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The Tool Page: An Article

Publication: Revolver

Date: April, 2001

Transcribed by
Mike (teenagegirls@hotmail.com)


  page: 20
 title: Metal's masters of the moodswing return with their first...
author: Mark Craig; Photography: Clay Patrick McBride

Adam Jones is a little irked.  "Everyone asks why it's taken us four 
years to record this album," says the lanky Tool guitarist.  "But the 
truth is, we spent two years on the road after recording Aenima, then 
we did OZZfest, and then (vocalist) Maynard (Keenan) did A Perfect 
Circle.  Really, we've been working on this new album for only a 
year, which seems pretty short to me."  Long or short, the wait was 
worth it.  Tool's third full-length release, Lateralus is a dark, 
emotional roller coaster of an album that expands on the band's now-
familiar formula of jarring dynamic shifts and mood swings, multi-
layered riffs, near-industrial percussion, and Keenan's impassioned 
vocals.  Tracks like "The Grudge" and "Schism" start out mean and 
aggressive but become haunting and sublime as Tool takes advantage of 
the songs' considerable length - over seven minutes each - to range 
across musical landscapes far more scenic than the usual contemporary 
rock fare.  "There are worlds within worlds in each song," says 
Jones.  "We just jammed together until the music started to 
coalesce.  With all four people putting their ideas into the mix, the 
music reached a fifth level beyond anyone's individual ideas."  "We 
never had any preconceived notions about the songs," adds bassist 
Justin Chancellor.  "Sometimes it felt obvious where we were going to 
go next, and sometimes we just tried to experiment with different 
directions to find what was most appropriate."  "You feel those 
moments as you're writing, when the clouds are about to open up," 
says Jones.  "At the end of the day, you really know it's right."

Posted to t.d.n: 04/08/01 16:08:10