Lateralus (Tool)

Despite being a fan of some unusual bands (Pain Of Salvation comes to mind), I have found Tool to be a fairly tricky band to get into. Musically, the band is best known for their strange song structures, constantly changing time signatures, and generally dark overtones. This 2001 effort was the group's third album and saw them achieve even greater critical and commercial success.

The Grudge: Sounds of a starting machine briefly open this song before a building bass heavy rhythm makes its way into the tune and the rest of the song continues with an almost robotic vocal delivery and strange soft/heavy constrasts all the way through. A very interesting opener though there isn't as catchy as it could be.
8 out of 10

Eon Blue Apocalypse: The album's first instrumental is noteworthy for having been about the death of vocalist Maynard James Keenan's Great Dane. The song itself features some interesting eastern styled melodies and an appropriately mournful atmosphere.
7 out of 10

The Patient: More building guitars open this song's introduction in a spacy but unsettling fashion, the verses continue with a soft rhythm and melodic vocals thrown into the mix, the chorus features louder riffs but keeps the melodic vocals in tact, the bridge features more drawn out vocals and eerie whispers, and the song eventually returns to its quieter style. A pretty cool song that astonishingly never completely gives in to aggression.
9 out of 10

Mantra: Another instrumental. This one features a strange sound apparently made by a cat being squeezed (Or a whale song, depending on who you ask). Strangely intriguing, but another slight filler track.
7 out of 10

Schism: If I'm not mistaken, this track won a Grammy back in 2002. It starts with melodic guitars/bass that remind me of Opeth for some reason before going into its signature bass melody, the verses feature some infectious bass/vocal harmonizing, the chorus brings in heavier riffs and angrier vocals, the solo section features some cool guitar effects, and the bridge comes out with softly drawn out vocal lines. A great track that may be the most accessible on the album.
9 out of 10

Parabol: This three minute interlude is made memorable by its spacy guitar/bass melodies and its soft vocals. A nice melodic space, but it doesn't seem to have much energy. Then again, that could just be the lack of percussion. . .
7 out of 10

Parabola: Heavier riffs immediately come in just as the previous track fades away, the verses continue with solid croons and building chugs above some strong drum patterns, the chorus brings in some solid layering, and the bridge goes in an even more melodic direction. A pretty cool track, though not as strong as "Schism".
8 out of 10

Ticks & Leeches: Strong drum patterns and powerful backing bass open this song's introduction nicely, the verses continue with an almost rapped vocal delivery and nicely complementing guitar dissonance, the chorus brings in an angry refrain that may or may not be directed towards the band's critics ("Hope this is what you wanted/Hope this is what you had in mind/Cuz this is what you're getting/I hope you're choking/I hope you choke on this."), the solo section finally continues into a melodic direction, and the bridge sounds even more pissed than before before going into an erratic guitar solo. Easily the most pissed off track on the album and one of its most dissonant.
8 out of 10

Lateralus: Yet another wave of melodic guitars/bass open this introduction smoothly with a building rhythm beneath, the verses continue with eerie vocal layering and prominent percussion above melodic guitars in the background, the chorus brings heavier riffs but retains the soft croons, the solo section features a few soaring guitar wails, and the bridge is another soft segment before reaching a building climax. A solid addition, though not as memorable as the songs before it.
7 out of 10

Disposition: Not quite an instrumental, but a solid interlude nevertheless. It features more of those trippy guitar melodies, odd sound effects in the background, and quietly delivered vocals.
7 out of 10

Reflection: Now we come to the album's longest song. This eleven minute epic comes in with more tribal percussion, a sinister but catchy bass melody, and eerie guitar effects that remind me of Rush during the introduction; the verses bring in oddly sequenced vocal lines; and the solo sections feature more cool guitar effects. Perhaps a little overlong, but it's a greatly memorable piece.
9 out of 10

Triad: Unlike the instrumentals before it, this tune could be considered a stand alone piece. It features plenty of crashing guitar and bass riffs, consistent drumming, some interesting effects and solos every now and then, more soft/heavy constrasts, and a minute of silence towards the end. Another decent addition though I wish it was a little more energetic.
7 out of 10

Faaip de Oiad: Closing the album out is a short spoken segment about a guy who is apparently on the run from Area 51 (Hey, that rhymed). It's definitely an interesting bit that makes a pretty decent closer.
7 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 100 out of 130, 77%, and 3.5 stars. I can understand how this album came to be so influential; it features some interestingly complex tunes and demonstrates the members' technical abilities. However, it is definitely a challenging task to take in all at once and a few fillers disrupt the album's already unstable flow. Just because the compact disc can hold 80 minutes of music doesn't mean it should actually be used to its full compacity. . .