Review – Album – Lateralus – 2001- Tool

We have entered the year 2011. It’s been 10 years since the album Lateralus came out. But there is something very intriguing about this album that keeps me coming back to it for more listens. For me it is probably the best album of the decade.

The first thing you realize about this whole album is the way it is abstractly mixed. The drums are loud and spread out wide in the stereo spectrum. The vocals sound very mellow and quiet(almost mute and whispering at times). The guitars are heavily distorted(Adam Jones is known for his way of creating unique guitar sounds). And the bass sometimes sounds like the guitar itself!(Jones and Chencellor have a signature bass-or-guitar tonel!)

The second unique thing is the odd time signatures. There is an exponential variation in the time signatures throughout the album. The drums sounds splendid and compliment every time signature perfectly. Plus there is a solid feedback from the awe-inspiring lyrics from the singer Maynard.

1) The album kicks off with the song The Grudge(8:36). It starts with the sound of some machines being switched on. And then the instruments suddenly kick in after 8 seconds. The Grudge has a time signature of 5/4. At 1:45, Maynard starts his saccharine chanting “Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down. Justify denial’s end………..” And then starts the screaming, choking sounds! Near the end there is a 26 seconds long scream by the singer. The song ends with an octopus-styled drum solo by Danny Carey. A perfect start to get you hooked to the rest of the album.

2) Eon Blue Apocalypse(1:04)-This is an intro into the next song, The Patient. It is the simplest song on the album. Starts off with guitar rings fading in and the bass playing in the background. Adam Jones dedicated this song to his dog Eon, who had died during that time.

3)The Patient(7:13)-Eon Blue Apocalypse smoothly flows into The Patient. This song starts off with very hushed guitars  and some wah-wah pedalled bass. And around 0:55, a dreamy guitar riff starts off that continues for quiet a lot of the song. The vocals start at around 1:08. Again, the vocals are very calmed and dulcet. The time signature is 5/4. The chorus starts at around 2:22 and has Maynard singing “If there were no rewards to reap, no loving embrace to see me through; this tedious path I’ve chosen here…..” Very meaningful lyrics. Inspires us to keep going, and be patient. One of my favourites off this album. The song fades out slowly