Sometimes I think what the ingredients are to get famous, one I immediately think of is being original. Tool? Original? Anyone knows a band which is more original?
Another ingredient is talent, well.... Danny Carey being one of the best drummers on the whole world (anyone knows a better drummer) and Maynard with his clear voice or Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones with their original yet hard bass and guitar fills.
That's why Tool today is one of the most famous band.
And again they blow everyone away with another awesome album, but here are the reviews.
The Grudge
The first song and a great opener to the album, although it's one of the harder songs, it is also very peacefully. With Maynard's screaming-singing-whispering voice and a very good drum, bass and guitar in a 5/4 beat while it's 8 minutes long, what's wrong???? There is only one thing wrong, the song is a bit repetive, maybe you'll think now, yeah that's possible because the song is 8 minutes long, but that's normal for Tool to make long but interesting songs. But very worth the listening is the loud scream at the end (at about 7 minutes) which lasts for almost 30 seconds.
And that's the end for the Grudge; a great opener of the album.
Grade 8/10
Eon Blue Apocalypse
The first filler. It is a short track of only 1 minute BUT... before you look at the grade just know that grade is based on fillers, and although this is just a filler it has everything a real song has to have, like different parts, has to be exceptional, interesting to listen to it. This filler doesn't use much of all the aspects but it is still a good filler and also the intro-intro of The Patient.
Grade 7/10
The Patient
Just like The Grudge; Again a very long song with again a very well made long intro with again many interludes with again a 5/4 counting with again calm and peacefull moments and with again strong vocals and with again very good drumming and with again very good singing. But this song is very differently than The Grudge. This song is more based on the calm moments then the hard moments like The Grugde.
The first 3 minutes are peacefully and calm and after 3 moments (when it begins to get disturbed and like that) it's still peacefully and calm. That's why this song is so unbelievable good, being calm and strong at the same time (just like Minerva from Deftones is). Do I need to say more?
Grade 10/10
Mantra
Again a filler, but this time it's only a low steady voice (that's why it's called mantra). It looks a bit like some whales communicating to each other but then slowed down. Some people say fillers hasn't to be used in albums, I disagree very much to it. Fillers set the mood in the album or can be used like an intro-intro (like with EBA and the Patient) but this filler is a bit boring, not bad but also not good.
Grade 6/10
Schism
A rather strange track, it begins with a very melodic and extremely beautiful guitar and immediately after that a well made bass riff begins which shows the talent from Justin Chancellor, followed by drums. When Maynard sings it feels a bit of uncomfortable but when the chorus starts he begins with something like "aaaaaaaaaah" which sounds very good. After a few times with some interludes the best part of the whole song comes... The Bridge! A mystical guitar and bass guitar open the bridge and after a few minutes maynard begins to sing. WOW!!! Only for this 30 seconds I would give this whole song a 10 but it's too short... But then a interlude and the drums come in and the bridge part where Maynard sings is repeated. I've never heard something beautiful like this (some songs are pretty close like "Wonderwall" from Oasis or "Dying in your Arms" from Trivium).
But then the outro comes and that's a bit of dissapointing, some nice drumming and shouting bla bla bla...
That was the whole song, first it was hard for me to listen to it but now I love it.
Grade 10/10
Parabol
Well, this filler is a calm sound with Maynard singing. The filler is the same as the real song "Parabola" but calmed down.
Maynard's singing the same words as in Parabola so this is a great intro-intro.
This filler is absolutely well made and is of normal song quality.
It is also well linked to Parabola, just before the end you hear a disturbed guitar and then...
Grade 9/10
Parabola
... the real song begins, a catchy guitar and a nice drum open the song. At the couplet Danny does some cool drumming stuff on the toms while Maynard is singing. The song it repeated for a few times and... well... yeah... the rest is kinda boring, this song is based on the guitar and does some nice work but still, it's not very interesting. It's not bad but the worst thing is that I like the intro-intro (Parabol) more than this song. But now I'm a bit negative so let's see for the good things, for example, the lyrics are very good and the song is full of catchy guitar, bass guitar and drumming.
For some, one of the best songs, for me a good song.
Grade 8.5/10
Ticks & Leeches
Well the beginning part.....
WOW!!!!
An uncredible drum solo from Danny for about 1 minute which is followed by a cool couplet in 7/8 (almost the whole song is played in 7/8 and some parts in 8/8).
The couplet is a bit short for a 8 minute song and so the chorus is.
But after 3 minutes you'll find out, because the last 5 minutes is build in a gigantic bridge. This is a part you wouldn't have expected from any other band but could be expected from Tool, the whole song which is the hardest song ever from Tool is reduced to a clean melodic guitar and bass guitar. This is a very good part because of the well made build-up, first a bass guitar + guitar and later on some mysterious humming from Maynard with some soft drumming and then 5 seconds quiet and then explodes into a hard drumming, guitaring followed by Maynard screaming "SUCK ME DRY"
Then the drum solo comes again (for 20 seconds) and then the outro comes, with the drum solo combined with Maynard singing the chorus.
One of my favorites of the album.
Grade 10/10
Lateralus
It's time for title-track. A great song (héhé) of 9 minutes with an intro of 1 minute, does that sound boring?? Well, it's not. The great intro guitar part keeps it interesting for the whole 1 minute which is followed immediately by an instrumental chorus which has a beat of 9/8, 8/8, 7/8. Oke... But then the couplet comes which is in 5/4 but it sounds very similar (the counting). The song has some nice guitar solo's and a great drumming and has great lyrics. After + - 5 minutes the calm bridge comes where Danny really shows his counting talent, while the other band members play in 4/4 he plays in 5/4. COOL! After that again a guitar solo and some nice interludes. bridge's and breakdowns, before the outro which could be a song on itself.
Another masterpiece.
Grade 10/10
Disposition
My favorite filler of all time. This song is the calmest rock-metal song ever heard, it isn't even rock-metal, it has his own genre. The only lyrics you'll find in this awesome track is "mention this to me. mention something, mention anything . and watch the weather change". And this song is the first part of the Reflection trilogy (Disposition, Reflection, Triad). The drumming is also great, Danny Carey uses some eehm... don't exactly know what he is playing on, but it sounds very good.
This song is almost 5 minutes long but sounds much longer because it uses only a few guitar parts but it sounds very good and another great thing before you can see my grade, this song is perfectly linked to Reflection.
Grade 10/10
Reflection
Just like Schism or Third Eye (Aenima) this is a hard song to start listening to it, but after you know the song this is an unbelievable masterpiece in the whole music history.
It starts with a simple-sounding but pretty hard drum pattern which is followed by the bass guitar.
After 4 minutes the intro is done (one of the longest intro's ever) and Maynard starts singing. Maynards voice sound mysterious and clear at the same time. Then the chorus comes where Tool prove that they are some of the best songwriters, Maynard starts singing "It's calling me" which is incredible good, some people say: "it's only one sentence repeated for 3 times" but just come up with such an incredible sentence!
The second couplet is like the intro and the first couplet combined and shows also very good. The rest of the song (bridge, 3rd chorus and outro) are the same but just with a disturbed guitar and some nice drum fills. The funny thing is, this song is just a gigantic build-up, the second chorus sounds harder then the first, the third chorus harder then the second.
As I said it's a hard song to listen but after a while you'll love
Grade 10/10
Triad
This is the third part of the reflection trilogy. It's slow building with a steady pace (not too fast or too slow). And after 3 minutes the real part comes in.
The whole song is without any lyrics (maybe some screaming from Maynard) but it sounds very good. At 4 minutes the beat is changed from a 3/4 to a 4/4 which is done by Carey. And although it's perfectly linked with Reflection it's very different, disturbed guitar and hard drumming.
Another great song
Grade 8.5/10
Secret Track: Faaip De Oiad
A secret track which is listed on the back of the album, that's strange, but this whole track is strange.
It's something about Area 51 or something, you can hear people talking but it doesn't make any sense.
A secret skip-track.
Grade 6/10
CONCLUSION
This album rocks. I won't give 5 stars except for real masterpieces. This is a masterpiece.
It has only 9 listenable tracks but all the fillers are also great and the whole album is about 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
There are no bad songs in it and many really good songs. We had to wait for 5 years but this album is worth waiting.
By the way, did you like my review, it was my first one.
Recommended songs:
Schism
Ticks and Leeches
The Patient
Disposition
Reflection
Lateralus
Band Members:
James Maynard Keenan - Vocals
Justin Chancellor - Bass
Adam Jones - Guitar
Danny Carey - Drums/Percussion
