LATERALUS

To say the least, an extremely interesting album...to say the least! To say the truth: A masterpiece in music. This album, this music is not bound to one genre, as in a way Tool is a genre of its own. To say they are Metal is not right, nor wrong... to say they are progressive is a fact, with this album those who are still debating the "Is Tool prog?" matter should have no second thoughts, this album is progressive in nature, cause Tool is progressive in nature. And yet it's not the progression we are all so accustomed to. This is not Yes, this is not Dream Theater (by this I am not saying this bands are weaker in any way), Tool is Tool, and Lateralus is genius.

What makes this band so hard to swallow for us prog-heads is that at first listen, Tool seams some kind of alternative rock band more than a prog band. This is because Tool's music, what makes them so damn good is that they are not evident, to understand and appreciate Tool one must really dive in it, one must listen to their albums entirely, and maybe even keep in mind that you are not listening to a collection of songs, but rather one big piece of music. And last, but certainly not least...the lyrics. I don't remember any band, with the exception of maybe Van der Graaf Generator and Pink Floyd, where the lyrics are so important to the whole feeling the album delivers. This album has some of the best, if not the best songwriting I have ever heard and read, all thanks to Mr. Keenan.

The record starts with "The Grudge", possibly the best track of the album. Here all instruments start at the same time, every one of them playing their version of the song so to speak till Keenan drops in after almost two minutes. This song is a rollercoaster, although maintaining a certain link to it, it keeps on changing from hard to soft to some different kind of hard to some different kind of soft...and so on and so on...

"The Patient" was actually the first song I heard from the album, thanks to this site. I could not see what the big fuzz was all about. But as I said before, this all changed when I got the album. In this song Keenan delivers of many incredible moments with is writing and singing repeating over and over again "I'm going to wait it out" till you believe he actually will.

"Schism" is quite possibly the best known song as it was released as a single and had a video, disturbing and brilliant I might add in Mtv. Again Keenan does an impeccable job, as well as the rest of the band.

"Parabol/Parabola" are two sides from the same corder. And as the name implies it, if you know some math, this parabola never stop, they go into infinity...as does the meaning of the lyrics when Keenan softly chants "This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion".

"Ticks & leeches" starts with some crazy drumming, courtesy of Daney Carey, one of the best drummers out there. In a 100 top drum album I saw recently in the internet Laterlaus hold the first position thanks to this man. You have not heard any drumming like this before, I tell you its absolutely unique and brilliant.

"Lateralus" the title song has the impressive Fibonacci sequence in it...if that is not a work of genius I don't know what it is. Ah, and in case you think this song is just an excuse to use this kind of "mathematical junk"...I must also say that it works and in fact this is one of the best moments in the whole album.

"Disposition" has just three lines of lyrics, some atmospheric guitar and bass sounds and some tribal...but the end result is hypnotically great! I really, really enjoy this track a lot.

"Reflection" follows is a similar path, as this is also the sequel to "Disposition". This, the longest track of the album takes 11 minutes to climax, and every second of it is justified and brilliant.

The last song is an instrumental: "Triad", in which the guitarist Adam Jones plays hard rocking riffs and tunes while Carey keeps the rhythm in 3/4...although this is not the closer. The closer is actually a radio recording of a frighten man saying that he worked in Area 51, this all while some soundscapes play along this mans story...the end result? DO NOT LISTEN TO LATE AT NIGHT! It's really disturbing, but a really unique way to end a unique album.

"So crucify the ego before it's far too late To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical And you will come to find that we are all one mind Just let the light touch you and let the words spill thorough Just let them pass right through, bringing out our hope and reason."

Just another proof of this album genius...

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