7empest

So Fiona Apple might have this year's best album - at least in my book (and certainly so far, I have no doubt) - but last year was all about Tool for me. I discovered Tool through the song Sober a long, long time ago and have been following them since. They had released the EP Opiate in 1990, and then they released their first official full length album (Opiate almost has a full album playing time, but it's still an EP) Undertow in 1991, which is where Sober was found. Then, like clockwork, every 5 years they released a new album. Aenema in 1996, Lateralus (in my opinion still their masterpiece) in 2001, and 10,000 Days in 2006. And then it was quiet. Until last fall, when they released Fear Innoculum. After waiting 13 years, the expectations were insanely high, and I am really happy to say that they delivered. Fear Innoculum was a great album, with great musicianship throughout - but then again, you know that's what you will get when you talk about Tool. 

The song I have selected is 7empest, but I could easily have selected just about any song on the album. It is that even. It really goes from highlight to highlight, and it feels like one cohesive artistic statement. 7empest is the last proper song on the album, and if you have the physical copy (cd), it is the closing number. It is well worth listening to - it is long, but it is spectacular...

November 5 - Schism

Today's song is by a band I have massive respect for. The most artistically complete band in anything that approaches the metal genre is undoubtedly Tool. While some might argue that they aren't metal enough, typically that would be people who thinks the only metal is done with cookie monster vocals (growls), they would have to take that argument up with Manowar, whose creed always was "death to false metal" (I know, it is laughable), and whose singer, Eric Adams, can belt and scream like an airraid siren while still maintaining melody. And that is what Maynard James Keenan in Tool can do as well. However, the true hero of Schism to me is bassist Justin Chancellor. I love the bass riff that lays the foundation to this song so much that it sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to it. I hope you feel the same way. He is helped by towering drummer Danny Carey, who delivers the polyrhythms that create the complex rhythmic foundations of Tool. The video is created by guitarist Adam Jones (as usual with Tool videos), and his guitar playing is often done in ways somewhat similar to Alex Lifeson of Rush and Larry LaLonde of Primus in that he often plays whatever he wants over the chordal and rhythmic structures laid down by the rhythm section. There is lots of air here, clearly emphasizing the sense of a true Schism.

April 8 - Sober

It's time to get a little heavier again - and I am talking about the music. Today's song is from Tool's first full-length album, Undertow, from 1993. I wish I could say it is about sobriety, but the chorus actually goes "why can't we not be sober..." - so it's quite the opposite. However, the power of this song really punched me in the gut. The bass and the drums locks into a groove that keeps jabbing at you throughout the song and leaves space for Adam Jones' guitar to float over it, much in the school of Alex Lifeson of Rush. Danny Carey is a master drummer, and he showcases that fully here - and while Paul D'Amour doesn't have the technical chops of his successor Justin Chancellor, he can lay a very groovy foundation. And then there is Maynard. Maynard James Keenan goes from whispers to screams on this track, which showcases his strength and versatility as a singer. Turn it up, try to sit back, and enjoy this suckerpunch of a song!