Review Summary: Lateralus is Tool's zenith. A spiritual trip on a disc, it is an album that cannot be missed, and is an instant classic by the end. A masterpiece from start to finish, Lateralus is a steller record with excitement and unearthliness that you must listen to
Tool is at their zenith now. They are well known to the average listener because of their intricate musicianship, powerful vocals, and exemplary songs. When people talk about Tool and their music, the conversations usually involve their sound. Unique and distinct, it's hard to get your music to sound just like Tool's. The band possesses a sheer amount of talent and have become a prodigally influential band in progressive rock/metal. To Maynard's vocals, Danny's precise and elaborate drumming, Justin's compelling bass playing, and Adam's ornate guitar playing, the band stands out over anyone else. But there's something here. What makes this album, well, different? What is added here? What makes it stand out? The answer? Spirituality and maturity.
Anger is near-absent here. Aenima and Undertow focused on raw fury and wrath. Lateralus, with the exception of "Ticks & Leeches" is undeniably mature. Maynard was a very pissed-off man at the time, but now growing away from that phase, maturity becomes one with Tool. The lyrics still talk about life and social problems, but are more focused on growing as a person, finding zen, letting go, and moving through your issues and schisms. The songs 'Schism' and 'The Grudge' (my personal favorite Tool song of all time) relay messages of trying to move on and fix things for the better. The lyrics are delivered with complete passion and sincerity, and you can just hear and feel it in his voice. His vocals never fail to impress the listener. Even in "Parabola" you can hear the fervor in every note he hits. Then there are songs such as "Ticks & Leeches" filled with screeches and raw anger, with wrathful lyrics that you can tell are frighteningly angry and a bit comedic as well. They are not the best, but the instrumentals deliver very well. The passion and fervor in his voice is a high point to the record.
'The Grudge' stands as my all time favorite Tool song, and my favorite on the album. The vocals are intense and passionate, and the musicianship is excellent. The rhythms are phenomenal and it's worth mentioning the best part of the song, the powerful and intense 30 second scream that is sure to stun and impress. 'The Patient' is even worth mentioning. The melodies are imposing and the vocals/lyrics are also very impressive. Sadly, the song is highly underrated, and it becomes a hidden gem on the album that is often overlooked. 'Schism' won a Grammy award, and is a very impactful song. The bass line is the high point of the song, with the guitars, drums, and vocals are also very aesthetic. This becomes a vocal point for how important the bass is. Without the bass, these songs would not be as awe-inspiring as they are. The bass makes the guitar riffs work, and is a key coefficient of the album's complete sound. "Parabol/Parabola" is a near 10 minute suite when put together. The intro "Parabol" is a very mellow and calm song, but it fades into the epic and real gem of the two, "Parabola." Both of the songs are highly magnificent and impressive. The riff, in my opinion, is the standout to the song. It's an inventive and impressive riff, but without the bass, it wouldn't be as striking as it is. The percussion cannot go unmentioned, as it is very intricate and spectacular. The vocals also improve the song immensely. "Ticks & Leeches" is a very interesting song. One of the most peculiar things is the vocals. They are highly screechy and almost hard to listen to. The lyrics are not all that impressive either, compared to the rest of the songs. But, the highest point is the drumming. The drumming is absolutely breathtaking. NutSie.com named it the third best drumming performance in rock/metal. It essentially is double-bass with other drum-parts, but put together in the fast and complex rhythms, it makes it excellently phenomenal. The ambient part of the song is nice, but drones on too long, though it is very nice-sounding. "Lateralus" is one of Tool's most jaw-dropping songs. The musicianship is the stand out part here, but the vocals and lyrics are worth mentioning. Also the fact the lyrics go to the Fibonacci sequence, which shows Tool's expanded creativity. The song is near 10-minutes long, and it is purely wondrous in every way. "Disposition, Reflection and Triad" is a sequence of 3 different tracks. Disposition is essentially there to complete a trilogy, and isn't really a very standout/impressive song. It's mostly repetitive, with Danny's tablas, Maynard repeating the lyric "Watch the weather change" and Adam and Justin's aesthetic riffs. 'Reflection' is the standout song of the trilogy. It's highly repetitive, but it's repetition done correctly. It's atmospheric at most, with Danny's tabla rhythms, Maynard's wind-like vocals, Justin and Adam's spiritually extravagant parts, and the ambience to complete it. The sequence ends with a straight-ahead instrumental rocker called "Triad." It has an extended 2-minute intro until it cuts into the real instrumentation. There is no Maynard here, instead it is a showcase of Tool's arrant talent as musicians.
There are a few fillers here. "Eon Blue Apocalypse" is my favorite, personally, and is a bass and guitar duet. It is a calming intro to "The Patient" which conveys Adam and Justin's musicianship as a double. "Mantra" is rumored to be the noise of Maynard squeezing his cat, slowed down. It's a perfectly creepy and eerie noise which sets up the entrance to 'Schism'. 'Parabol' could be counted as a filler, as it is an intro that completes the two songs "Parabol/Parabola". It is the same melody and setup as "Parabol", but slower and a lot calmer. "Faaip de Oiad" is the frightening filler/closer to the album. It is the sinister noises of Danny randomly hitting different drumheads, noises reminiscent of "Ions" with a frantic voice talking about aliens invading the country. Each filler is unique, but are not essential to the album's complete outcome (with the exception of Parabol).
Possibly the most striking part to this record is the instrumentation/musicianship that Tool puts on display. Justin's bass-playing is the foundation to the album, with his bass-lines bringing together the instrumentation. Without Justin's bass-lines, Adam's riffs wouldn't really work, as his bass playing adds much more to the riffs. Justin stands out just as much as Adam does, if not more. Speaking of Adam, his riffs are masterly and consummate. His riffs build along with Justin's bass-lines to make a very melodic and stand-out part. Then there's the behemoth known as Danny Carey. He is a truly excellent percussionist. The rhythms he produces show that he is nothing more then an astounding drummer and one of the greatest of the time Tool has been making music. Some songs he plays very clearly but in others he plays so well (e.x. Ticks & Leeches) it's hard to tell what exactly he's doing. He adds very important elements to make the songs truly unique. Then there's everyone's love/hate man, Mr. Maynard James Keenan. He may not be the nicest man, but he's got real talent. His voice is highly dynamic and passionate. He can lodge in the low register, with whispers and deep vocals, and shoot up into the high register, where he screams with ardor in his voice, which sucks the listener in. People may be much more interested in the instrumentation and what they have to offer, but it's hard to deny Maynard's importance to the complete picture.
In the end, Lateralus truly, in my opinion, is Tool's best record. If you have not heard this record, you are truly missing out. It is one of the most influential progressive rock/metal albums of all time. The band's musicianship is perfect, with immense amounts of talent in every note they hit. Lateralus is a spiritual trip on a disc. It is an adventure full of different emotions to handle. As a whole, Lateralus is truly one of the most inventive records made. When listening to this album, listeners ride the spiral from song-to-song and are taken on a musical journey. The band brings so much to the table, and their pretentiousness should be left in the shadows of what creativity they relay to the music industry. Lateralus is one of the best albums of this generation, and is a true musical endeavor that must be listened to as soon as you can get your hands on it. A modern classic, Lateralus is a masterpiece that was released from the souls of truly skillful musicians, and will inspire people for years to come.
Favorite Track: The Grudge
Least Favorite Track: Disposition
