1) The Grudge - this track opens up fast and furious, with slower parts as well as fast ones. Adam and Justin's incredible instrumental work is very notable in this song. Maynard also has a growl that is unlike anything I've heard.

2) Eon Blue Apocalypse - Relaxing guitars, serves as a good interlude between a fast song like Grudge and a more APC-like movement called...

3) The Patient - Sounds like a cross between H and Third Eye (the guitar riffs sound very much like the ones in Third Eye). A very relaxing song which builds and builds to the end which really makes you want to praise Billy Howerdel for starting A Perfect Circle.

4) Mantra - lots of chanting. Another interlude between a slow song and a song that's a little bit quicker. Actually, the chanting sounds like one of my friend's word-chewed vocal chords, Chad. :)

5) Schism - a single that isn't 3 minutes long - what a concept! I can't put this song into words - even one of the less intense songs on Lateralus is better than almost any other piece of crap other bands put out.

6) Parabol - good lead-in to Parabola. Slowest song on Lateralus, Maynard's vocals are so incredible here, makes me want to weep!

7) Parabola - fast and furious, kind of like a remix of Parabol. You can't listen to Parabola without listening to Parabol.

8) Ticks & Leeches - The hardest song on the CD, this one goes back to Opiate days. Maynard growling "HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED" makes you want to raise your fist in the air. Awesome stuff. Nice breakdown in the middle.

9) Lateralis - This is the Tool national anthem. "Think for yourself" runs throughout this song. The time meter is very screwed up so you can't really 'mosh' to it, which I find very ironic and fitting. :) Forces you to LISTEN to the music and words.

10) Disposition - Intro to quite possibly the most intense... movement (I won't call it a song, it's too incredible to be one).. that I've ever heard.

11) Reflection - Listen to this at 2AM, with the lights off, with headphones on. Is it me, or did Trent's touring with APC rub off on Tool here. GODLY stuff here, man! Best Tool I've ever heard.

12) Triad - very hard outro to end the trilogy. No lyrics - just lots of hard percussion and guitars/bass.

13) Faaip De Oiad - Gaping Lotus Project/Disgustipated reminscent. Fun for the whole family.

This was so easily worth the five year wait - I can't begin to express how I felt when I purchased this on the 14th (my local record store sells stuff early sometimes, hehe). If you haven't bought this album yet, there's something wrong with you. This will go down in history with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Get it!@!@!@


The Holy Gift   February 13, 2006
 25 out of 32 found this review helpful

To me, Tool's Lateralus is the most amazing piece of music ever composed. I think Tool deliberately wanted to give their fans something truly amazing, but wanted them to find it on their own. "Recognize this as a holy gift..." At first, I thought that the song Lateralus was about tripping acid - discovering true color by seperating the body from the mind. At first listen, I imagined the bending envelope as an intense visual. After becoming more familiar with the track, however, I had reformed my interpretation to something broader: think deeper. Lateralus, perhaps because it is the album's "title track", serves as the central clue for a puzzle that a friend of mine had read about somewhere on the internet. "All I know is that there is a different order for the songs - something about two spirals. Oh yeah, and thirteen is in the middle." After scavenging through endless google search results, I gave up on finding more about this 'alternate order'. Intent to figure the album out, and very curious about the spirals - I put on the proverbial 'thinking cap'. I understood how the spirals could have a lot of significance, in that the album's title track offers the inspiring, "swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human..........And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been. We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been." In my internet scavenging, I had read one review, written by a drummer, who mentioned that Danny Carey's drum beat formed a fibonacci sequence during the song Lateralus. A drummer myself, I decided to get out the graph paper and follow Danny. I can't play like he can, but at least I can hear everything he's doing, and thus was able to construct the drum tabulature. Sure enough, Danny repeats a Fibonacci sequence through the number 13: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. After 13, he starts again with 1. Bringing in my Algebra 2 knowledge of the Fibonacci sequence, when the equation for the Fibonacci sequence (which I don't actually know) is graphed, it forms a sprial whose vertex depends on the number at which the sequence begins. Coincidence? I began to think not. I had already known of Danny's obsession with sacred geometry and am familiar with Bob Frissell's book, Nothing in This Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are , so the significance of what I had stumbled upon had actually begun to settle in. This is where I just had to play with Lateralus. I had doodled a few spirals in the corners of my graph paper, and in doing so made the first important connection to Lateralus. I knew that if the tracks were in fact intended to be heard in a different order, "Parabol" and "Parabola" would have to go together. In drawing my spirals, I had begun with a vertex and 'spiraled' outwards. After writing the numbers 1 through 13 linearly, I could immediately see that Parabol and Parabola would have to be the middle of my spiral (in that 13 / 2 = 6.5). I drew a simple arrow between 6 and 7 and then pondered the next pair. At first, I actually drew a spiral connecting pairs of numbers whose sum equaled 13 (the number of songs on the album). This, however, left the last track in the same position and without anything to connect to. At this time, I had used my copy of Lateralus and Cool Edit Pro to take out the silences between tracks and put the songs in the following order: 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13. The transition from Parabola into Schism blew my mind, as the plucks, probably dismissed by listeners as a drawn out rant of an ending, perfectly transition into the beginning of Schism. When you count out beats as the strings are plucked, Schism resumes with the same time signature and tempo - mirroring the progression of notes. The transition from Schism into Ticks & Leeches is equally intriguing. Schism ends with strong double-kick bass and tom smacks, and Ticks & Leeches begins with what many would call a 'tribal' drum beat. The beat at the very start of Ticks & Leeches is slightly different every subsequent time it is repeated - the measures are two beats longer. Yup - you guessed it - those two beats are ACTUALLY the last two beats of Schism. I can honestly say that I never understood the album's fourth track, Mantra until reordering the album's songs. What I had originally heard as whale calls now had begun to resemble the worst imaginable dry heaves - or a stylized choking. Fitting, seeing as how the last line in Ticks & Leeches is "I hope you choke." After this transition, none of those following it really seemed to make much sense. I certainly didn't like that Disposition and Reflection had been seperated - as they sound quite good when played sequentially on the album. This was the only real roadblock in my disciphering of the Holy Gift. Then I had remembered what my friend had told me - 13 was in the middle. At the time, probably just wanting to believe that there was more to this cd, I had equated this to the positioning of the song "Intermission" on the previous release, Aenema. For the song to be in the 'middle' of the album it would have to be the seventh track in sequence, here having six tracks on either side of it. So I inserted Faaip de Oiad after Lateralus, and almost peed my pants when I discovered that (ever-so-faintly) the fading tone of the last note of Lateralus could be heard in beginning of Faaip de Oiad, and how the distortion of the guitars at the tail end of Lateralus resembled, and later transitioned seamlessly into, the static at the beginning of Faaip de Oiad. The lyrics of Lateralus justify this break in the spiral, almost instructing: "spiral out, keep going, spiral out, keep going." I went back to Lateralus to find the next clue. In Danny Carey's amazingly competent Fibonacci sequence, he had stopped at 13 and gone back to 1. This is what I chose to do to finish the sequence. A second spiral was now constucted, and the order for the Holy Gift now became 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10. Already many of you are probably fascinated at what I have revealed to you, but I can not even begin to tell you what this new order has opened up for me. The beauty of Lateralus is very, very fragile and has to be viewed with a very open mind. It can also be different when looked at from different points of view. Aside from the fact that the new order of the songs places them in an order where they flow together nicely - often ending and resuming on the same notes or within the same progression, and some times - in the case of Lateralus into Faaip de Oiad and The Grudge into Triad - even overlapping (though admittadly sound much better when actually electronically overlapped, this is kind of cheating. Consider this a hint, however, if you plan on doing this yourself), the two spirals help to tell a story that every Tool fan should hear. In the interest of not boring the only casually intrigued, I will try to keep this very brief. I would also recommend familiarizing yourselves with Frissell's book (yeah - the one I mentioned earlier). I consider Parabol and Parabola to be quite expository. Maynard wants us to know that no matter what happens, we must all know that this is not our only existance. Our very minds and the contents of our subconscious are intended to be immortal, and if we accept this into our lives (be it because of personal or religious reasons), it will be so. As such, pain is an illusion. At first, I called it "The Lateralus Prophecy" (for reasons you will soon understand), but I have since decided to call the 'reordered' version of Lateralus "The Holy Gift". As Maynard says, "Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing," I take the word "this" to mean much more than just his simple cautioning. Since Parabola is the second track of the Holy Gift, it can be considered at the beginning (esp. considering the context of it's duality with Parabol), and as such, I interpret Maynard's words as more than just clever lyrics in a song. They are a plead for his listeners to listen to everything he has to say and truly celebrate the chance of immortality offered throughout. I would be lying if I said that each song has a specific translation. On the contrary, Tool's music is designed to make you think, not say something specific. It must be treated like great literature - much is hidden contextually. I will elude to Geometric-Drumming's previous post, where he explains the time signatures of Schism: "It represents the title...it's arranged in 12/8 time which is SPLIT into 5/8 and 7/8 - which only really FITS as you PUT THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER." Where Geometric-Drumming claims Schism as his favorite Tool song, I have heard some fans say that it was a retched pick for the album's only single - but I think it was brilliant. Not to downplay the interpretations of those who have posted before me (in fact, I agree with much of what %BlueSoulRobot% has to say), but I think that to the casual listener who knows nothing of Tool, it can be a powerful invitation. Think about it - a lot of dingbats with MTV and a radio would walk around with the words "I know the pieces fit" in their heads. I wonder how many of them took the time to put the pieces back together to (re)discover what is trying to be communicated. I welcome any feedback. I would love to share interpretations of the songs via email - just too lengthy to post here. I would like to offer the following advice: DO NOT use MP3s to digitally reorder Lateralus. A lot of VERY IMPORTANT information is encoded on the actual cd. Ever notice how everyone who has lost or broken that cd has IMMEDIATELY gone out and bought a new copy? I know I have. It's because there are things encoded on the factory pressing of the cd that are lost in the mp3 compression process and any direct copy onto a cd-r. If you want to do it, do it right - I can't stress how important this is. Use the cda tracks as you put it together and maintain all audio fidelity using professional mixing software.

There's a Fibonacci in Maynard's lyrics, specifically the syllables:

black [1]

then [1]

white are [2]

all I see [3]

in my infancy [5]

red and yellow then came to be [8]

reaching out to me [5]

lets me see [3]

there is [2]

so [1]

much [1]

more and [2]

beckons me [3]

to look through to these [5]

infinite possibilities [8]

as below so above and beyond I imagine [13]

drawn outside the lines of reason [8]

push the envelope [5]

watch it bend [3]

I suppose it's not actually a true Fibonacci, since it does reverse itself.

the Fibonacci Sequence. It's basically a string of numbers that when you add a number to the number before it, you get the next number. Starting with the numbers 0 and 1. 0+1=1, so the set now looks like this; 0 1 1. You take the 1 and add the previous number (1) and you get 2. The sequence looks like this; 0 1 1 2. Now you take the 2 and add the previous number and get 3. Now you have 0 1 1 2 3. When you add the 3 and the 2 you get 5. 0 1 2 3 5. 5+3=8. 0 1 1 2 3 5 8. The process continues.



Vaya con Dios.   November 12, 2002
 21 out of 24 found this review helpful

_Lateralus_ defies any description one can muster with the English language. German would be a better choice, but even then one must inevitably find the words to be failing. This is the 21st century's paragon of progressive rock -- a work of art so deep there probably is no bottom.

If you are still reading, I have not yet been dismissed as a sycophantic Tool freak. This album is a uniquely spiritual experience for me. It can be heavy and dark and brooding, but ultimately _Lateralus_ is cathartic for the soul. Even "Ticks & Leeches", the angriest song on the album, is a purifying release. The culmination of the record's power, found in the "Discipline/Reflection/Triad" trilogy, is like the musical embodiment of a spiritual sojourn -- the soulful cry of Adam Jones' guitar, the crippling rumble of Justin Chancellor's bass, the elephant stampede of Danny Carey's drums, the winding croon of Maynard James Keenan's vocal. Individually, they are interesting but it is their magical synergy that makes Tool unique (among other things). No band creates the aural panorama Tool does -- no one comes anywhere close. They are utterly beyond compare. I would trace back some influence to King Crimson, obviously, but I believe influences are also rooted in abstract mathematics and the ancient musical vernacular of Africa, and who knows what else.

Now I'm probably just sounding capricious and fanciful. I thought I was coming to a point with the review, but I don't really think there was one. Hmm. Well, I used to like this album a lot. I grew to love it. Now I am so overwhelmed by its greatness that I can only stand paralyzed during its full 79 minutes. Only then can I devote my full attention to the music, and truthfully, I don't think I have a choice -- _Lateralus_ obliges the entirety of my brain. No album has the effect on me that this does. I'm almost scared of what Tool will do next.


15 year old moron with no musical taste   May 28, 2004
 20 out of 53 found this review helpful

Since I am not old enough to have any real perspective on what I'm saying I'll just start by saying that nu metal rulz and Tool sux. I mean I like metal just as much as the next guy. Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Staind, those guys rock. They're innovators and originators. Tool is just a bunch of lame old posers. I mean they don't even play these guys on MTV. I tried to listen to this crap but my attention span is too short to appreciate something like this. Maybe if I took my ritalin I could get more into it. Hey I know what good music is and this is not it. These guys are actually playing their instruments and the singer is actually singing. Whatz up with that? There's no yelling or screaming and he doesn't even try to rap. This band is so lame that they don't even have a dj. How is this guy supposed to freestyle if there is nobody on the 1's and 2's? This stuff is slow and boring. When I'm banging my head against the wall I need something a little more upbeat. I know my music history. I know that good music didn't start getting made until like 1999. It's a good thing all the good bands of today like Linkin Park(u guys rul) influenced themselves or we'd all be in trouble. Oh well I gots to go. I gots to get the new Hoobastank cd before it sell out. Later losers.


Rich and challenging.   June 7, 2001
 18 out of 20 found this review helpful

I'd always figured Tool was a lame "nu-metal" band with reams of angst and minimal talent.

However, this album had become the focus of a discussion among progressive metal fans whose opinions I highly respected. I was hearing some interesting adjectives applied to them: "intricate," "original," "intelligent," "progressive." I was interested, but still skeptical. These guys were popular, after all, and I assumed that they were appealing to the lowest common denominator like so many""nu-metal" bands.

My curiosity was compounded when I saw the phenomenal music video for "Schism" on MTV. It was a delightfully surreal pictorial essay with a theme of renewal and emotional interaction (I think). Although the video is excellent, the music also captured my ear. I was unable to get that final menacing line, "I know the pieces fit," out of my head. The song possessed interesting progressions, complex syncopations, and good deal of musical muscle. I could tell these guys were more than a "let's scream and bang on guitars and drums and sound angry" band. (Also known as a "nu-metal" band...if that stuff is your cup of tea, you are at this point invited to hit "Not Helpful.")

So I bought Lateralus. Initially, it appealed to me because of the mystery of the compositions, and the understated imagination of their music. I found it self-consciously alienating, for it is very dark and eschews melodic hooks. I suspected the album was a challenge, so I persevered. The excellent production lends to that mystery...it is very bass-heavy and Keenan's distinctive voice is sometimes barely audible, like a forlorn spectre. At other times, he's incredibly visceral and venemous, with a telling, indignant quality that perfectly fits with music so oppressively bleak. With each listen, I found something new, and as I began to follow the lyrics (note: get them from the Tool's site), things began to click. I started understanding the deliberate austerity of the music and appreciating it from an artistic perspective. It's experimental, somewhat unsettling, and tense.

And this is not the kind of stuff that beats you over the head with a loud, raucous song in four minutes. The average song length here is 8 minutes or so (not including the segues and track 13). This allows the band to express more lush ideas with their music, and be more experimental. Many songs contain hard, crushing moments balanced by slower, quieter moments. It only rarely "rocks"...Tool likes to draw you in with hypnotizing rhythms, sweeping textures, and crafty orchestrations instead of "rocking out."

And I am tremendously impressed by their work. This isn't progressive metal in the same vein as Dream Theater or Symphony X. In fact, I hesitate to call it metal. It IS heavy, but it's very subtle and insinuating. However, it is _progressive_ in that it does new things, pushes boundaries of categorization, and challenges the listener. This is the kind of music that requires some effort to "get" (as in understand), but it's a satisfying achievement to experience it.

One of the best albums out in 2001 so far, I'd say. (It would get extra stars just for the cool packaging, but I can't give it 6/5.)