LATERALUS

It seems like everyone here is a FIVE-star kinda' guy or a ONE/TWO-star kinda' guy. Let me tell you why. 'Complex time signatures' and 'soundscapes', don't make a band 'progressive.' Lots of genres have those two, so? You can think tool is progressive rock all you want, but you're just sucked in by that bald man's unusual not-so-sexy voice which just so happens to be rare. People seem to think as long as they like a metal band, they are progressive metal now. Tool is unique, but not progressively unique, different does not equal progressive. Other than the drummer, I find the music useless and overly atheist (Nothing against atheist beliefs). It's the same story every song, it's the same story every album. There is no evolution from one album after the next. It seems once Tool hit Aenima, that was the peak (Not that I liked Aenima either way). I feel bad for the drummer, he has to put up with a dull bass player and an even more dull guitar player who just so happens to make every 'progressive metal' song sound like an ordinary modern metal song. Even if this were progressive I might only give it two or three stars. To tell you the truth I was bored with tool after three or four listens from each of their albums. I would much rather listen to Dream Theater (regardless of how progressive DT is now). There's not a lot I can do about how boring this band is, how anti-religion Maynard is, or about all the wasted time (In my opinion) all the whiney teenagers have spent listening to this group. But I suppose it's perspective everyone, whatever makes you all happy - go for it, I guess? But for me, I can't stand by and listen to the same song from one track to the next over and over again. It's a matter of lack of style (Once again, my opinion), I feel as if one song never ends, and their whole career is just that, one song. A group with a progressive style would mean from one album to the next there's new things to offer (Every Tool album seems to be a clone of the past one, just put in with a different mixture of chords and atheist/angsty lyrics, which he probably writes in his sleep). A progressive band in our modern day, for example, could be "The Flower Kings", every song is almost like a subgenre on "Space Revolver." It was an experience, The only song I remotely liked on "Lateralus" was "Parabola." And I still feel as if I've wasted my time, arguing against irrational non- progressive children on a website designed for people who enjoy progressive rock/metal/etc.