Album Rating: 2.0

Rage Against the System.



# 1. Just because it's something a band does, doesn't make it good. Linkin' Park adds DJ scratches to their music, does that make it any better?



# 2. A Tool song is pretty easily structured, you just need an off time really tribal sounding drum beat. A catchy bass line, and some mediocre guitar playing. Then you either follow the build-up format, into a very heavy release with "screaming" or "heavy" vocals at the end. Or you do some meandering progressive stuff. Most of the songs are pretty similar, when you look at a band like say.. Deftones, who have many layers to their songs.



# 3. Maynard is like the Palahniuk of lyrics. 18 year old white kids find him to be a god, when really he's just subpar compared to his contemporaries. Plus he's always mad, or acting like he's really really smart. It's annoying.

Album Rating: 5.0

^I apologise. I was just blowing off steam cause I had a really bad day.

Album Rating: 5.0

Well, I personally have seen some pretty s**tty lyricists out there, and at leat Maynard doesn't follow the generic nu-metal formula. While his lyrics may not necessairily be a plus, the almost certainly aren't a negative.

Album Rating: 4.5

Hey now, Palahniuk isn't that bad, albeit his novels do fall apart at the end or finish like a Raymond Chandler novel.

Album Rating: 4.0

Well, speaking from a 18 year old, white males viewpoint (I guess we do not have good taste in music), I would say Maynard is a very good lyricist, but by no means is he the best at what he does. Are some of the songs to long? Yes. Are they pretentious at times? Of course. But this band sounds like nothing else that is out right now. This band still feels like a breath of fresh air in popular music.



If you do not like them, that’s fine. Just at times your review showed how much you dislike the band and lost focus on this particular album. However it was enjoyable to read, and as much as I disagree I have to give you that.

Album Rating: 5.0

I do appreciate your defended opinion, but I still think that this album is great. (Might I also mention that I love the overly-pretentious wankery of The Mars Volta as well?)

Great album. I enjoy Tool's music, and I'm not looking for hidden or deep meanings or anything. I just like to listen to the bloody music. It's supposed to be enjoyed, and I enjoy it. I'm starting to get tired of people who just despise success.

Good review, since it's actually visible that you're not just a success hater or something. A well-put argument.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I could've



....but I do really like this.

Album Rating: 5.0

As a seventeen year old white male, my choices in entertainment are sure constantly being attacked! First I am criticised on band madness for choosing nine inch nails over pink floyd, then one of my favorite albums of all times is shot down(Tool, Lateralus) and now one of my favorite authors is being persecuted? Ofcourse Kill Bill was too violent and Tucker Max is inappropriate. What is a boy to do?

Album Rating: 4.0

"nobody ever says anything negative about Tool"



You have to be kidding.

Album Rating: 4.0

Look harder. I would say 50/50, some get it and love it, and the rest hate it with a passion. Fan boys and haters are always fun to read though.

I'll say that pixiesfanyo is absolutely right on a lot of the statements he makes. I agree on all aspects, I do think this is a decent album but seriously, how the hell is this a classic? It isn't as great as people make it out to be and listening to the full album whole gets very tedious for me. I'll listen to this album for a few tracks and turn it off. It seriously isn't as good as people make it out to be, it's a good modern progressive album but that's all there is to it.

Album Rating: 4.5

Well written review. I love this album and don't really agree with much of what you have to say, but you backed up your views and thats cool with me. A problem with this album is that it really isn't for everyone, but it recieves so much hype from the people that "get it" that it comes off as being the next Dark Side of the Moon, but this album really isn't for everyone. It just connects with some people, like myself, and they're obsessed with it, while others are confused by how this album could be so highly regarded.



The only gripe I had about this review was when you mention the fibonacci stuff. You then insult Tool and say they purposely mixed up the tracklist to make their fans solve a puzzle. Tool have actually denied the Fibonacci stuff more than once. They've never said there's a secret tracklist at all. That was all created by fans of the band. It came off a bit like you knew you weren't going to like this album before you even listened to it because of your view of the band. It's just a small gripe I have with the review. Other than that, it was well written. Good job!This Message Edited On 07.25.06

I find the sound of Lateralus _extremely_ original.
Sure, Tool has influences in Pink Floyd and King Crimson. The band admits this.
But it more so has its own sound, I believe at least as much as any original* group, and especially with Lateralus.
Also, Robert Fripp of King Crimson has been quoted as saying he does not hear a strong influence in Tool. [wikipedia]

How can you call Lateralus unoriginal when cited influences are bands which have not only ceased to exist in this generation, but which were also known as unpredictable and experimental in their very nature?

* = Original is a relative term, unless they were kept in isolated plastic bubbles their entire lives so as not to be swayed by any other music, and they designed and produced their own instruments out of raw materials found deep within the
jungle.


Regarding the Lateralus lyrics, I find them extremely emotional, and I'm not an 18 y.o. male.


This music _is_ hard to get into, and you should listen to it far more than 20x in five years (which is only once per quarter) in order to understand it enough to review it.
You seem to have the "it all sounds the same to me" syndrome we all get of foreign genres.
I enjoyed this review though, it was good to get a different perspective on some other points.This Message Edited On 07.29.06

Album Rating: 5.0

By any means, I don't wanna call this review bad, cause it isn't. Many opinions go well with good arguments. However, I also don't think "Wow, that's a good review!", mostly because of the harsh critism. Of course, that's very normal, I also hate U2 and other "classic bands". Sometimes you just crossed the line with being not objective anymore. Some examples are the way you described the lyrics.



As a 16 year old "white" boy I really think the lyrics are outstanding. Yes, they're not the best though, but especially in the whole music world the lyrics are very outstanding. If you can point 15 bands to me that have even more astonishing lyrics, I will take back that argument, but compared to almost every band I know, I think Maynard is very good.



Another thing I want to say is the way you described their originality. Of course, all bands have influences, imagine a band which sounds everything else than every band on earth, you can't. Tool is very original though, while they have influences of Meshuggah and King Crimson, they still develop their own sound.



I couldn't chose if I would vote yes or no, but the neat writing and the balls to even attempt to write a review that goes against most people's idea's won it.



Good review.... (strange, I really thought that this review would be bashed and negged endlessly by fanboys)

Album Rating: 5.0

Wow, excellently put wikuk. I totally agree with everything you said.

Album Rating: 4.5

yeah, not bad, and a great album as well

Album Rating: 2.0

I'll agree that some of my descriptions are harsh.



But really, go to the top rated Lateralus review on the site and deny to me that those descriptions aren't drastically over the top?



I defined Lateralus in the way I feel about it, that's all I ever attempt to do in my reviews. I like to give someone my view of a record, and maybe it's harsh on this but I'm just sickened by the popularity it's garnished while King Crimson is forced to open for them.



It's like KC opening for TMV, it'd just be a complete joke.

Album Rating: 5.0

But really, go to the top rated Lateralus review on the site and deny to me that those descriptions aren't drastically over the top?

I defined Lateralus in the way I feel about it, that's all I ever attempt to do in my reviews. I like to give someone my view of a record, and maybe it's harsh on this but I'm just sickened by the popularity it's garnished while King Crimson is forced to open for them.

It's like KC opening for TMV, it'd just be a complete joke.

Album Rating: 2.0

How is saying Tool hasn't got good lyrics not a feeling?



They're lyrics are horrible. Like I even like pretentious lyrics, and Maynard is like I said the Palahniuk of lyrics.