Say it quietly.....new Tool album coming

[Sibob]

1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

Agreed - what's interesting is that Tool chose Chancellor (who they already knew from a UK band they'd toured with) because his playing style & tone were so similar to their previous bassist, Paul D'Amour. Half of Ænima was demo'd with D'Amour, Chancellor's playing on the album was note-for-note.

Of their previous albums, 10,000 Days is the one I listen to least - it was a bit disappointing at the time that they'd progressed so little from Lateralus, and as so much of the album is Keenan reflecting on his mother's sad life & subsequent death, I do find it a very depressing listen.

Funny isn’t it, 10,000 Days is the album I listen to most, from start to finish. I pick at most of the other albums. Think it’s incredible!

Also, for those who haven’t seen, the Fear Inoculum track (single?) is streaming online now

Si

[odysseus]

13 minutes ago, Sibob said:

Also, for those who haven’t seen, the Fear Inoculum track (single?) is streaming online now

Si

Damn fine it is , too!! 🤩

[thodrik]

I listened to the new song. It was serviceable and might hook me later as a good album track. Intro aside it just seemed a bit overly familiar, like I had already heard the various tones, effects, drum fills and riffs but they have been slightly restructured. Great mix though.

I do like though that it is a song structure rather than variations of an initial open string drop d riff, which I had initially expected it would be. 

I can’t hate on it. However it is a bit unremarkable on the first couple of listens. 

[Jazzmaster62]

Tool will suffer the same fate Chinese Democracy did - all that build up but the album will never satisfy the fans Appetite. 

[odysseus]

It's Tool doing what they do. Anyone expecting a skiffle album will be sorely disappointed. You can't please everyone, nor should you try. I'll be interested to hear the rest of the album.  If it's good I'll buy it. If it ain't I won't. Simples. 🙂

[Graham]

6 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

If I'm honest with myself, I think Tool have been on a downhill slope for years now. 10,000 Days was really bland and sounded like a selection of songs that weren't good enough for Lateralus. But then again, Lateralus was an over-long dirge fest with only a few great moments. It sounds as though this new record is more of the same, which is disappointing. 

The thing with Tool is that their big three albums, from Undertow to Lateralus, each contains a couple of great tracks and then a load of filler. But the high points are exceptional, as good as prog rock gets. The benefit of Tool going o. Spotify means that I can now do what I have talked about for years, which is putting all their best songs into one playlist and essentially making a Tool mega album. 

I have also found the continued obsession with Justin Chancellor intriguing. He has a number of extremely dedicated fans who have spent thousands trying to replicate his unremarkable tone. I always thought that Tool were a great band with a top drummer and a great singer bookended with a serviceable guitarist and bassist, who just happened to write the odd brilliant song. 

The thing with Lateralus is that I always thought it was an album with an incredible first half, but got really boring after the title track.

However, not long ago I got told about this, which was aparrently the orignal order for the songs on the album. I was sceptical to start with, but it makes so much more sense like this.

 

[Bassassin]

https://newsthump.com/2019/01/07/new-album-by-tool-will-take-almost-as-long-to-listen-to-as-it-took-to-record

[Chris2112]

15 hours ago, Graham said:

The thing with Lateralus is that I always thought it was an album with an incredible first half, but got really boring after the title track.

However, not long ago I got told about this, which was aparrently the orignal order for the songs on the album. I was sceptical to start with, but it makes so much more sense like this.

 

I had heard about the remixed track list years ago but at the time, there was no public version available and folk were saying you should recompile the album in a mixing programme to blend the tracks together rather than just skipping around the selection on your stereo. 

I was never a fan of the idea, since all it appeared to achieve was mixing all the crud and filler in with the few tracks that were worth listening to. 

[Bassassin]

As long as you remember that "crud" and "filler" are your subjective opinions, and not held by either the guys who wrote the music, or many people who'd call themselves Tool fans.

I'm unsure whether the "Holy Gift" running order was what the band originally wanted, or just something dreamt up by overzealous fans with a Fibonacci Sequence fixation.

[jazzmanb]

23 hours ago, bartelby said:

Just listened to it. Sounds like a track that didn't make the cut for 10,000 Days.

13 years on and there's no progression. I hope this isn't typical of the whole album...

They've always sounded like them,which is okay with me ,i'll buy it .Some of the tracks will be good ,some less so .Some instant some slow burn .They can't help other peoples expectations or wants . I wouldn't say Justin is a bass God but he fights for a good size space and is clever at filling it .

[bartelby]

2 minutes ago, jazzmanb said:

They've always sounded like them,which is okay with me ,i'll buy it .Some of the tracks will be good ,some less so .Some instant some slow burn .They can't help other peoples expectations or wants . I wouldn't say Justin is a bass God but he fights for a good size space and is clever at filling it .

I'm well aware of how they sound. I've been listening to them since Opiate was released. To me each album has been an evolution on what came before. This track hasn't got that, when I listened to it again last night it sounded more Lateralus style than 10,000 Days, IMHO. 
I'll still buy the album.

[Daz39]

On the one hand - why does it take Tool so long to write their albums!!

On the other hand - if they put out one album every 3 years say (let's be kind) - would the quality be as good?

JC makes some very lovely noise, I do like the hypnotic weave of Lateralus - and as someone posted further up, Danny Carey is an amazing drummer.

I agree that, like most bands I really like, there are some songs that are meh, or noise (literally noise!), but there are plenty of Wow tracks. I tend to have playlists of my favourite bands on Spotify anyway: my Rush list is 100 songs, Iron Maiden about 70... so now I can halve the Tool albums and make a decent playlist.

 

[Rich]

[cheddatom]

I've listened to the single a few times. I really don't like the drum sound and I'm sure I hear a couple of slightly dodgy fills and an awkward tempo drop. After the (IMO) perfection of 10,000 days I'm a bit confused

[bartelby]

I love the little abstract tracks (I'm currently listening to a live bootleg with an improvised interlude).

Many years I fell asleep listening to AEnima, after a heavy night in the pub, (-) Ions penetrated my dreams to such an extent I woke up, drenched in sweat, convinced the house was having electrical issues and I ran an flipped the main circuit breaker 😂

[Sibob]

I think most will agree this is probably their last, Maynard is 55 and probably isn’t going to feel like running Tool out again in his 60’s.

So I’m appreciating this for everything it is. Hope they do vinyl though!

Si

[bartelby]

1 hour ago, Sibob said:

I think most will agree this is probably their last, Maynard is 55 and probably isn’t going to feel like running Tool out again in his 60’s.

So I’m appreciating this for everything it is. Hope they do vinyl though!

Si

I did read they’re reissuing everything on vinyl again soon... hopefully not Tool’s version of soon though.

[Sibob]

5 minutes ago, bartelby said:

I did read they’re reissuing everything on vinyl again soon... hopefully not Tool’s version of soon though.

Well I think it’s telling that it’s all just been issued to the streaming sites now too. Gearing up for the last push I reckon. If they go on tour, see them now people. Been 10 years since I saw them, by all accounts they were excellent at Download!

Si

[bartelby]

Just now, Sibob said:

Well I think it’s telling that it’s all just been issued to the streaming sites now too. Gearing up for the last push I reckon. If they go on tour, see them now people. Been 10 years since I saw them, by all accounts they were excellent at Download!

Si

Yeah. I should make the effort too. I’ve seen them on each album supporting tour.

[Mastodon2]

15 hours ago, Bassassin said:

As long as you remember that "crud" and "filler" are your subjective opinions, and not held by either the guys who wrote the music, or many people who'd call themselves Tool fans.

I'm unsure whether the "Holy Gift" running order was what the band originally wanted, or just something dreamt up by overzealous fans with a Fibonacci Sequence fixation.

I don't know, I definitely am a Tool fan and I think the majority of Lateralus is absolutely crud and filler. I can't see how changing the order of the tracks could improve the album, you still have listen to all the boring bits, just in different sequence. 

I think Tool have been a consistently inconsistent band. Each album has two or three absolutely awesome tracks and a load of boring Tool-by-numbers with little of interest about it. If you cut the chaffe you could make one album that is incredible, distilling their career into one disc. It seems to be Maynard's approach - A Perfect Circle do one or two tracks per album that are amazing and the rest are bland to the point of being anonymous. 

This will almost certainly be the last Tool album, I'd like to think they can write something as good as "The Grudge" again but they missed that mark on 10,000 Days and I'm not sure they have it in them after all this time to do it on their new album.

I'd probably put them in my top 5 favourite metal bands, because when they are good they are just incredible. 

[jazzmanb]

On 08/08/2019 at 14:00, bartelby said:

I'm well aware of how they sound. I've been listening to them since Opiate was released. To me each album has been an evolution on what came before. This track hasn't got that, when I listened to it again last night it sounded more Lateralus style than 10,000 Days, IMHO. 
I'll still buy the album.

13 Years in the making and you've sussed them on one listen(now two )  .Sorry don't get this "lateralus style " comparison thing  ,what does it matter ? . I listened to it last night expecting not much due to peoples comments and it sounded great and will only get better.

Edited August 9, 2019 by jazzmanb
n

[Skybone]

I for one am hoping that they are going to have more "songs" on this one, and less of the "atmospheric" tracks (filler). Still can't listen to 10,000 Days without skipping through the majority of the album.

Anyway, the teaser track sounds interesting.

[Graham]

So it's here, this is what I wrote on Facebook - I've only listened to it once, but looking forward to hearing it again:

 

New Tool day - great, but not 13 years of work great.

I did very much enjoy this more chilled-out Tool record and it will warrant repeat listens, but it (inevitably) couldn't stand up to over a decade of expectation and is probably their weakest album.

There aren't really any new ideas here, like Slayer you know what you're getting - it sounds like Tool, and if that's your bag you'll like it, if not, there's nothing here you won't have heard on a previous album so probably not worth bothering with.

It's a shame that what is almost certainly their swansong is their weakest work, but it is still an enjoyable album and one I suspect I'll be listening to quite a bit.

[cheddatom]

I'm just listening on headphones at work. I'm sure I just heard some more slightly dodgy drum fills towards the end of "Descending". It's so weird compared to the perfection of 10,000 days. I wonder if he had a bee in his bonnet about doing it all live in one take without edits or something like that, which would make sense if you could watch footage of that take. I really don't like the drum sound either, so much artificial clicking going on

Anyway, other than that I like the album so far

[TheRev]

Listening to it now, enjoying it so far... They've mellowed a bit with age, which is nice.