UNDERTOW

Their first LP, Undertow (1993) is the album that put Tool on the map, featuring one of their biggest hits, "Sober". Certainly then, by enough accounts, a highly successful debut. My problems start here, as the Tool Problem starts here: too long, not enough substance for me. At least this is my feeling going in. [And coming out.] Last time I listened through their discography, it was my first time, and I listened through their discography. Absolutely exhausting haha.

"Intolerance" starts off the affair with their style, now well-known, put firmly and pretty strongly in place. A lot of good things here. Not super, though. One of the other better-known songs is next, the awfully Tool-entitled "Prison Sex". This'n honestly has a very cool main riff, starting us out from the void. Keenan has a pretty interesting melody here in the verse. But in that, its potential is lost by just being plain flat, static. This is the mode Tool takes unto themselves that I find most unappealing. Our song's bridge begins right around minute 3, a very cool, ominous shift in tone. Then it's back to meh.

On we are to what always felt like the main event, the not-surprising radio hit "Sober", a song I genuinely enjoy and have of course known for as long as I can remember. A winning melody, eerie lyrical content and plenty of Alt Metal beef. The most progressive this one goes, though, is with loud-quiet dynamics. Next is the heavier... and I did not try this... the heavier "Bottom" haha. Unlike Opiate before it, Undertow is the start of more longform material for the band, everything falling right around 5 minutes or more. "Bottom" comes in around 7 minutes. I frankly don't recall this one. There is a classic slowing, reminiscent honestly to me of some of the earliest Heavy Metal, to early Black Sabbath. And with this change in feel comes a very-Tool section of ambience, fitted honestly very well with a still-surprise Henry Rollins feature. This will be familiar tonally to certain tracks from his Rollins Band, in my opinion one of the best Alt Metal has to offer, and at times equally as progressive and daring (my favorite has always been End of Silence). Anyways, pretty good. Still not much in the way of a Proggy wow-factor, though.

Slowly exiting the first half, our next track is "Crawl Away". This has some of the best guitar work yet. Sort of gives me early Stone Temple Pilots feelings. Which is a good thing. I love Core, frankly. But I was curious, coming off of Opiate, how much post-Grunge would come out of this one with my second listen-through. In other ways, through and through, this track is a new favorite. Of course Carey is on fire. But everyone here is working impeccably together. Progginess maybe still wanting for some. But I'll gladly take a good track regardless. Entering into a far-less-than-favorite, we have "Swamp Song". Just boring; another track that just couldn't possibly be saved by a more-than-decent bridge. Onto the title track, "Undertow" has some spunk. And a lot of Tool. But this one also, on a positive note, has some of the more unique guitar work as well. Another breakdown bridge here, which has some positive results.

On the backend, we have a track I remember pretty well, one of the sure highlights in my opinion, "4°". Eastern influence clear at the start. The majority of the track is nearly played clean, and Keenan sings more melodically here than most tracks. This near-instrumental bridge certainly has nothing to save haha. Features some, again, Eastern percussion. It's not a wildly experimental track or anything, end of the day, but it is good. Next we have "Flood". Low and slow start... and pretty much nothing happens for about 4 minutes. Yawn. Shifts around then in its second half, but I'm just not enthused. Finally, we have the otherwise only ~7 minute-long "Disgustipated"... Great name, guys. We love it.../s This is the most experimental track by far, featuring sort of Industrial and other various, nontraditional sounds. It's not really doing it for me though. I'd rather listen to "Revolution 9". Also, the lyrics I can hear just strike me as cheesy. It's not really a hidden track to follow, just 7 more minutes of crickets. Interesting choice. In general, I can get behind it.

A rarely rounded-up True Rate of 2.5/5.0.