| Tool Lateralus Date of release: 5/15/01 Rating: 4.5 I waited 4-1/2 years to hear the new Tool record; in fact, I could barely contain myself as the employees of the local entertainment store unlocked the doors the morning of the 15th. It was worth the wait. Tool's third full-length album, Lateralus, is an enigmatic masterpiece one can enjoy for a long time. The 79 minutes of music on this record are filled with crunching guitar, dark bass, smooth-flowing drums, and vocals from Maynard James Keenan (also in A Perfect Circle) that give no quarter. Of course, being a Tool album, it will definitely take much longer that 79 minutes to get the full feel of this recording. You may find yourself wondering what those four crazy musical masterminds are going to do next in any of the album's 13 tracks, most of which are in excess of six minutes in length. Most listeners will need -- and want -- to listen to this record in multiple instances. The album opens with "The Grudge" (8:36), a traditionally-heavy Tool song in 5/4. You can actually almost get inside the minds of guitarist Adam Jones and bass player Justin Chancellor (also in Peach) as they play the first loops of riffs. After two minutes, Keenan's lyrics reach peak and the song all comes together over Danny Carey's drums. One will also find the same sort of cohesiveness on "The Patient" (7:15), a great melodic song with a moody, laid-back guitar intro. Those of you who tune into your local radio station may have heard -- both before and after the release of Lateralus -- the song "Schism." It is in this song that the emotion of Keenan's voice and lyrics reach a high point. He swears over and over again "I know the pieces fit", as if he were struggling to understand the meaning of life or that 1500-piece puzzle of the Mona Lisa that he once may have owned. Emotion keeps going from there. For those of you who are unaware, the release of the new Tool album took over four years partly because of legal matters, mostly involving their last record label. In the song "Ticks & Leeches", Maynard screams "Suck me dry!" at the top of his lungs, as if he still is fighting off the lawyers and record executives. The song reaches a great climax on this note; the final words are "I hope you choke." An album full of mystery and mayhem, Lateralus could very well be the great Grammy-winner of the year. I advise any great Tool fan or anyone into progressive music to purchase this record. You'll be glad you did. Also, don't forget to pick up the past Tool releases if you haven't. |