What can be said about 'Maynard' Keenan?
Is he a musical genius? Or is he a raving lunatic? Or, maybe, is he both?
These are questions that, well, we really don't need answered I suppose..
but, I'll say this; the man knows how to make one hell of a record and
this one is just more proof of that.
As we all know by now, about this time
last year, Maynard released his side projects album (that of course would
be A Perfect Circles' 'Mer De Noms'), which went on the garner huge praise
and huge sales. Just think; this is something Maynard did BECAUSE HE WAS
BORED (more or less). Good god, imagine what he can do when he's focused..
wait.. don't imagine, just listen to this album. The 'Rock and Roll Media
Hype Machine' has been all over this thing for a while now, and for once,
the hype machine got it right. Clocking in at 78:59, this is one hell of
a long album, and it takes you all over the place musically. But, it does
follow the typical Tool/Maynard pattern: Dark, Moody, Melodic, Heavy, Good
as hell!
There isn't much else I can say about this
album.. it's more or less left me speechless.. JUST GO GET IT. Nuff said.
Posted by nothingisfree:
a friend of mine burned me a copy of this album.
Posted by F**k up:
Hard to understand but that is one of the few things that make this CD interresting and great! You need to get this and get your ass kicked and realize how much of a retard you are!
Posted by Anti-Christ:
I loved Anema And I love this cd because it f-ing kicks my ass every time i lisen to it.
Posted by korn freak:
Not much to say this cd is f-ing great!
Posted by Jeff:
Tool is a very gifted band. They never let you down. Laterralus is a very great mind blowing ans interesting CD.
Posted by Andres:
Lateralus is a masterpiece. I too believe that Aenima is Tools best album,, but lateralus is definitely the best album of 2001, from the best band out there. The four musicians ability to sound so raw, and sound so harmonic at the same time is obsolite in these days.
Posted by drchaotica:
This is the most brilliant album that you would ever listen to. The puzzles in it, the way that the band challenges you to focus deeper and put the pieces back together is more than any other band. From Danny's fibonacci sequences to Maynard's dark lyrics this album just comes together brilliantly and anyone who wishes to see more, try listening to the songs in this order, 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10
Posted by Detrean:
What can be said that hasn't already been said? After falling in love with this band I have slowly began to hate all the other bands I used to like. You actually refine your tastes. Now I'm liking things I never thought I would, and on a much higher level. It may sound like bs but I promise you.... give it enough time and it will change you.
Posted by Fuk you OPIATEmx ^:
You are a simply minded fuk that needs to buy a dictionary, dont always say so much, conceal your intentions..
Posted by squeaky:
Tool manages step outside the box and torch it. A mindf*ck of an album, it's like Undertow in a way. While Undertow (and/or Opiate) blew your mind away, Ænima picked back up the pieces and played the "jump and get it" game with you, dangling it right above your reach and raising it higher as you just. Just as you get it back 5 years later, they do it again. I can only hope the next Tool album tops them all off, because if they get any better, they'll have to have their own genre.
Posted by j:
i don't understand how people can actually like lateralus. the only aspect that is consistantly good is the drumming. this album doesn't even sound like tool.
Posted by the guvnah:
im gonna have to agree with hossein on this one.people listen to tool because they like the music.i wouldnt say tool is exactly "world reknowned" either.only 3 of my friends actually heard of tool.and another thing, who the f*** cares wut 14 year olds are doin?if there gonna fump on the bandwagon, why should anyone care?(P.S. Lateralus kicks ass!!!)
Posted by Darth Lad:
Wow..... i know this album's been out for awhile now but I just got it last weekend and OH MY GOD! *runs to the store to pick up any other Tool albums he can find*
Posted by bytheway:
Oh, and the purpose of Tool's music is to make you think, explore, research and decide for yourself whether to believe anything Tool says. It doesn't force you to believe their theories, only to open your mind to new ideas. If you research their philosophies, you find some pretty interesting stuff. Open your mind and see that Tool is more than just a band. They show you how to be enlightened. "I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it."
Posted by floormatt:
I honestly think Lateralus will be impossible to top. It is the best Tool album hands-down.
Posted by Chris:
frickin' amazing record. tool is too good. unnaturally good.
Posted by Curtis:
By the way, about teens being bandwagoners in liking Tool: I recently played Lateralus (the track) for my grade 12 music class, and aside from my couple of friends (one who's also formally and classically trained), the reaction was pretty much "that's a weird group". Lateralus was my first Tool album (it having Schism, which was my first Tool song -- no surprise, I know), and I actually bought it against the recommendation of a girl at school who *used to* share the same tastes as I had. She said aside from that song, the album wasn't very good. God, am I glad I didn't listen to her. So here's at least one guy who's not a teenybopper jumping on any bandwagon.
Posted by Curtis:
I don't think Tool will ever become truly mainstream; their stuff is too intricate to hold the patience of the average casual listener. That's not a knock on anybody, it's just that most people like to hear familiar sounds and have things they can follow. You really do have to have some musical training to pick out the actual rhythms in the music, and even then it takes listen after listen after listen to really get it down. Danny Carey is, as has already been said, the strongest rock drummer currently out there. I'm tempted to stretch that to all-time status, too. Half of the time he doesn't even accentuate the real beat -- making it even more difficult to latch onto, and that much more stimulating. It took me three months to get the time signatures of Lateralus down by heart, but I finally know how the song works. Intro/midsection: 12/8 (mid-section w/ a 5-beat overlay by Danny -- how the hell does he keep his parts straight?) Verses: 5/4 Chorus: 3-bar cycle - 9/4, 9/4, 6/4 And of course, the adrenaline rush of a climax that goes into 12/4. I'm no drummer, but I don't know how anyone with a musically trained, or even a musically inclined mind cannot appreciate the sheer intricacy of Tool's songs. There's always something new to hear in a song, and I find my favourites list frequently changing. That, my friends, is the sign of a great band -- one that makes you think and approach the music from a different angle every time you listen. Sometimes I'm analytical, sometimes I just sit back and let the wall of sound hit me. Most bands just aren't like that. There's no contest. Lateralus is the greatest album ever made. (Aenima is not too far behind, either. ;-) )
Posted by ass_bandit:
made my pee pee hard!!!
Posted by patrik:
Judging by all the people who have made comments i dont think you need mine well tuff sh!t your getting it they f(u)cking rule there the only cerebral indutrial metal band around and thank god for that that i've seen them thrice in concert and every time was better than the last these guys are fine by me all the way and i don't care who you are if you dont like them then go find the biggest gun you can and turn it on yourself cause these guys are here to stay
Posted by RailheaD:
To Dreddknott, or such: I think you're right, mate, Tool is about the best thing progressive rock has seen in some years. As to your mention about them being the the best thing since Tull . . . what about the band Tool was touring with this past year? Cheers, RailheaD
Posted by hossein:
something about all those comments about airheaded tennage bandwaggoners. i'm a seventeen year old tool fan. i don't that many people of the type you guys are talking about, but all the tool fans i know listen to it because of the music. tool isn't that popular anyway, so i don't think anyone would buy the cd just for that. half my friends haven't even heard of tool. and i don't think tool's popularity has much to do with advertising. i just think that as time passes more and more people get to know tool through others spreading the word. i bought aenima two years ago, because my brother had the cd and i listened to it for a while and liked the music. i bought it cause i liked the way it sounded, but after listening to it for a while i started to understand the lyrics. please don't stereotype all teenagers as airheaded idiots just trying to be cool. some of us actually have good taste. most of my friends listen to pink floyd, led zepplin, metallica, and the like, and only because they LOVE THE MUSIC
Posted by Static:
I think I creamed myself the first time I heard it. WOW, HOLY CRAP, This is really good.
Posted by PsychoMonkeyGirl:
"callmethedude" (ot should I just call ya DUDE? ha!) was right.....Danny Carrey's drumming is TIGHT! I mean u can't even keep the beat on the title track, it's nearly impossible. my friend. a very experienced drummer, can't even do it. it's an awesome CD all around...Tool just never gets old or worn out.
Posted by callmethedude:
If you actually think this recording sucks or if you think it is repetitive, you may want to listen to the drumming track. Danny Carrey is currently the strongest rock drummer on tour hands down. If someone were to edit out the rest of the band from the CD, I would still want to hear it all. I dare anyone to try to count the beat on the title track. I'll give you a clue, Danny's changing the time signiture every measure! If you still think it's repetitive, I recommend getting really roasted first. Damn that's a good idea. If you still can't hear the sutle sonic variations that cut through Adam Jones' wall of sound then you are a lost cause. Go listen to something that actually is repetitive, like Slipknot, where the drummers, bassists, and guitarists all play the same notes over and over again really fast.
Posted by DUKE:
One hell of sheer brialliance..go get it!!
Posted by devilish sarah:
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm nice, very nice
Posted by Jaksiel:
Best CD of 2001...by far.
Posted by C-Rod:
hey, i have every tool cd but this one(LATERALUS)just kicks butt. listen to it experienced if you dare. it's a hell of a roller coaster ride and i wouldn't go as far as calling TOOL an alternative rock band but a band to "trip" on. Check out their other albums and the DVD one as well...it will leave you with your mouth open and wanting more.
Posted by Dont worry:
Sheer brilliance musically and lyrically. From a drummers perspective in am still in awe of this guy. He is amazing.
Posted by mitch:
Personally i think Undertow is Tools best album but Lateralus as a close second then Opiate then Aenima. But as usual another great album by Tool.
Posted by DilapidatedDiva:
Although I think that Aenima is Tool's best album, Lateralus is, in my opinion, still an amazing piece of work. I'm sure it's true that some of Tool's current popularity comes from teenybopping nu-metal fans who don't really understand what the music is about, but I don't think it's a bad thing that these people are getting a chance to hear some decent music. When Aenima came out I was 14, and, I hate to admit it, my other favourite band was Korn. When I bought it back then I didn't really understand it, but in the years since I came to fully appreciate its brilliance, and at the same time my eyes were opened to a lot of other great music.
Posted by AD:
Ive loved TOOL since the first time I heard "Part of Me" from Opiate on an old beat-up tape. Lateralus has taken TOOL to a whole new level of raw emotion and musical brilliance. Keep up the good work, fellas, and if you have any spare time, TOOL and TENACIOUS D should really do a collaboration.
Posted by cinthia:
for sure another great album! the best one i bought in 2001! stop.
Posted by Kish:
This is the best cd I own and I think others agree it is really harmonic and it makes you think that this is there masterpiece
Posted by topemhat:
Gonk it
Posted by QuestionAnything:
aenima is tool's best album...
Posted by QuestionAnything:
aenima is tool's best album...
Posted by Chase:
i saw this comment a couple of times and it really annoyed me: "maynard mumbles/his voice is weak." okay, if you've listened to a perfect circle's album, you should realize that maynard is one of the few rock vocalists who can actually sing/project his voice properly. because of this, he doesn't have to scream into a mic like most metal singers, who have extremely weak singing voices. (i.e. without amplification they'd sound like p*ssies) have you ever heard someone do a slipknot-esque growl without a mic? it's like a deep whisper; unless you're virtually eating the mic, it's not going to sound powerful. maynard's voice is naturally loud/full/strong enough to carry over the "noise" of the band without being brought way out in the mix like on most recordings. as far as mumbling goes, he could stand to enunciate a bit more to make himself more easily understood, but i'm sure he already knows that. i do studio production part time and sing in a metal band, so i know what i'm talking about. thanks.
Posted by SubXavier:
...What the hell is a "musical masturbator?"
Posted by Brad:
As a drummer, I enjoy listening to Danny's playing on this album, as a musician I enjoy and respect what the all four members do as a unit, BUT...... as a music lover I am let down by this album. I find no memorable hooks on the whole cd. The sheer power and intensity of Undertow established Tool. That album bridged the gap between ass-kicking hard rock and cerebral progressive rock, but their songwriting has waned since. Now they have slipped into the realm of musical masturbaters like Dream Theatre and Fates Warning.
Posted by gwandums: This CD rocks "TOOL"is my favorite band
Posted by
Shell: Excellent, for a home grown Aussie this
album bumps right up there next to the mystical Aenima
Posted by
ace: I really enjoy this album because it is
really well-written. The unorthodox time signatures and the complicated
song structures are refreshing in a musical atmosphere of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus
of much of today's popular music. Tool deserve credit for playing by their
own rules and producing a record that we can chew on for many repeat listenings
according to their unique creative process..
Posted by
Josh Murray: This album is simply brilliant. The first
time I listened to it al the way thru, I had to go outside just to catch
my breath and comprehend the masterpiece I had in my hand. It may not be
as straight forward as Aenima is, but it makes up for that in its pure
depth. not so much an album for its individual songs but much more for
its merit as a whole, this album is plainly and simply a masterpiece.
Posted by
SubXavier: *places The Unchosen in his little coven
of people he agrees with*
Posted by
The unchosen: This is the first tool album I have heard,I
bought it today. Its incredible.The music works well together,excellent
guitaring and maynards a genius. You guys argue too much.Just give your
opinions not insult each other. I am 15.I like Tool.Also i like slipknot.
I also like radiohead and the cranberries. Music is music.Everyone has
their own tastes. It's all in what you like. "Stay dangerous and think
freely"-S.O.A.D
Posted by
SubXavier: *in "wise, short, sensei voice* Your powers
of observation and analysis need training, Loot. Why not try listening
to the music, and getting what you can out of that, if the lyrics don't
do anything for you?
Posted by
Loot: Totally boring crap. Maynard's pseudo-intellectualizing
goth drivel is about as interesting as watching hair grow. I got this CD
for free thank god and gave it my minimum 3 listens but still couldn't
find anything redeeming in the music or the lyrics. Hell, for reasons I
won't go into I even went to the $65 show and it was even more lame than
the album. Not even the fancy graphics can make these guys into much. They'll
have little impact on music history... my suggestion: save your money and
go see your local indie rock band, they've probably more to say and they
probably rock better.
Posted by
H: it's beautiful, just beautiful...
Posted by
dreddnott: Super duper album, possibly the best progressive
since...Jethro Tull! :-D I hope they don't get too popular. It would take
a lot away from the power of the band. As in the Tull song Baker St. Muse,
"I want no top 20 funeral or a hundred grand." Go Justin Chancellor!
Posted by
merkaba*: Korn smells bad...literally. I used to
have this Korn c.d... I must have been unconcious when I bought it or something,
no wait, it was one of their older, slightly decent ones. Decent as far
as Korn goes anyway. And I think I was like 14. And my friend took it to
a party and spilled beer all over it so the c.d. booklet got moldy and
then it smelled like stale beer and mold. So that's how Korn stinks. I
don't have it anymore though....I think I gave it away. B/c Jonathon Davis
really blows. Tool is pure genius....and Maynard's so d*mn sexy. I get
to see Deftones tonight:) yaY! I don't know what that had to do with anything,
except maybe the fact that Chino's sexy too.... I dunno. I guess that was
the relevance. I need to sleep more than 4 hours at a time.
Posted by
Greb: Tool! I love 'em! I can't believe my brother
prefers Korn to Tool, he's an idiot...
Posted by
SpikedMaYhEm: The new album lateralus is the greatest
cd i've herd in four years. keep up the good work tool!
Posted by
merkaba*: i have an addiction to this c.d..........tool
in general, actually, but god......wow. i am so glad that this c.d. did't
turn out to be a step in the direction of main stream crap, which is what
i was so afraid it would be since it had been so long since they'd done
something........but wow.
Posted by
eggman: Well worth the 5 yr wait! TOOL is such
a head above the music world!! In my opinion, they are becoming the moderrn
day Pink Floyd, which is not a bad thing at all!
Posted by
lucidifer: it's clearly stated in the first album
that "when he speaks, he speaks through me" Reflection states that the
light coming from maynard is not his own. ...take a wild guess
Posted by
colebot: Brilliant as always.
Posted by
adaj7: I bought this CD because of all the good
reviews, and holy shyt! This is WEIRD! Maybe I just don't get it, because
I don't quite see how it's "brilliant", but it's still really, really good,
even if a little draggy at times...
Posted by
The Eamobo: The Mind is Blown away..
Posted by
OPIATEmx: OK maynard is some sort of super guinius....he
uses these BIG ASS words that i dunno whatt he hell they man and his vocs
kick ass!
