LATERALUS

Five years after Aenima, you would figure Tool would have more ideas brought to the table and an album full of great songs. Tool did not manage that, but keep the same sound as Aenima and maybe throw in some better songs. The long overdone riffs are still as apparent as ever; lasting minutes at a time repeating the same section over and over can really get on ones nerves.

If this album was cut down a bit, I might have even given this 4 or hell, even 5 stars. I don't think that would be possible since that would destroy the concept of the album that apparently, only Tool fans and no one else can understand. What I can understand is a difference between an album that has some good songs and one that has all good songs that merge well from beginning to end.

The album starts off with 'The Grunge' which I find has one of the most interesting intros ever. Nice bass in the forefront with guitar and drum polyrhythm's thrown in creates a truly divine sound. The song gets simpler as it goes on, dropping all the different polyrhythms but it keeps the changes going, a definitive Tool track.

'Eon Blue Apocalypse'. I understand that this is a 'segue', but it really isn't a good one. If I wanted to hear a track that serves as an intro to another, I would go with the majestic 'Parabol'.

'Patient'.more likes Patience. I'm really on the fence with this track, the intro is nice, but really has far must I go with it to get into the usual Tool chorus. I know what one is like on 'Aenima', and this one is no different/

'Mantra'..it's a minute long; you know you're in for some useless repetition and/or noise like all the others.

'Schism' is Tool's best known song. I used to like it.but 'Forty Six and Two'? I already heard a song, including the prior one that goes through one riff the entire song. The ending gets interesting, but you'll have to go through four minutes of the same riff.

'Parabol/Parabola' is beautiful no doubt. Parabola is finally something I looked for in this band. The anger, the changes in mood and all the things Tool is known for. Too bad I only found those accusations to be true here.

'Ticks & Leeches'. All I hear about this song from friends when it is discussed is the majestic drum work of Danny Carey. I'll agree 100% with that. Sadly enough, does the use of Maynard and Adam Jones make this track better or deteriorate it? I feel if they didn't play at all on this song, it could have been shorter, and a drum instrumental piece of our time. It happens to be now a boring Tool track. Fantastic drum work, but a ruined and below average song was the outcome of the collaboration.

'Lateralus' is an inspiring track. It gives off the feeling that you're in another place, and it works for me. No complaint about the music or the mood Maynard pushes the listener with his vocals.

'Disposition/Reflection/Triad' is where the album takes a serious nosedive like Aenima. This, from what I understand is supposed to be one piece. If I treated it as such, I'd call it one of the worst epics ever created. 'Disposition' is a wonderful piece of music. Slow and steady with the guitar driving it and creating numerous effects in the background. Not too long to make the listener impatient. 'Reflection' and 'Triad' represent everything wrong with this band. The former is an insult to the word repetition and the latter is another track of Tool's terrible creativity, 'Hey!, this riff sounds cool, I'll play it here for the verse, then up here for the chorus and maybe throw in a hook or two for the breakdown!'

'Faaip De Oiad'. Pfft, what am I supposed to think of this really? A grand scheme to the concept of the album. It's just useless noise. The gothic kids that sit in the corners of the class were never the most intelligent anyway.

5 years after Aenima, Tool never even changed their sound. They seemed to be just doing fine with their loyal fan base and mainstream attention. I feel if this band were better known at the time of Aenima, this album would have received the flack of 10,000 days. Tool got lucky in that case.

I'll go with the crowd here and list 'The Grudge', 'Lateralus' and 'Parabola' as the best songs. What would separate me from the crowd is that I don't think the rest of the 'not as good' songs or in my case, the bad songs, make this a 3 star at album most. Not a five.

This is slightly better than Aenima. If you didn't think that album was any special, avoid this one.

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