Boys,
it’s good.
Descending and 7empest are the highlights for me. I had a semi-spiritual moment at the gym today during squats with these two.
Probably would have had a full in spiritual moment had you actually had more than 135 on the bar, sloucho
my squats are 230 for 15,12,10…
and getting stronger thank you very much.
Is this the whole album?
Poidh
yes. 10 tracks. 4 interludes/fillers and 6 songs 10min+ in length
and no singles.
love it.
I’ve listened to the album 3 times now. It’s solid.
1 Like
This album is easily Tool’s worst, and it’s 100% because of the weak vocals. Maynard appears to lack anything resembling a single fuck for any of these songs. Either that, or he’s just too wise and mellow now at 55 to be getting all worked up to scream his face off in a recording studio.
The instrumentation is pretty amazing though, as usual.
After only two full listens, I kind of agree with you about the vocals. It’s definitely a departure from the intensity I’m used to.
Considering I didn’t learn to like 10,000 Days until roughly 5 years after I bought it, at which point I learned to like it A LOT, I’m not sure I’m ready to say it’s Tool’s worst album. I thought the same about 10,000 Days for a long time. Lateralus was the only Tool album I was blown away with on the first listen, which is when I really became a fan. Aenima and Undertow were pretty easy to like, once I gave them a chance.
I just wasn’t a Tool fan in the 90’s. I found their videos disturbing as an adolescent. I was into hippy jam bands, grunge and alternative music that tried too hard to be alternative.
Here is my review:
It’s a Tool album. I like it. It will probably grow on me, like all others have.
Saying “Tool’s worst album” can still be considered praise IMO. It’s certainly not bad. I just wouldn’t choose to listen to any of it over anything else they’ve ever done.
If I want to listen to Tool, I put on something from Undertow, Aenima, or Lateralus. Even 10,000 Days had some amazing tracks. Wings of Marie blew my goddamned mind the first time I heard it, and I was completely sober.
But there is nothing on this album that stands out as anything that I’d ever choose to listen to ever again, and it all comes down to (what appears to be) a complete lack of passion from the lead singer.
That doesn’t mean I’d smash my cell phone if it came on Pandora, it just means I’m not putting it on any playlists.
“Invincible” hits me right in the feels, and in some ways I very strongly identify with it.
Also, the last half leviathan heavy jam brings the seismic hammer down in the best possible way. I also like how they took musicalelements of it and continued with them into pneuma.
I’m just taking the thing in small bites. It’s coming together nicely though.
1 Like
I’m with you. It’s probably my least favorite Tool album right now.
Oh I think you’ll come around at some point. Rogan says you should take DMT and then listen to Tool if you want to know what they’re really all about. You see, first you take the DMT. Then something happens and you understand what Tool is all about. Or so I’m told by people who tell me about Rogan.
The vocals are fine. He’s not screaming or as angry on this album and I’m totally fine with that. After all, he’s 55 fucking years old.
Does he still have the pipes? Maybe, but maybe not. Anyways, I find it annoying when older musicians in this genre try and SCREAM anger, whine and cry with their music.
I love NIN, but listening to Trent still depressed about some chic back in the 80s is really fucking annoying.
So i’m perfectly fine with Maynard’s approach here, and in some songs when he comes in like on 7empest subtly at 12:40 “control your delusions…” that sends a chill down my spine, man. Good stuff.
I got high and listened to Salival once in college. It was pretty amazing. I think this album would go very well with a medium dose of THC, but I don’t/can’t partake due to work (and the fact that I’d weigh 400 lb due to the unlocking effect it has on my morbidly obese alter ego).
I loved it on the 1st listen. Pneuma, invincible immediately took me back with amazement. Descending gets better with each new listen. Chocolate chip trip with Danny Carey’s solo is f ing epic and Tempest sounds to me like a culmination of all their years and growth put into one behemoth of a song at almost 16 minutes.
Each listen it’s getting better and better and sounds like the lyrics are carefully placed in each of the songs, where there’s (none) allows for Danny and the rest of the band to really come into focus with pure force. First few listens I thought there should be more Maynard. Now, I think there is plenty and wouldn’t want any of the songs changed.
I’ll always hold lateralus as their magnum opus. But fear inoculum is great and like it just as much as 10.000 days or Ænima. All the albums are great with their own ‘flavor’. ‘Fear, I exhale you’, ‘warrior, struggling’ and ‘stay alive’ is exactly what I wanted after 13 years.
1 Like
In total agreement.
Aenima is their ‘opus’ though. It’s the most popular album, and the one that really was an amazing experience when it came out followed by one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Funny thing is Lateralus didn’t grab me when it released. I’m not sure why, I was in a different place musically at that time I guess. But Lateralus is now the one album I listen to the most out of all of them.
If I had to rank them in terms of what I listen to the most (before this new one) it’d be :
- Lateralus
- Aenima
- Undertow
- Opiate
With Undertow and Opiate rarely getting any listening time. They sound too dated to me, I wish they’d remaster it.
Now that I’ve had the chance to actually listen to the album on headphones without distraction, I’m pretty blown away. I am now regretting not buying the limited edition to keep in its packaging and sell for a fuckload in 20 years.
7empest is outrageous. Just a monster of a song, and well-named. I’m not sure what the 7 means, but right now I’m feeling like I just went through a storm of Tool.
This album didn’t take long to start growing on me. Of course, it’s really a different experience for any good album to listen to it. You can’t really do that during your commute.
Not sure I can call it my favorite yet, but it’s a great Tool album.
3 Likes
2 Likes
Is he trying to get people to declare Tool a White Supremacist group??
It’s a fake tweet generator that I like to use. I’m sure Trump is a big Tool fan though. They are the best rock band. Very talented Americans. My people tell me they’ve made a lot of money.
2 Likes