Publication: Entertainment Tonight
Date: May, 2001
Transcribed by
spiralion (SPIRALION@YAHOO.COM)
spiralion (SPIRALION@YAHOO.COM)
page: title: It's Tool Time! author: By Jill Ward While some artists scramble to claim unique monikers like "P. Diddy" or even strange hieroglyphics, MAYNARD J. KEENAN is happy just being Maynard. But when it comes to his music, the daunting frontman is actually two, two malcontents in one! Hot off a tour with his highly successful co-project, A PERFECT CIRCLE, a seemingly inexhaustible Maynard returns to his eldest child, TOOL, to create a brand-new release. On May 15, the L.A. metal act drops Lateralus, their first new material since 1996's Grammy-winning Aenima. And after five years under the bridge, fans will be happy to know that Tool's latest effort hardly finds them fresh from a Calgon bath. Forever struggling with the question "why," Lateralus is yet another strange journey through the noir and bizarre. Your first clue comes via the album's creepy artwork and phonetically unfriendly song titles. Sonically, however, Tool continues to produce high doses of moody instrumentals and loud, crunching rock reminiscent of their ZEPPELIN and FLOYDian influences. But with the ever-pondering Keenan at the helm, a collection comes forth that could only spell Tool. Kicking off the opus is "The Grudge," a quick-quick-slow and riff-heavy ditty that dangles on the album's plausible theme of cavernous introspect. While Keenan no doubt "digs" the fatally philosophical, this track holds an air of passage, hence the lines "Choose to/let this go." And take for instance the album's first single, "Schism," currently in rotation and climbing Billboard's Modern Rock Chart. This stuttering musical voyage offers up the lines, "I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second-guessing/doomed to crumble unless we grow/and strengthen our communication." Seems Keenan is offering up some personal insight, rather than the former ponderings that just left us dangling. The shimmering hi-hats of "Parabol" and its ear- splitting counterpart, "Parabola," also walk a line between questions and conclusions. But fear not, Lateralus faithfully calls for a few quick trips to the mosh pit. "Ticks and Leeches" growls and hammers away at an unknown enemy, and maybe, just maybe was the therapy the band needed after legal woes with their former label. Several tunes also offer up the chance to vent including the album's title track, "Lateralus." Aided by finger-splitting guitar work by ADAM JONES, the tune slowly climbs into a frenzy with the help of drummer DANNY CAREY who, by the way, makes no apologies throughout the album. On the other hand, tunes like "Triad" call for deep thought as you slowly headbang in a JIMI HENDRIX sort of fashion. Fans who enjoy old school skate bands like THE GOD MACHINE may take a particular liking to this track. Needless to say, Lateralus is an emotional collection. Cuts like the free-falling tune "The Patient" are often delicate and intimate despite floor-shaking strums from bassist JUSTIN CHANCELLOR. On this particular cut, Keenan delivers a convincing plea midway through in a heart-wrenching octave strangely reminiscent of XTC. On the other hand, ambient instrumentals like the "Mantra" and "Eon Blue Apocalypse" seem to exist purely to excite the senses -- much like the album in its entirety. So with the latest gem from Tool currently hitting the shelves, it begs the obvious question: "So what's the deal with your 'other band,' Maynard?" "They're both a priority and there's equal space for both of them," he tells cdnow.com. "To say I should focus on one or the other is like going up to a mother and saying, 'Your first kid was great, but your second kid was so much cooler than your first baby. You should focus on that one' -- it's just a weird argument. I've given birth to some words in different forms and reacted to different musicians. I want it all to succeed. I want people to hear all of it." And with the success that both musical ventures have enjoyed, there should be no worries there! In fact, Tool has already kicked off the Lateralus tour and, at last check, all U.S. dates are sold out! In late May, the band will then continue their journey throughout Western Europe before wrapping things up on July 1 in Toronto. 1. The Grudge 2. Eon Blue Apocalypse 3. The Patient 4. Mantra 5. Schism 6. Parabol 7. Parabola 8. Ticks & Leeches 9. Lateralis 10. Disposition 11. Reflection 12. Triad 13. Faaip De Oiad
Posted to t.d.n: 02/26/03 11:49:50