LATERALUS

And the Grammy awarded a work bizarre ...

However, this is Tool, and they are not revered for nothing. A long, long time I had been trying to learn what is all this fuss about this band, but now, hearing his masterpiece maximum (I know, should have started by Undertow, but soon listen to their other albums) I understand. In fact, the first time I heard this album I was not really impressed. "So this is the work of all who speak?'m Not impressed." But successive tapping a deeper and higher in the proposal Tool's music led me to wonder more and more this album, and now I see it as a definite masterpiece.

Lateralus the principle is not easy to digest. Raw vocals, a tribal drums, distorted guitars intensely ... you may not like. Well, I love it all! Some poignant and powerful bass (Justin Chancellor is Chris Squire of heavy metal), and has a highly talented quartet. Maynard James Keenan is where most listeners find problem, first because it seems to be a chameleon - his voice changes with each album, like a singer per disc (and of course helped by the fact that the time of release vary among the works three to seven years, making it Tool one of the bands least prolific of today) - and he often makes a delivery experimental, aggressive, unorthodox. I think I got used to it and I can say that I like to hear him screaming, as it does in Ticks and Leeches, perhaps the most challenging song on the disc (and not for nothing, never been played live). Adam Jones has a distinctive style of play, as this is a band without keyboardists it often offers several layers of distorted guitars and their techniques, more or less the way Brian May Queen did in the 70s, but their styles of play are radically different, then the similarities stop there. But for me the highlight is Danny Carey, and will not say this to be drummer: his style is unique, bright sound of his dry box, the influences and the intense use of tribal tom-toms are really striking. I like everything in it (unless their interests by occult).

Starting with The Grudge, the album offers almost 80 minutes of art rock / alternative-prog metal / prog rock of the highest caliber. The first song does not allow for doubt: this is Tool. Look Carey drums' work in this song. Leaves me completely engrossed, especially when it increases the speed of your double pedal (God, I need to learn double pedal!). And the cry that gives Maynard for about twenty seconds at the end of the music is to rip your eardrums! Certainly this is for me the best on the disc.

Eon Blue Apocalypse and Mantra are typical interludes that the band puts into their albums. The first is a tribute to Jones to his dog that died of cancer, and the second is basically the sound of Maynard slowed squeezing one of her cats. Are "fillers" so to speak, although they are really efficient in making the transition between songs more. Note that almost all the tracks on the album are the interludes pairs, except for Ticks and Leeches and Triad.

The Patient was the first song I heard from Tool (yes, here on the site), and it never impressed me. Glad to hear Stinkfist later to see if the band was better than that. But today, after much listening you like this song, and I have some admiration for the late percussion. Schism is a song that everyone knows, the Grammy's winner. It is strange to see an award as "mainstream" be granted to a band as experimental as this, but I must say it is a recognition and so, and deserved. Notably, I have to mention the bridge of the song, which seems to be a synthesized guitar - but of course this is not the only highlight of this marvelous work, which also includes a wonderful bass' introduction.

Parabol / Parabola is an interesting double, the first a slow and atmospheric interlude and the second a strong hard-rock song that is another of my favorites (still long to play it on the drums). Ticks and Leeches is another highlight, brutal, intense - but the same song that features the hideous cries of Maynard has a relatively quiet bridge, which lasts about two minutes, loaded with soft samplers and instruemntos, six minutes before exploding again. It's another song with an explosive performance from Carey, and also have to mention the guitar phrasing Jones. The title track is no less than great, but it was not easy but I appreciate it as other songs on the disc. It took a while until I understand the masterpiece on which everyone speaks. It's all about math rock ... the bars, the ordinance of the letters, precision ... I really like the way the introduction, with a light guitar, accompanied by a growing vai pulsar that resembles the heartbeat before revealing the work of Carey, and especially love the climax of the song (the bass at 7:48is fantastic!).

The next three songs form a single whole, a real epic as distinct and complementary at the same time. Disposition is my favorite moment, the best of interludes - and would have been even better had it not contained the vocals of maynard and was totally instrumental, although I love the way he sings "And watch the weather change." Pay attention to the tabla drum! Reflection is the longest song here - 11 minutes - but while I see it as the weakest link in this chain can not deny its moments, especially the long intro with drums, synths (well, I seem synthesizers), and a low. .. violin? I dunno, looks like a violin. And Triad is a isntrumental epic, violent and accompanied by a deep breath, that when it comes in quieter parts resembles Porcupine Tree (hey, that's just me!), But it's good for your brutalidade.Só things to come the two minutes of silence, and all you can do is hit the skip button.

The last song of the album is Faaip de Oiad (Enochian for "The Voice of God," and I do not even know what is Enochian), and this may be the scariest two minutes of the story. A jazzy solo unbridled and chaotic, white noise, signal interference and desperate voice of a guy who worked at Area 51. Sinister.

And then? 5 stars, this album is acclaimed for nothing. A masterpiece, and I want more than Tool.

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