careful production, no detail is left to chance.

Just to cite a couple of examples: the raw "The Grudge" to start hostilities; the complex and intricate "The Schism"; the whispering "Parabol" that precedes "Parabola"; the fast-paced roller coaster that is "Ticks & Leeches", the perfect excuse to show off Danny Carey's solid percussion; and the volcanic and extensive "Lateralus"; all the songs follow one another unhurriedly, but consistently, with the solidity of a concrete wall. And of course, with the impeccable guitar full of distortions and artifice by Adam Jones, the perfect communion with Justin Chancellor's bass and the always anguishing voice of Maynard J. Keenan.

"Lateralus", in my opinion, is one of the great albums of the 90's from one of the subgenres furthest away from the typical epicenter of progressive; and if not the best, one of the best expressions of Tool in his very short but outstanding and intense discography.

4/4.5 stars

For a band with the stature that Tool has, writing my usual two-paragraph intro feels almost superfluous. They're one of the most popular progressive metal bands of all time; their first four studio albums all went platinum multiple times over and are critically revered. They mixed the darker sound of early '90s alt-rock with progressive ambition and mind-bending psychedelia to forge a unique sound that resonated with a huge swathe of the population, myself included.

It shouldn't be a secret that I love all of Tool's previous output, with their 2001 album, Lateralus, being among my all-time personal favorites. The long-running delays and recording difficulties since their last release had become a punchline among fans, with Tool's as-yet-unreleased fifth album being considered as imminent as Half-Life 3 or The Winds of Winter. But Fear Inoculum has finally arrived, 13 years after their previous release, 2006's 10,000 Days. Most reviews I've seen, as well as general online discourse I've observed, has tended toward rapturous praise. I'm not among those.

Yes, the songs are long and complex; and yes, the instrumentalism is weird and top-notch; and yes, Fear Inoculum sounds like a Tool record. However, it feels like Tool resting on their laurels. It feels like a computer program that listened to their albums and output a bland imitation. It feels like a Tool cover band that tried writing some originals.

Perhaps that was a little harsh. This album certainly isn't bad, and there is some genuinely fantastic music here. But overall, I'd classify this record as okay-but-boring. It feels really safe, like the band didn't want to take any real risks.

Fear Inoculum opens with its title track. The percussion is engaging, and Justin Chancellor's bass has its usual biting, echoing quality. But the guitar has a strange, groaning character which I can't say I'm wild about. Maynard's vocals feel weirdly thin and washed out, which is the last thing I would have expected. There are elements of a stronger song here, though. The last couple minutes are better, driven along by a more to-the-point riff and a strong solo. If they'd more aggressively taken a knife to it during the writing process and trimmed it down to six or seven minutes, instead of ten, perhaps it would have been more engaging.

I could repeat the preceding paragraph for most songs on this album: too long, too plodding, weak vocals, too much atmospheric buildup to a less-than-satisfying climax. The biggest sin of this album, even moreso than playing it "safe," is that it is boring outside of its handful of strong riffs. The weaker moments remind me of Mastodon's last album, in that it feels like an imitation of songs I've previously heard from the band.

(There are also a number of brief, instrumental interludes between the longer tracks. These are just bad and only annoy.)

"Chocolate Chip Trip" is not one of the better songs in Tool's discography, but it's the first point on this album where they sound like they were taking some risks. It's a weird instrumental consisting of just synths and drums, and it goes on for a minute longer than it should, but at least it's something different.

Fear Inoculum ends on a strong note, at least. The album closes on the stupidly-titled "7empest", which despite its title, is the best track on the album by a mile. The guitar snarls in a way that grabs you, and Maynard finally gets a chance to belt it out. The song's segments flow together seamlessly, and the aggression sounds genuine. This is what I had hoped for from the band. Recognizably Tool, but it sounds fresh and inventive with no wasted space. It is becoming of its 15-minute runtime, with no padding.

It's unfortunate that so much of Fear Inoculum wallows in middling ambiance and safe Tool-isms. Throughout their entire career, they've pushed the envelope, but their long-awaited comeback certainly is not worth the 13-year wait.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/09/16/album-review-tool-fear-inoculum/

Their first LP, Undertow (1993) is the album that put Tool on the map, featuring one of their biggest hits, "Sober". Certainly then, by enough accounts, a highly successful debut. My problems start here, as the Tool Problem starts here: too long, not enough substance for me. At least this is my feeling going in. [And coming out.] Last time I listened through their discography, it was my first time, and I listened through their discography. Absolutely exhausting haha.

"Intolerance" starts off the affair with their style, now well-known, put firmly and pretty strongly in place. A lot of good things here. Not super, though. One of the other better-known songs is next, the awfully Tool-entitled "Prison Sex". This'n honestly has a very cool main riff, starting us out from the void. Keenan has a pretty interesting melody here in the verse. But in that, its potential is lost by just being plain flat, static. This is the mode Tool takes unto themselves that I find most unappealing. Our song's bridge begins right around minute 3, a very cool, ominous shift in tone. Then it's back to meh.

On we are to what always felt like the main event, the not-surprising radio hit "Sober", a song I genuinely enjoy and have of course known for as long as I can remember. A winning melody, eerie lyrical content and plenty of Alt Metal beef. The most progressive this one goes, though, is with loud-quiet dynamics. Next is the heavier... and I did not try this... the heavier "Bottom" haha. Unlike Opiate before it, Undertow is the start of more longform material for the band, everything falling right around 5 minutes or more. "Bottom" comes in around 7 minutes. I frankly don't recall this one. There is a classic slowing, reminiscent honestly to me of some of the earliest Heavy Metal, to early Black Sabbath. And with this change in feel comes a very-Tool section of ambience, fitted honestly very well with a still-surprise Henry Rollins feature. This will be familiar tonally to certain tracks from his Rollins Band, in my opinion one of the best Alt Metal has to offer, and at times equally as progressive and daring (my favorite has always been End of Silence). Anyways, pretty good. Still not much in the way of a Proggy wow-factor, though.

Slowly exiting the first half, our next track is "Crawl Away". This has some of the best guitar work yet. Sort of gives me early Stone Temple Pilots feelings. Which is a good thing. I love Core, frankly. But I was curious, coming off of Opiate, how much post-Grunge would come out of this one with my second listen-through. In other ways, through and through, this track is a new favorite. Of course Carey is on fire. But everyone here is working impeccably together. Progginess maybe still wanting for some. But I'll gladly take a good track regardless. Entering into a far-less-than-favorite, we have "Swamp Song". Just boring; another track that just couldn't possibly be saved by a more-than-decent bridge. Onto the title track, "Undertow" has some spunk. And a lot of Tool. But this one also, on a positive note, has some of the more unique guitar work as well. Another breakdown bridge here, which has some positive results.

On the backend, we have a track I remember pretty well, one of the sure highlights in my opinion, "4°". Eastern influence clear at the start. The majority of the track is nearly played clean, and Keenan sings more melodically here than most tracks. This near-instrumental bridge certainly has nothing to save haha. Features some, again, Eastern percussion. It's not a wildly experimental track or anything, end of the day, but it is good. Next we have "Flood". Low and slow start... and pretty much nothing happens for about 4 minutes. Yawn. Shifts around then in its second half, but I'm just not enthused. Finally, we have the otherwise only ~7 minute-long "Disgustipated"... Great name, guys. We love it.../s This is the most experimental track by far, featuring sort of Industrial and other various, nontraditional sounds. It's not really doing it for me though. I'd rather listen to "Revolution 9". Also, the lyrics I can hear just strike me as cheesy. It's not really a hidden track to follow, just 7 more minutes of crickets. Interesting choice. In general, I can get behind it.

A rarely rounded-up True Rate of 2.5/5.0.

Lest we forget that "Tool" is not at all subtle code for genitalia, Keenan and Co. give us plenty of unabashed, adolescent cringe on this, their first major-label release (Zoo Entertainment, 1992). The Opiate EP features a few tracks previously found on their true debut, 72826 (1991), a title phone-coded to mean "SATAN". Preceding their more progressive, (slightly) more compositionally adventurous material, much of this EP has positively of-the-time sonic choices. You may be able to compare it to other Alt Metal acts such as Helmet or even (eventually) Deftones. The first thing that may be noted is the lower quality recordings, resulting in a more quiet and muddy release.

"Sweat" is our opener, a firmly Alt Metal number featuring decently memorable melodies and solid performances, most notably from drummer Danny Carey (shocker). His performance provides some major groove and general rhythmic interest. Most interesting of all to me is "Sweat"'s appearance on the OST to the much-later-than-I-thought Escape From L.A. (1996). "Hush", next, features some big, classic metal riffs and a pretty stellar vocal performance from Keenan. Not a lot of interest here, perhaps peaking with a sort of breakdown at the end. We return to rhythmic interest on "Part of Me", so much so that it could very well have been a mid-period Rush track at times. The chorus reveals some Post-Hardcore roots, also shining through on some of the guitar work in riff and melody. Post-Hardcore always had plenty of potential for experimentation. Pretty good.

"Cool And Ugly", a live performance, begins with the call to "Throw that Bob Marley wanna-be mother[%*!#]er outta here." Doesn't that just make you feel warm and bubbly? Anyways, decent Metal riffage. But pretty meh, pretty lackluster track ultimately. Worst of the bunch? [Yep.] This performance seems to go right on into our next live track, "Jerk-Off", another return to some interest, methinks. There are some stylistic markers that definitely feel like a glance forward into material off Undertow (1993), especially with the more free, softer vocal performance. Keenan jumps back and forth between this and, moreso, punky atonality. The bridge here has something going on, but not a whole lot to save the track's single-minded nature. Finally, the title track, "Opiate", a continuation of that melodic, softened vocal style. This is also the second track that strikes me as, admittedly unsurprising, post-Grunge affect. Alright if you don't hear it, but there's much that sounded like this in the coming years, enter the mid-90s. Some of the melodies didn't age too well to my ears. Corny. Slightly longer-form at maybe 5 minutes (featuring a hidden track), "Opiate" wavers in and out of post-Ambience. The rolling drums around the middle mark is definitely one of the greatest moments on the album. This hidden track has a surprise psychedelia about it, "The Gaping Lotus Experience", which at times also reminds me weirdly of some of the vocal absurdities of Frank Zappa(?). There are certainly higher compliments from the possible comparisons one can make to Frank though.

Anyways, fairly decent early release.

We had to wait thirteen years for Tool to offer us the follow-up to the successful "10,000 Days" with this dense, simmering "Fear Inoculum".

Unfortunately, much of the grit of the past was lost on this record. It may be because of the lack of punch in Keenan's voices, or because sometimes it seems that we are listening to a rehash of previous albums.

The fact is that despite the undoubted quality of all the musicians, "Fear Inoculum" is the first Tool album that has hardly surprised me at all.

In any case, the return of this band is always cause for celebration. Let's hope it doesn't take so long for the next one!

Best Tracks: Pneuma (perhaps the best song, compositionally speaking), Invincible (my personal favorite) and 7empest (absolutely impressive guitars)

My Rating: ***

Metal is a genre I am fairly familiar with. Hard basses, slamming drums, shredding and hard guitars. However Metal and Rock co-exist together. One can balance itself onto another if so desired. Hard Rock - Hard Metal, Post Rock - Post Metal, Jazz Rock - Jazz Metal, the list goes on and on. This also applies to Prog Rock. There is Prog Rock bands and so there will be Prog Metal bands. One of the most inspiring and interesting of these Prog Metal bands is TOOL. Most people at least know TOOL for their albums 'Ænima' and 'Lateralus' but their first LP is also fairly well know and beloved, and for good reasons.

Undertow, released in 1993 is an album that I feel can be best described as a living, breathing, nightmare. The first track, Intolerance, showcases the band's sound. A sort of mix of No Wave, Metal, and Prog. It holds a lot of merits and details and textures within themselves. It's slow, rising, patient, but it is dark, horrifying, and grim. I think the best track on this album has to be Sober. It is the best track to introduce someone who hasn't heard this band. That guitar riff at the beginning of the song that goes around for most of the song. It's almost like it's own beat. It is incredibly calming but nightmare fuel, especially with the guitars, almost sounding like screams. This album keeps these nightmarish sounds until the last song, Disgustipated. This song is way different from anything else. It is more experimental, and kinda difficult too get through. It uses less guitars and more drums and has a sort of war song feeling, especially with the radio at the beginning sounding like a news caster talking about a war that is about too go down. Until the song devolves into this drone pitch that goes on for like 7 or 8 minutes. It's weird, it's creepy, it's almost like you are in the bottom of Hell kinda?and I think that is a big reason why this album is so beloved for me.

It's awesome how nightmarish and hellish these songs sound with their abrasive guitars and vocals and their complexities. It is like listening to those paintings of what the deadly sins represent. It's Satan on earth, and if Satan sounds this good, I am not complaining. I really really like this album.

Lateralus, released in may of 2001, as the third album by American metal band Tool. Tool is considered to be one of the best progressive metal band of all time, and for good reason, the amount of thought that goes into there music and lyrics is unreal. Lateralus for example makes use of the Fibonacci sequence in the lyrics and music which goes well with the lyrical themes of overthinking about how the universe works. This album is considered to there best work, and I can see why, the thought that went into it, the instrumentation, the lyrics, the production, its just perfect. I will give it a 5/5, its an essential in any prog or metal collection.

Fear Inoculum is Tool's fifth album, it sounds like a simple statement but considering it came out 13-Years after 10.000 Days... It's a pretty important statement. After 13 years, you would expect a fresh Tool with new ideas and ways to impress people right? After all it's been thirteen damn years.

What Fear Inoculum presents us is eighty minutes of the same ideas over and over again. That doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, Danny Carey is still a beast, Justin made some awesome bass work, Maynard impregnated his trademark Tool voice and Adam Jones was an incredibly boring guitarist as usual, so nothing really changed that much. To be honest this album is pretty good for any die- hard Tool fan that enjoys any of their songs, I am one of those fans. The problem comes in how dull the music itself is.

Take as an example the title track. Odd time signatures, Danny Carey using percussion instruments (Like in reflection), Justin Chancellor providing something nice bass, some atmospheric segments around the middle of the song... this is all great, but the thing is that these characteristics can be applied to every single other song in the album. Aenima, for example, had songs like Stink Fist that were serious head banging material, Eulogy which felt like four songs in one, Third Eye which would send you to another world with its Trance-ish vibe.... all those songs have unique characteristics that the rest of the album didn't have. In Fear Inoculum, all songs feel like one. You could've merged all those six songs into one and it would literally feel like one. Not to forget how even the points that are meant to be a climax aren't that impactful. Pneuma's climax which is at the end, is the same verse that you had been hearing throughout the rest of the song, same with 7empest and Descending. Invincible is the only one with a climax unique compared with the rest of the song, but then it just gets ruined by the album's mixing, which is the next point.

Nothing sounds too heavy. One of the things Tool is pretty known for is their capability of banging your head with an incredibly heavy odd-time-signature riff, take as an example Forty Six & Two, Vicarious, The Grudge or Ticks & Leeches. When Fear Inoculum throws you a climax that's meant to punch you towards the sky, it gets softened by the albums mixing: It's way too polished and it removes the raw emotion of the track and album itself. Finally, the four interludes of the album are a colossal waste of time. Boring, uninteresting, un memorable, and annoying like Chocolate Chip Trip. Doing a full listen of this album is almost impossible because of these tracks.

Overall: It's good, but more of the same, and overly dull. I still find enjoyment in it but honestly? It's Tool's worst album.