Review Summary: Undertow is definitely not as complex as Tool's later records are, but with all the rage and angst (which has been a Tool theme throughout all of their albums) it is worthy enough to be a Tool release.
((this is my first review I will be writing. please leave CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM if you dislike something about the review. i will try my best, but it may be a bit sloppy, as it is my first. thank you. enjoy.))
When it comes to Tool, it's a bit different then average metal bands. Tool is much more technical, but that didn't come into play until AEnima (1996). However, when it came to the time this album was released, people were searching for a grunge or, harder metal, per se, and weren't really looking for anything like Lateralus (2001).
To start, this album is full of raw rage. The opening track, Intolerance, is a hammer to the face, breaking from a cocoon of anger and fury. The riffs are more simple then Tool's future-to-come albums, but they are for sure phenomenal. The song is a wonderful introduction to the major/primary feel to the album. Full of wrath and outrage, the song shows the listener how this album will sound. It's unable to be stressed how important Maynard's vocals are. By the "lie, cheat and steal" part, you're able to get a primary focus of the lyricism and vocal work on the record. The lyrics on the record are tolerable, they are passable enough and get straight to the point, with some clever wording to joggle your mind on what he means when he's singing. The album is very "in-your-face" with the instrumentals and production. To some, that is a good thing. But to others, it could be a bit much.
However, the album is a bit "basic" compared to Tool's later efforts. The riffs and basslines are not as complex as their next few releases. Sober's riff is great, but simple, as are most of the riffs on the album. But, the riffs are written and sound just how they want it to. Evil and furious, and right to the point. Danny's drumming is of course astonishing, but it is not as technical as the future LP's will be. While everything is basic, there are still very interesting ideas in this record. Flood's long dark and disturbing intro can confuse, but also entertain listeners, who await the part where the song really begins. The instrumentation and vocals in '4 Degrees' are, in my opinion, one of the highest points of the album. The song is a shocker, where it begins to stow away from the primary theme, and get a bit more experimental. Bottom features Henry Rollins who has a speaking part in the song. Bottom is a introduction to Tool's more progressive skills, with a longer runtime then most songs on the record. It gives a longer taste on what Tool is really capable of. Then there's the most-disturbing, Satanic sounding anthem, "Disgustipated". Possibly the most disconcerting song on the album, it contains a eulogy by Maynard, as it fades into a unsettling and dark instrumentation with Maynard repeating the lines "This is necessary, life feeds on life," with disturbing instrumentation to make the listeners anxious. It ends with about 8 minutes of low ambience, with a encomium by "Bill the Landlord" as the song ends.
Then there are songs like "Crawl Away" and "Swamp Song" which are very basic (except for a few parts in the tracks) and not showcasing Tool's unfathomable talent. The riffs are basic at best, as are the drumming and bass performances. Maynard keeps the same vocals he's been showcasing throughout the entire album. "Undertow" is a very aggressive song however, and is another in-your-face track with riffs that are, while not too complex, are very dark sounding. While they are all good songs in their own way, they don't really capture what Tool is able to do, and come being a bit generic.
The performances on the record are all unique in their own part. It isn't too technical and hard to understand, which welcomes more listeners to the record. While the riffs are rudimentary, as are the basslines and drumming, they are all still wonderful. The talent of the band members is still on show, but their later efforts really show what they're able to do. Because of this, more fans enjoy the later things more, and this album becomes horribly underrated, and the songs are almost never played live, with the exception of Sober and sometimes Intolerance. Maynard's performance is important and breathtaking. His vocal skills show here wonderfully, and it is hard to find negatives about his performance. He doesn't sound as deep and insightful as he does later, but this album is angsty and angry, which leads him to sound like he is letting out a bottle of rage. The instrumentation flow very well together, while the complexity of the riffs, bass lines, and drumming are mostly elementary.
The sound mixing/quality is very reminiscent of a grunge album. Very raw and aggressive sounding, and not as "echoey" and progressive as the later efforts are. That is not a bad thing, but compared to future releases, it lags behind. It, however, doesn't change the fact of the great musical performances taking way on this album.
It's difficult to put into words what exactly you feel when listening to Undertow. The grunge/metal theme is present here, but it's much more different then an average grunge album, and the feel of it becomes much more. However, when listening, Undertow transfigures into of the most passably furious albums I've listened to. It may not be as angry or full of angst as some of AEnima's themes are, but Undertow still holds lots of rage and wrathful feelings in its own. It's worthy enough to submit to Tool's name, and is worthy enough to be called the first long-play that Tool put on store shelves. Although it's much less influential and "important" then Tool's bigger releases, Undertow still has a special feeling of raw fury in it's own, which makes it a terrifying, but contumaciously invigorating record.
Favorite Track: Intolerance
Least Favorite Track: Crawl Away
