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Week 26:
Tool
Artist Introduction
After these last few weeks I felt we needed to “rock out” a bit, and who better to do that for us than TOOL. I guess I became a TOOL fan after listening to, and then watching years later, them perform the song Sober at the Reading Festival, United Kingdom, 2003. I remember watching this concert clip and thinking who (lead singer in a pink one-sy) and what the hell was this? I’ve since discovered that this is a different type of hard rock band. Maynard James Keenan (vocals), Adam Jones (guitars), Paul D’Amour (bass), replaced on bass in 1995 by Justin Chancellar, and Danny Carey (drums) formed TOOL in 1990. Making a name for themselves in and around Los Angeles, they subsequently opened for bigger acts Rage Against The Machine and White Zombie, before releasing their first album Undertow in 1993, which included their first hit, Sober. In 1996, after the release of their second album, Aenima, the band really took off, starting to play and headline bigger tours, including Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Bonnaroo, to name a few. From that time to present TOOL has only released 3 more albums, along with an EP, a Box Set, and some singles. Yup, they definitely are not an active band in the studio, but they do tour almost every year, relying on their not large body of work. They’ve been nominated multiple times, and have won 4 grammy awards, which I’m sure they couldn’t give a shit about. (fun fact- In 2020 they lost in the Best Rock Song category to another Cascella Club Alumni, Gary Clark Jr.). Thru all these years, while not recording or performing as TOOL, the members have played in other bands, most notably Maynard in A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. They also are constantly battling censorship issues, lawsuits involving lyrics and cover art, and have been known to issue controversial statements. All of the above are facts. But how does one describe TOOL. To me, they are a Bass Driven Hard Rock band, about as hard as it gets. They also tend to experiment with somewhat spacey sounds sometimes, which I find a bit over-indulgent, with lead-in to songs sometimes too long. But when the band kicks in, they fire on all pistons, creating a kick-ass rock sound. If you’ll indulge me, I found a writer who gives one of the best descriptions I’ve ever read of TOOL. “TOOL is a thinking persons metal band. Cerebral and visceral, soft and heavy, melodic and abrasive, tender and brutal, familiar and strange, western and eastern, beautiful and ugly, taut yet sprawling and epic. They are a tangle of contradictions”. Please have a good dive.
Dad Cascella
Most Popular
Sober
The song that put TOOL on the map for me, plus I’m sure other music fans’ map. Off their first album, Undertow, Sober is mainly about an artist friend of the band who works better under the influence. With a thumping bass line throughout (which is common in TOOL songs) and alternating hypnotic and screeching guitar power chords, Sober is a monster of a song. We also get a glimpse of the off-beat drumming of Danny Carey (more on that later). And while I don’t consider Maynard one of rocks greatest singers, he crushes these vocals. “Why can’t we not be Sober”. It’s the only song Justin Chancellar doesn’t play on. BTW, at just over 5 minutes, it’s the shortest song in these selections.
Schism
Off TOOL’s 3rd album, Lateralus, Schism won the 2002 Grammy for Best Metal Performance. With a solid riff throughout, the complicated lyrics have something to do with relationships, or so says Maynard. I don’t know the technical way of saying this, but there are so many changes thru this song that I find it fascinating. I imagine it’s difficult to do live. Guitar/bass/drums absolutely crush this one. A quick word about guitarist Adam Jones. Mr. Jones may be the 2nd most scariest looking person in music, just behind Rob Zombie (they actually look similar). While everyone recognizes the bass and drum work within TOOL, and are familiar with Maynard, Adam Jones is overlooked as the great guitarist that he is. His power chords fuel TOOL’s harder-edged songs. His off-beat rhythm and sometimes quiet stringing play perfectly when, as most times in TOOL music, the bass guitar leads the way. Fun Fact- Before TOOL, Adam Jones played Bass in a band fronted by R.A.T.M. guitarist, Tom Morello.
The Pot
Released as a single and coming off TOOL’s 4th album, 10,000 Days, this song was a Number 1 Hit for TOOL, and nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for Best Hard Rock Performance. With lyrics about hypocrisy in society, “Who are you to wave your finger”, this is probably TOOL’s most known and commercially successful song. Everything that’s right about rock music is featured in this one. And lyrically, some of Maynard’s best. Listen to this beast of a song thru headphones to get full effect. And it contains one of my all-time favorite lines in music, “Liar, Lawyer, Mirror Show Me, What’s The Difference”.
Personal Favorites
Forty Six & 2
Coming off TOOL’s 2nd album, Aenima, my boys can testify on how much I love this song, and it’s the 2nd time in Cascella Music Club we’ve reviewed an all-time Top 20 song for me (BAD by U2 being the other). Featuring one of rock’s greatest bass riffs, the band hits new heights blasting their way thru this. With very complex lyrics regarding chromosomes and evolution, while the words are sometimes difficult, they work masterfully. And If the combo of Bass, Guitar, and Drums doesn’t move you, then I feel sorry for you. And while the bass and guitar work soar in 46 & 2, it’s Danny Carey’s drumming that blows me away. While I don’t completely understand measures and time, I do know he fucking kicks ass on this one, period. At the 4:30 mark, take note what he’s doing on the drums. And again, Maynard brings on a very strong, forceful vocal to go with the music. An all-time great. A quick word regarding Bassist, Justin Chancellar. Other than Sober, which was done by TOOL before J.C. joined the band, all of TOOL’s bass lines were created and are played by Chancellar. I guess the best way to describe his playing is Heavy. His signature riffs in many TOOL songs actually take the lead in the music, quite rare in the Rock world. And watch him live, he seems to play effortlessly. While he doesn’t consider himself a great Bassist, I think Chancellar’s bass work in Tool is extraordinary and just so damn cool.
Aenima
Coming off the 2nd album, Aenima, this song right from the get-go is a rocking song, featuring another great guitar/bass riff. A statement song by Maynard, with lyrics ripping apart the whole of Los Angelas, and to an extent its celebrity population. While the band again crushes the music, it’s the lyrics of Aenema that make it a favorite of mine. And while the words are nasty and death-rattling, the song as a whole is actually a metaphor for change that Maynard hopes for. “Yeah, just don’t just call me a pessimist, try and read between the lines”, and “I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t welcome any change, my friend”. So Maynard really doesn’t want death and destruction (or does he?).
Vicarious
Coming off the 4th album, 10,000 Days, and Grammy nominated for Best Rock Performance, it’s another rocker, of course. Another statement song showing how people love a good, morbid tragic story, as long as they stay safe. “We all feed on tragedy, Live while the whole world dies”. But this statement song has the music that really nails it for me. There is so much going on, musically, in this one. Again, not knowing the exact terms for the musics’ timing, but geez, these guys are all over the place and somehow it all meshes perfectly. And again, Danny Fucking Carey is an absolute beast on drums. I read somewhere that TOOL considers this song one of the hardest to play live. Now a quick word about Danny Carey. It makes sense, Carey cites John Bonham and Neil Peart as his biggest influences. A jazz trained drummer, his technical ability is nearly unmatched in the rock world. And his use of double-bass drums is widely, and most effectively used in many TOOL songs. I was hoping the Foo Fighters would hire Danny when they lost Taylor, but Vincent set me straight. He said Danny Carey is too good of a drummer to play for the Foo’s. A high compliment indeed. The man is an absolute beast on drums. PLUS, he’s a very likeable guy.
Unique Songs
Fear Inoculum
Off TOOL’s 5th album of the same name, Fear Inoculum is a long one, just over 10 minutes. Yup, here’s some of the unnecessary filler TOOL uses sometimes to extend their songs. A listener has to wait til the 1:40 mark for some action. The sound in the beginning is not a cello or other orchestral instrument, it’s actually guitar and bass using volume swells (different). With a buildup throughout, and some repeated lyrics and spoken word parts (again different), the song never explodes like I think it could have. Is it their best work? Nope. But still a cool riff. When the whole band is playing their parts, it sounds like a good warm-up song to start a show, but definitely too long. And the lyrics? I have no idea. If you’re still listening, at the 9:30 mark, Adam Jones uses a different sound for a pretty cool, though too short, guitar lead.
10,000 Days (Wings PT. 2)
Bare with me on the explanation for this one. Maynard’s mother, who he adored, had a paralyzing illness thru much of her adult life. He wrote Wings For Marie (Part 1) as a tribute to a strong, brave woman who did the absolute best she could for Maynard during her life. 10,000 DAYS (Wings), Part 2 continues this tribute, the 10,000 days referring to the approximate amount of time she suffered before death. The song is different in that it shows a softer side of TOOL. And it’s a great side. It’s a long song, but stay with it. Starting with just a bass line, then having introspective lyrics, it builds into a beautiful story/tribute regarding Maynard’s mothers death and her journey to heaven. Read these lyrics as you listen, they really hit home. And Maynard delivers them softly yet powerfully, some of his best work. From 5:10 on, when she demands her wings, and the band really kicks in, the song goes to another level. And then again, after 8:20. A crushingly sad, yet beautiful tribute song. Last but not least, let’s talk about Maynard James Keenan. If the band TOOL is described as “A Tangle of Contradictions”, then Maynard is the Pied Piper of TOOL. His early, wild presence in TOOL concerts have morphed into what we see today, with Maynard performing/singing side stage, barely visible on stage by the audience. He is known as a bit of a quiet recluse, yet occasionally appears onstage with his other bands, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, in outlandish looks or costumes. He’s comfortable just sitting back during interviews, sipping a very fine glass of wine, but unleashing controversial statements during these same refined interviews. He’s definitely unpredictable and complex, but thru all of this, his lyrics, while sometimes hard to decipher, are personal, reflective, and fit TOOL music perfectly. Again, not rocks greatest voice, but he sings powerfully, with conviction, sometimes growling, and sometimes beautiful.
H.
Coming off TOOL’s Aenima album, H opens with a sort of muted guitar chords sound, definitely different. Adam Jones leads the way on this one with easy, yet solid guitar work, with bass and drums supporting, which is also different for TOOL. Plus I’m sure this is a song none of us have heard before (Vincent?). Maynard once said H (the song) refers to his son, Devo H Keenan, but he also stated the song represents trying to make correct decisions in life, “Angel on one shoulder, Devil on the other”. Don’t know, don’t care. I think it’s a pretty cool rock song.
Conclusions
So that’s TOOL. A band of contradictions? Hard Rock? Heavy Metal? Art Rock? So many descriptions. Again, to me, they are Hard Rock, mostly Bass driven, and as edgy as edgy gets. With a solid vocalist singing complex lyrics to complex songs. But the force of TOOL is in their musicianship. When this band is firing, and firing is mostly what they do, they play some of the best Hard Rock I’ve ever heard. Do I put them over 9? Because they have such a small catalogue for having formed in 1990 (wish they’d do more), I’ll go exactly 9.0
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
Tool is going to be a tough band to review without sounding like a tool. Even lead singer Maynard James Keenan has referred to Tool fans as insufferable. I like Tool a lot but I'm nothing but a mere simpleton to the self proclaimed “true” Tool fan. That being said… I will not be holding the lore of Tool and their fandom against them in this review. I already know pretty much every song on this list but it should be fun to dive into them a little more.
Sober: Amazing song, Amazing bass line, absolutely torturous sounding guitar in the back half. Drummer Danny Carey is an absolute machine (one of his nicknames is the octopus because of how he is able to separate his limbs with wild time signatures). Super aggressive lyrics. Surprisingly this is some of the poppiest they've ever sounded. It's not approachable music but this and “The Pot” are the closest they come to being approachable to the masses.
Schism: Maybe their most famous intro. This is a top song of theirs in my opinion. Have fun trying to play along with this. So many changes in time signature. The music video for this song still haunts me and it fits the song perfectly. The fuck is happening? Who knows. It's art? This song has so many parts and all the parts rip alone and fit together perfectly, pun unintended (There was a time that the pieces fit). They really nail it on this track in every conceivable way. The build at 5:05, chef's kiss. The drums at 5:40, and the entire last minute, the fuck are we doing?
The Pot: Probably the song that first got me into Tool. Poppy enough to be radio friendly in a time where “harder rock” was pretty mainstream. You pull away some of the intricacies in this song but it's still a great track. Maynard's voice shines here. A thing I'll point out is many people try to cover Tool and it's pretty much always a mistake. They're too good at what they do and even Maynard's voice control is top tier. Actually I lied. I typed this first part before even listening to the song because I thought I remembered it. The instruments are still nuts. The tribal drums, super down tuned bass, and then that absolutely screeching guitar. There is SO much going on for something that I think would be considered poppy for the average Tool fan. Also, I think I realized something that I'm gonna give a few more songs before I mention it. I really enjoy the interlude that starts at 3:45… no one sounds like this band.
Forty Six & 2: I think my only problem with this band is that they do so much that it almost comes off as one-dimensional. Like all these songs back to back sound pretty similar and if you don't like the sound I don't think you'll like any track by Tool. That being said I love this sound and I love these songs. Again, no other bands sound like them. I tried looking up bands that sound similar to Tool and it’s either a Maynard side project or a relatively unknown act. There’s a few grunge and progressive metal bands but none that I would consider to be truly similar. Maybe Deftones sound similar at times but the overall music is pretty different. I just wanted to mention Deftones because they are criminally underrated and I've only recently been seeing them get the praise they deserve. 4:30 on this song really takes off with a ridiculous drum section. A recurring theme of this band, they really like to tear the place apart through the last minute of their songs.
Aenema: Another one of my favorites. I'm really glad we had a couple “upbeat” artists preceding Tool cause it doesn't get much more angry than this. I almost want to put up a bubble gum pop artist after this selection just so Tool is sandwiched between “fun” music. I wonder if Maynard sips his Arizona Wines from his Bunker while listening to this song waiting to become the next Napa Valley. Probably the heaviest lyrics in this selection. To quote one of our previous artists… “Stan, why are you so mad?”. The drums at 2:50 are my favorite drums possibly out of any music! They sound amazing and fit the music perfectly. There are not many pro recordings of this band and I need to find them performing this song at the Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Show because it's an amazing performance. I think it's locked away behind a pay wall now, but I'll find it! This is a really good example of a song that is ridiculously heavy without having any screaming. Musically its ridiculous, vocally its a powerhouse performance, and the lyrics are about as rough as it gets. The alarm sounding guitar and the breathy yells at the end are a nice touch as well. Ridiculous song.
Vicarious: Before we get into the relatively “unique” songs that Tool has to offer I wanted to bring up the point I wanted to make earlier. This band is pretty much a tuned down metal version of Yes. All the musicians are ridiculous. The songs are too long. (I like running to Tool, 1. Because it gets me amped 2. Because “one more song” means another full mile). They are both lyrically proficient as well, just for entirely different reasons. Now onto the song: I actually checked out for a little and am going to have to come back to this one. I know it's a great song but my millennial brain has no attention span left and can't handle all these long winded tracks. 4:40 instrumentals are once again insane. Can't say it enough. Carey is a monster and guitarist, Adam Jones doesn't get the respect he should.
Fear Innoculum: Took them over 13 years to come out with this album. It's good. The hype was just far too great to ever meet the expectations of the fans. I like it but it's not as good as their older stuff. And outside of Aenema if anyone says they understand Tool's lyrics… They are lying. This song is SAT word vomit. I looked it up and apparently the song is about embracing becoming old and not letting fear hold you back. Sure, whatever. To be fair, Maynard still sounds great after doing this for 30+ years. The musicality and the cadence of his singing in this one is too much for me to understand. I think he's casting a spell? Not sure. And would you look at that!. The last minute and a half go absolutely ballistic, shock and awe.
10,000 Days (Wings PT. 2): This is my favorite Tool fun fact! This song is actually part of a single SUPER TRACK. If you start playing 10,000 Days at the same time of Wings of Marie and then Viginti Tres immediately after Wings it all lines up into a single 11:13 song. The band denies this as intentional but also the band has been known to lie. So it’s up to you to decide if this is a fun easter egg or just Tool fans putting on their tin foil hats and making wild musical conspiracy theories. Here is a link if you want to decide if it was intentional or not: https://youtu.be/V5zhsR6baz0?si=m9ou9LuDN0UOfGjg
All that being said. This song is too “Tool” for me. Too long and too pretentious. It's definitely different but also still entirely Tool. The drums and the guitar tones are too distinct to not be them. Maybe in the context of the album it fits better but as a standalone track its too much of a slog for this review.
H.: Closing out on another solid Tool song. There's a couple other tracks I would've loved to see make the cut over these last two but H. probably hit the unique category a little better. I kind of ran out of steam at the end of this review on anything new to talk about. It's all a bit of the same. The low bass in the verse of this song is excellent but it’s always excellent. I would’ve loved Lateralus to make the cut so I could’ve spent a half hour talking about the Fibonacci sequence. Oh well.
A little over two pages for a Tool review is actually shorter than I expected it to be. There is just so much to write about this band. I barely even talked about their unique time signatures or frequent meter changes (47 times in Schism for those counting!). Their existential and sometimes psychedelic lyrics, themes, and visuals are also dissertation level worthy pieces of art. That all being said, the band is just a lot. While I edited the last few paragraphs of this review I’ve barely made it halfway through Fear Inoculum. Similar to Yes I ran out of steam by the end of this review. 10,000 Days and H. didn’t get the attention they probably deserved but I struggled to get through them even just starting my listen at the unique section. So with all of that being said, let's get onto the final score. Tool is ridiculous and even if they are not your style of music you have to acknowledge how damn good they are at their respective instruments and as an ensemble. Fortunately I love their sound, and I love that no other band is even able to be compared with them. My only qualm is that this is not background music, you have to be actively listening to enjoy the music. Pretentious? Yes. Deserving of all the praise and acclaim they have garnished over the years? Definitely.
8.8
Joe Cascella
I’ve known Tool for a long time, and I’m glad I see a lot of familiar songs on here, because every time I listen to new tool, I’m stuck in hour long rabbit holes assessing the brilliance that they are as a band. I consider them to be progressive metal, and I’m looking forward to really looking at some of these songs through a magnifying glass.
Sober – Such an eerie intro with some heavy bass lead. Immediately I’m in the mood to rock out and get out some anger. I love the drum roll into the enhanced eeriness of the guitar. Maynard’s voice is so distinct, and is going to be one of those sounds that if you can enjoy it you'll love it, but if it’s not for you, it’s gunna be tough to get past. At least if you don’t like Maynard’s sound, you have this amazing band behind him doing so so much. The chorus is so angry and the lyrics are fairly clever. You can hear the emotion in their sound right away. The second verse is incredibly intense, being self-critical and talking about the harsh realities that people are able to get to him. So Jesus blow your f’ing whistle so we can start over. Sheesh. This is a great introduction into what this band is.
Schism – Iconic intro, and the layers start building immediately. How the hell does anyone write the lyrics to this song?! Danny Carey does a nice job behind the kit doing the off-rhythm drumming, it’s super technical. The whole band is. I love a song that builds in pace and continues to get ready to burst, and this song for sure does that. This chorus is what leads me to believe they’re progressive metal. It's harsh and emotionally angry, musically and vocally, and mixes so well to create their sound. They do such a good job at making each song its own journey as well. The builds, the slow bridges, using their time appropriately. This band is in no rush to make you experience the full ability of their power, and it hits so strong. I don’t know how this term came to me, but if I had to describe the sound of modern tribalism, it would be this song. It’s a crazy song, and another great one.
The Pot – This was my first intro to this band many many years ago, and it holds the test of time. Maynard’s voice is a bit higher pitched at times, and it’s a cool new sound. Musically, they’re so heavy, and that bass is absolutely ripping. The combo of that bass and drumming is just so unique and strong. This song is all about double standards and hypocracy, and Maynard calls everyone out directly. Although lyrically intense, this is probably as mainstream and digestible for the public as Tool is going to get. I say that because the song has a really good flow, and a pretty standard chorus that most people can just listen to without diving too deep. But then again, probably not because it’s still really heavy and intense. Maybe I should say it’s radio friendly for a hard rock radio station. I don’t know, it’s tough to describe. Great jam. One last note, the outros have been aggressive and hard cut offs to this point.
Forty Six & Two – I knew this would be dad’s number one personal favorite. He’s been a fan of this band, and this song for a very long time. I’m sure he’ll mention the cover of the kid’s band on youtube that absolutely shreds (it is worth checking out). I often watch random youtube reaction videos to music that streamers have never heard of (Lost in Vegas is the best channel for that), and Tool is a band that often has fans asking their content creators to review. This song specifically often gets looped into the mix. To me, the song has that tribal sound again. The bass lead sets the pace, and Maynard is singing about breaking out of his shell. The level of intensity is just through the roof. The bass and drum combos at the end of this song are just outer-worldly, and so technical and strong. And then Maynard hops back in for yet another hard outro.
Aenema – Ahhh, now we have my personal favorite Tool song. The name of the song (and I believe album) speaks to the lyrics of flushing LA off the west coast of America. Maynard is coming after everyone without holding back at all. My favorite is when he specifically calls out L Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology. But yeah, it’s about the fakeness and lack of authenticity of Hollywood, and the band has had enough. The prayer-esque lyrics about calling for Armageddon are creepy and dark, as he requests that mother nature fixes it all. And the anger of him telling all these fools to learn how to swim is hilariously cruel. It’s a twisted dark song, and I personally love it. To nobody's surprise at this point, another super heavy and aggressive outro.
Vicarious – A live concert by this band must be an absolute trip. It’s more of a musical experience than it is a concert. This song can for sure hit the unique category. This song reminds me of that Black Mirror episode where the kid is investigating a murder in his local town, to find out his parents were sex-driven perverted murderers, and then he has to go home and experience it turning into his massive Netflix special and everyone is watching his reality through a documentary. It’s demonic but incredibly clever. This song speaks to the general public consuming awful things as their primary form of entertainment, and how we’re all brainwashed by it. “We all feed on tragedy, it’s like blood to a vampire.” Sheesh. For the first time so far, I might say this song is just a tad bit too long. Crazy drumming once again.
Fear Inoculum – How does a band like Tool do things that are more unique? This song feels like an opening to their live shows. The long stretched out intro with their very Tool sound would make perfect sense to start a show. I guess the answer to the unique question is to just space it out even more. The back half is very tribal again. The fatigue has deff kicked in for me, and this song is not hitting as hard as many as the others.
10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) – Oh my, another 11-minute song after the fatigue has set, lol. Is 2 minutes of almost nothing necessary, probably not. I get who they are and what they do, but that seems a little excessive to me. I did some research on this song and the layers and meanings are so incredibly deep. The song is about his mother who was paralyzed from a stroke but continued to live for 10,000 days after, which is just wild. Maynard speaks to her faith, his faith, his admiration for his mother, especially now that she is free of her pain. It’s really the first time we see his emotion being steered in a different direction. Instead of attacking everyone and being pessimistic, he’s actually optimistic and openly emotional himself here. In that regard, it’s a beautiful thing and has great meaning, even if the song isn’t what I love most about this band.
H. – Another extremely meaningful and impactful song, as Maynard looks at himself in the mirror. He needs to separate his old self of being angry and evil to being the new version of him, which is a responsible parent who needs to love his child. The song still has the classic Tool tone, but the emotional impact and self-reflection makes this track very unique. The ‘considerately killing me’ repetition in the middle of the song is not a choice I love for what the overall meaning of this song is, because it almost makes it seem like his child is ruining his old self, when really his child is turning him into a better man. I also don’t care about the choice of words ‘I don’t mind.’ C’mon Maynard, you should be thrilled, you have a new purpose to your angry lifestyle.
Overall review – Tool has an incredibly unique and individual sound that is distinctly them. They are going to be one of those bands that if you do not like the sound of the vocals, you probably will not like this band at all, because they are overly authentic to themselves and dive deep into who they are as a band. I personally like the sound, and the music behind it is absolutely world class. It’s super technical and impressive. Their ability to have songs build is unmatched. Lyrically, Maynard can tell a story that isn’t overly obvious to put together, but once you understand it, it will add an additional layer of depth. Depth is a great word to use when describing this band, because there truly are so many layers. You can go into page long reviews for each individual song, but on the surface they are a really strong hard rock band that conveys their message loudly through musical experiences. It would be an absolute honor to see them live and watch them put on a show that is so different from any other live concert experience. I do have a few cons that I need to get into. Sometimes, the songs can be a bit much and are a little too long. Their sound is also so uniquely them, that it doesn’t have any mainstream appeal. You’re going to like them or you’re going to hate them. Lastly, some of their songs are similar in sound, with that tribal background sounding music. I had some serious fatigue towards the end, probably more than the usual listen. Overall, this is a really great band, and I will score them an 8.3.
Uncle Vin Cascella
Opening Statement: Tool? Huh? From my Brother’s internal text message I’m expecting some hard or metal rock. As advised, my chin strap is fastened!
SOBER: I like the pace and sound. Straight up hard Rock- I like it. Interesting lyrics- I’m curious as to how many listeners are initially confused by the double negative “why can’t we not be sober”?! I like the vocalist. Nice 45 second double-time outro. Good start!
SCHISM: Very nice bass riff with an offbeat- cool way to start a track. Nice dual vocal too! I stopped at the 3 minute mark- still on that beat. I’m expecting a shift to a 4/4 and a beastly lead! The lyrics are a bit muddled, hard to understand but I’m reading them too- a relationship tune using lots of imagery, using a tortured soul route. Still using that off beat- no bust out! Interesting bridge before the last vocals- these guys are talented players but this one goes almost 7 minutes- a tad long for me.
THE POT: Damn, is that the same vocalist? Much cleaner sound from him and the bass player then… bam! Great RnR sound. Very hot structure, production and musicianship with smokin lyrics. Lol. I paused at 3:40, b4 the lead to re-listen- great song! Some really great work going on from everyone. Really great structures and changes. I didn’t mind the 6:21 run time.
*** I’m resisting the urge to Google ‘em up but I did go to Tony’s intro. I’m adding shatter-proof goggles to the chin strap!
FORTY SIX & 2: Another great riff but I’m completely lost regarding the lyrics- I’m reading some then not reading them- L O S T both ways! Some tremendous talent on display from all of them but it’s songs like this that are why I never listened to much metal- the music is too manic and the lyrics are indecipherable.
AENEMA: Boy, these guys love to twist a beat! First off, I love the first 2 verses because LA is a sewery circus. I was out there twice (in aprox 2017 and 2019) to record some music and M and I went all in- walking around Hollywood Blvd, going to clubs, the whole nine. A fucking freak and shit show. Keenan’s commentary precedes mine by over 20 years! But damn he’s an angry fellow. My solution is to not go back- F LA. His is to root for Armageddon! I know, I know- it’s just artistically formulated song lyrics expressing his dislike for the LA scene. Fine. It certainly could use a good flushing. I’m not being pessimistic (his word) when I suggest just don’t go there buddy, find a big farmhouse someplace quiet, do whatever it is you like to do. Forget LA. Or write a song, it’s usually cathartic.
VICARIOUS: Cool riff and sound to start but I’m getting worn out by the constant off-beat. The lyrics are hard to hear without reading them, then while reading them they kind of either make no sense or are the same old story- and boring. It’s a shame because there are sections of really good music. Good for them, not for me!
FEAR INOCULUM: More of the same to me.
10,000 DAYS: More of the same.
H.: More of the same.
Final Score: I gave them a shot because there is some really great musician work going on but in the end the songs all sound similar because of the constant twisting of the beat, the more often than not indecipherable lyrics (and even when reading them are boring and the same themes). I tried, but this stuff is not for me! 5.5
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