Album Rating: 4.0

I haven’t listened to this album in years but firing from the hip, id rather listen to it right this second over schism or something. I’m so burnt out on so many Tool songs man. It’s honestly depressing because i really used to love this band so much but goddamn, I guess I did it to myself, I should’ve listened to more shit when I was younger and not just the same four records over and over again for like a full year

Album Rating: 5.0

I did the same but when I started listening like, 25 years ago i had a shitty CD player so as I've gotten better speakers and headphones over the years I've heard new stuff in most tool albums which has kept them fresh, but yeah in general I've wrung all of their records dry at this point haha. Weirdly enough Fear Innoculum is the one i don't really listen to, because i listened to it daily for about a year after it came out.



Also weird is that i found the production on it amazing when it came out and now when i listen to it it's just so flat and lifeless.

Album Rating: 4.5

Schism is goated ill never get enough of that song

Album Rating: 5.0

Its awesome. It took me far too long to realize the two time signatures (5/4 and 7/4) could be interpreted at 6/8 but the whole point of the song is how something doesn't quite fit together as it should. It's really clever.

Album Rating: 5.0

Schism is one of those overplayed songs that honestly deserves the overplay. Such a well-written track, and a great example of how musical and lyrical themes can take cues from one other, as keaton alluded to above

Album Rating: 5.0

Completely agree. It's a fantastic song. I'd say Stinkfist also falls into the "overplayed but still awesome" category.

Album Rating: 4.5

Honestly the entire album falls into the category of music and lyrics mimicking each other. I know the Fibonacci thing is also overly brought up, but it really is kind of ingenious how a song about growth and the "spiral" of life is built around the formula for creating the perfect spiral.

Album Rating: 5.0

guess I did it to myself, I should’ve listened to more shit when I was younger and not just the same four records over and over again for like a full year



Same man. I still love Tool and consider them one of my favorite bands. But I used to listen daily, constantly. Now I’ll still listen, but like every few months or so I’ll listen to one or all albums front to back.



I know FI was polarizing to many, but I loved it so it was a nice breath of fresh Tool. Certainly not on the scale of Lateralus, 10k Days, but a great album in its own right.

Album Rating: 4.0

I’m at a weird place with FI. I truly think Descending might be their best song, if not certainly top 5. Tempest is up there too, and I dig Culling Voices a lot. The other three tracks needed some serious trimming and I’m honestly convinced that they just wanted every full length track to be 10+ mins just to say they did it, which is fine but half the fuckin songs would work better if they were like half the length.



The title track *barely* justifies its length. It’s a fine opener that basically lets you know what to expect… Pneuma and Invincible have absolutely no business being as long as they are imo. Invincible would be better if they cut the jammy section that follows the bass solo and just went straight into the outro. I think that would literally shave like 4 mins off it and make for a better song. I don’t like the synths and I don’t find the open chord chugging (but in a weird time signature!) very interesting. Pneuma I just don’t like very much at all, which I know is a flaming hot take for people that like FI. Similarly I think the jammier section could’ve been either trimmed down or cut out entirely but even then I still don’t particularly care for the core of the song until the outro as well. I think both tracks would work better as like 7 minute Schism style tracks, I just do not see any reason for them to be so damn long.



Like I said, the other three range from good to flat out some of the best shit Tool ever wrote. It’s kinda ironic that my biggest criticism on the album is that the lengthy songs feel forced, then I go on to love the two longest songs on the album.

Album Rating: 5.0

I love FI! I think they first four tracks are exactly what tool should be making at this point in their career. I think the album shits the bed after descending though. Culling voices is clearly unfinished and tempest is a big gooey mess, and CCtrip is pointless.



It does annoy me how it took 13 years and its still clearly unfinished, like at the end of invincible (i think it is) you can hear the guitar pan to the left where they clearly intended for maynard to sing and instead theres... nothing. And Culling voices could've been great, the first half is fantastic and then the second half is again, just nothing. And Tempest is just cringe and the guitar solo is directionless. But apart from that I bloody love it, even if it is blatantly reharshing their best ideas.