TOOL

Soldato
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I keep changing which track I like the most. Invincible is my current but 7empest, Pneuma, Fear Innoculum, well the whole album is just brilliant, been on almost constant since it came out. I have this to play with too at some stage...

 
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Well they knocked Tay Tay Swift of the top of the US Album chart by around 80k more sales so, and I cringe as I type this, the TS Fan base have taken offence to Maynard insulting their dethroned queen after he posted a Thanos meme to celebrate taking the No1 spot.

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They were going off on one before he posted that. He posted that in response to their crap tbh. Some of their comments are hilarious. Things like "Who the hell is this Tool guy, and how dare he dethrone The Queen!" or "Never heard of Tool, they need to **** off now!". Some of them were posting that they'd been out and bought extra copies of the Taylor Swift album just to keep her at the top spot. How pathetic!
 
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I keep changing which track I like the most. Invincible is my current but 7empest, Pneuma, Fear Innoculum, well the whole album is just brilliant, been on almost constant since it came out. I have this to play with too at some stage...


I genuinely can't get over how good this album is. I've loved their music since I first started listening to it in 1998, and they've never disappointed. This album is off the scale though, it's like a total culmination of their entire music career. Their music is sheer art, and I don't think there's anything close to them right now.

I'm onto Pneuma as my favourite track now. A few days ago it was Invincible. Before that it was 7empest. Basically, whichever song I'm listening to at the time is my favourite! The entire album is a masterpiece and every listen brings something new!
 
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Been into tool for a long long time, this album is good, but it's not Lateralus good. They sound old. Not dissing it, but the youthful f you attitude is gone, the universe worship feels like an old aged hippy version of the previous high iq elegance and tongue in cheek attitude.
There are more complex bands with this feeling, sleepy time gorilla museum for one of many examples, that stray further from the 9/8, 7/8, 5/4, 3/4 compound timings.

But its tool and so deserves respect for what they stand for, the album is good, but not tool good. I feel like theyare trying to remember tool and play it to us, not BE tool and give us their emotion.
 
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Listened to it god knows how many times now. Really like it.

Aside from the filler nonsense, can't say there's a track on it I don't like. Contrary to what most have said, I find 7empest to be my least favourite. Just hasn't quite gelled with me in the same way everything else has. Culling Voices is the one I keep going back to when I'm not doing a full listen however.

Is it as good as previous outings? Don't feel it's fair to say. It's been so long and I don't think anything they could have put forward would have ever been enough for a lot of people. But it's JUST different and fresh enough a sound for me. Saying that, there's not an album of there's I don't like, though Lateralus is still arguably the most consistently interesting and contemporary sounding one to return to.
 
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Been into tool for a long long time, this album is good, but it's not Lateralus good. They sound old. Not dissing it, but the youthful f you attitude is gone, the universe worship feels like an old aged hippy version of the previous high iq elegance and tongue in cheek attitude.
There are more complex bands with this feeling, sleepy time gorilla museum for one of many examples, that stray further from the 9/8, 7/8, 5/4, 3/4 compound timings.

But its tool and so deserves respect for what they stand for, the album is good, but not tool good. I feel like theyare trying to remember tool and play it to us, not BE tool and give us their emotion.

They're aged between 50 and 60 years old now, so I think that after 13 years they've grown out of the angry attitude of their previous albums. Much of their angry attitude was diminishing with 10000 Days anyway, so it would make sense that this is a more inward-looking and poignant album. We were already there with Wings for Marie and Right In Two on 10000 Days. Lyrically though the songs are just as complex. Look at Pneuma's lyrics, or Invincible's lyrics. They tell a story still, and have a very valid meaning in today's world. Musically, I'm not sure what complexity you're after, but I feel like you're probably not listening to the songs properly if you think they lack complexity. Pneuma, Invincible, 7empest for example are some of the most complex pieces of music you'll ever likely hear. The guitar work and drumming on this album are simply ridiculous. I'm not sure how many other bands can stack up to that these days. I have no idea how Danny Carey achieves the rhythms he's able to achieve, but they're so complicated with each limb totally independent from the others.
 
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They're aged between 50 and 60 years old now, so I think that after 13 years they've grown out of the angry attitude of their previous albums. Much of their angry attitude was diminishing with 10000 Days anyway, so it would make sense that this is a more inward-looking and poignant album. We were already there with Wings for Marie and Right In Two on 10000 Days. Lyrically though the songs are just as complex. Look at Pneuma's lyrics, or Invincible's lyrics. They tell a story still, and have a very valid meaning in today's world. Musically, I'm not sure what complexity you're after, but I feel like you're probably not listening to the songs properly if you think they lack complexity. Pneuma, Invincible, 7empest for example are some of the most complex pieces of music you'll ever likely hear. The guitar work and drumming on this album are simply ridiculous. I'm not sure how many other bands can stack up to that these days. I have no idea how Danny Carey achieves the rhythms he's able to achieve, but they're so complicated with each limb totally independent from the others.
Agreed mostly, but if you think this is the most complicated music I've heard you're very wrong, check out fantomas, secret chiefs 3, sleepy time gorilla museum, liquid tension experiment, spocks beard, naked city, gordian knot, dr zoltan obelisk, marco minneman, to name a small section.
As for tool, it's poly rhythms are intricate but not complex 3 /4 over 10/8 is not that bad if your referencing to invincible
 
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Listened to this on the way home from a nice afternoon at the beach last night.
To be honest I'm not the biggest Tool fan other than Aenima which I do class as an all time great album. The others less so...

What struck me first was just how bad Maynard's voice is now compared to earlier recordings. Yes I get they have all aged but it just sounds so pedestrian and weak. Perhaps it's unfair to compare this to what is generally considered their best album but I lasted until descending before switching to somthing else. The filler tracks are just pointless and the main songs whilst "good" pale into insignificance when compared to virtually anything on Aenima.
Personally not for me but it's great to see how well it's sold!
 
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About time I listened to more Tool, I like them but haven't fully digested their albums. My current feeling is that they are somewhat like Opeth, another band I enjoy but where I can find some of the songs overly long and a little plodding (often mid-tempo). I need to listen to both more completely before I can give a full verdict of course.
 
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Listened to this on the way home from a nice afternoon at the beach last night.
To be honest I'm not the biggest Tool fan other than Aenima which I do class as an all time great album. The others less so...

What struck me first was just how bad Maynard's voice is now compared to earlier recordings. Yes I get they have all aged but it just sounds so pedestrian and weak. Perhaps it's unfair to compare this to what is generally considered their best album but I lasted until descending before switching to somthing else. The filler tracks are just pointless and the main songs whilst "good" pale into insignificance when compared to virtually anything on Aenima.
Personally not for me but it's great to see how well it's sold!

My sole mate. ^^
 
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