Tool "Opiate²" (2022)

Tool had brilliance from the outset. Initially I was slow to understand this band. The title track from their debut EP, Opiate, did not rock my quite as it does now. To commemorate the thirty years since its release Tool have re-recorded the classic track. Ditching its extended psychedelic jam session crying for Satan that followed the actual song, the group split it in half while fleshing out a beautiful interlude through the middle. An instrumental passageway through its middle. Deep, mesmerizing and alluring, the soothing transient experience serves this recreation wonderfully, lengthening it to a glorious, immersive ten minute experience.

This modern aesthetic is stunning in retroactive comparison. The original recording sounds dated and clunky. The bass is overpowering and meaty, which hides a lot of the textural charm Tool conjure. This release illuminates their artistic vision, rejuvenating what they had as a band from the outset. Even switching back and forth between the two, this newer recording oozes the songs soul with ease. Although its made me appreciate the original more, its obvious they didn't have the production aesthetics to really express their music early on. Sadly this is a one of, I think its unlikely this single will lead to anything else for now.

Rating: 3/10

My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2019

Looking back at my thoughts and words from 2018, it seems I may repeat the same sentiment again. Maybe one of the years I'll actually develop a broader discovery of new music because as you'll see once again its dominated by Metal! I just can't seem to get away. In my defence life changes and my time devoted to music and this blog has been stretched so who knows what the new decade will hold! Anyways here is the years discoveries!

(10) Hunt The Dinosaur

They may be somewhat novelty and outrageous but that's the charm. I always love a bit of obnoxious chugging and Djent but these guys stand apart thank to their singers fiery guttural raps. The music is very textural and over the top yet in their first record, Dankosaurus, a couple of invigorating gems are to be found. If they work on their songwriting this group could really become something!

(9) Arkhtinn

Admittedly not the most impressive discovery but one that scratches an itch started by Darkspace over a decade ago. This breed of Black Metal is of epic proportion, an astral experience propelled into the abyss by its smothering wall of narrowing sound. Their newest release 最初の災害 seems to be the best of what I've heard so far.

(8) Shade Empire

 

An English band with lavish orchestration and brilliant song writing. Arcane Omega is practically a masterpiece of its own style and I'm surprised I'd not learned of them sooner. No doubt in the new years I will get through a few more of theirs however I am not so sure there sound is consistent but certainly hoping for more in this vein.

(7) Fairyland

Power Metal has never been my forte but this year Fairyland and Sabaton have begun to turn the tides. Of Wars In Osyhria is a record that fits so well into my taste, it has measures and fractions of tone and tune I've heard in many another project and together they make a magical adventure. The other two records don't get close unfortunately however they have been fun.

(6) Bæst

I adore Bloodbath and their era with Mikeal Akerfeldt. The Danish group Bæst have pretty much emulated that sound and style to the bone. Even oi they lack originality, its such a great execution and the songs they write are fantastic. It will be interesting to see if they take off in the Death Metal scene given the similarity but personally I am just glad this niche will continue onwards.

(5) Lil Peep

 

When I first heard of Emo Rap and Lil Peep I ignorantly turned my nose up at it. His music is sad, the fact that it sometimes takes someone passing to get your attention is sadder too but most of all his youthful passing is the saddest, almost haunting as the pains of his emotive music and storey of drug abuse and hopelessness seemed to have manifest. Besides the storey though his music is undoubtedly special and gloomily moody.

(4) Anna Van Hasswolf

I'm noticing that Scandinavian voices frequently seem to be my thing. I'm dead guilty of somehow not getting past this one record, Dead Magic, which I listen to often. Its beautifully ethereal, a fraction esoteric and moodily engrossing and spiritual. I will get to more of her records in the new years but lets linger on that album cover for a moment. Its utterly haunting. Having seen it countless times it still gives me a chill.

(3) Aurora

And here is another Scandinavian voice who's currently my addiction! Having only recently found Aurora I still have two records to get through. What a treat! Interestingly enough music was not her primary pursuit but given her talent she choose to pursue it for those who may need it and I did not know I needed to hear her voice until I did! A beautiful singer, can't wait for more.

 (2) Queen

It should be obvious that I of course already knew of Queen, rather well to in terms of their greatest hits. They make it onto this list as I've really come to know of them in a new light and have harvested an even bigger respect for these legends. It was kicked of by the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, a stunning tribute and I am determined now to get through every single record!

(1) Tool

This is the epitome of a turnaround. Without really knowing much about them, my youthful ignorance had cemented them in my mind as a smelly band I wanted nothing to do with. I missed my opportunity to see them live in 2006 because of this attitude but thanks to my friend Rendog I was convinced there was something about Tool and so I gave it a try. It was a slow process, it took a long time to find the spark but since discovering it I have come to adore them and seeing them live this year was a fantastic experience. The new record Fear Inoculum is a bit of a mixed bag though. Their return is a welcome one but I think they may need to get back in the groove before they reach the peaks of the past again.

Tool "Fear Inoculum" (2019)

For many fans its been a feverish wait. Thirteen years since 10,000 Days the Alternative and Progressive Metal juggernauts return with a might eighty eight minutes of music. For me its been a matter of months, having only dived into their records this year. It was a slow process to come around to their genius but a sublime performance at Download Festival won me over. Being new to Tool, Fear Inoculum is just another chapter to my ears, only the crisp audio clarity explains a thirteen year gap. Its most technically impressive fetes feel like a band continuing to inch forward but large sections of the music stagnate on the workings of Ænima and more so Lateralus.

Its ten tracks can be split into two halves. Firstly five interludes of musical quirkiness, noise and ambience experimentation that drifts in and out of focus with little to note of. Chocolate Chip Trip does however muster much excitement from Danny Carey who plays an animated drum solo over the looping synths playing tonal melodies in an odd time signature. It could of been an indulgent guitar riff, however performed through the cold mechanical synth tone it is a stiff and disenchanting tune that would drive one slightly mad if it were not for the impressive, dexterous percussive display.

The other half consists of lengthy tracks ranging from ten to sixteen minutes. Two of these, Descending and Culling Voices excessively elongate a minimalist approach that has the scenic, sprawling journey of a Tool song stretched to its upper limits. Descending does have some beautiful guitar work in its mid section, a dazzling synthetic conclusion but takes a lengthy meandering walk to get to its powerful moments. Much of these two songs feel dragged out and thus any suspension and build up gets fizzled out, Culling never really getting of the ground at all.

The title track and Pneuma are fantastic, sprawling songs mastering the suspension and tension that it so delicately holds close to frailty. The records best and longest song, 7empest, reeks of Undertow in all the best of ways. Its psychedelic bells prime the atmosphere for a resurgence of crunching Alternative energy and anger to lead the music into lengthy guitar lead tangents of textural solo playing and technical riffing that eventually births the equivalent of a break down. Its utterly riveting and indulgent, the sort of music you want to let wash over you. Over thinking it may break the spell.

For the most part, Tool are sticking to what they know and crafting lengthy epics in the way only they do. In moments of reinvention they engulf the listener but its a game of hit and miss, when the songs work they are some of their best music to fate. When missing the mark the lengthy nature comes back to haunt as some sections drag into a frivolous lull. It is however aesthetically gorgeous, right on the mark. The bass guitar is stunning throughout and the textural chemistry between it and the guitars is a treat of its own, enhanced by a stellar production. Danny Carey gets a little quiet in places but when animated he fuels the music with another dimension of intrigue. Having warmed up to Keenan I'd say I considerably enjoyed his presences and loved his ability to charm in at the musics peaks.

Its such a curious album given the thirteen year absence. It plays little bearing to me though, having relatively fresh ears to the band, a little bias from decades of adoration many fans have this feels like a very flawed movement forward, certainly developing the Tool sound and forging new gems but also with a lot of unnecessary baggage. One thing I can be certain of is that this band have solidified much audio time from me in the future. I hope this is not the last work they create together. They still have more to offer.

Favorite Track: 7empest
Rating: 7/10

My Weekend At Download Festival 2019

Going for both Saturday and Sunday this year I had some miraculous fortune being in the right places at the right time to miss out on the rain. There was no avoiding the mud though! Not a lick of grass insight, the arena was a mud bath but I got through it and had a fantastic time. Once again the festival delivers on a magic I manage to convince myself is going to run out as the years roll and this year was no exception, the headliners really delivered something special. This year I thought I'd right about the highlights, good and bad, despite catching many more acts over the two days!

Power Trip
I saw this band not so long ago opening for Napalm Death in a small club and they blew me away with their 80s Slayer-alike Thrash Metal. It was great to know they could grab the attention of the festival organizers but a main stage slot was unexpected however given what a mighty show they put on it is no surprise. There strong songwriting for a tried and tested formula really matched the crowd and the probably won over a lot of new fans with an explosive show!

Behemoth
It was my first time catching the Devilish legends Behemoth, their music was a strange translation to summer sunny skies on the main stage but impressive costume design and stage makeup made it work. The performance was engaging and tearing through some strong at utterly dark songs they really made quite the impression as a band I need to get more familiar with!

The Hu
 There was no way I was missing the opertunity to see a Mongolian Metal band! Squeezing into a rammed tent the crowd was electrified to see a really unique and almost drone like vibe emerge from the fusion of Metal and native Mongolian instruments. It went by in a flash! I had checked them out before but this live show really helped bridge a gap in their music.

Batushka

Making their way onto my highlights list for all the wrong reasons. Russian Orthodoxy inspired Batushka had me dead excited for their notorious live show, however taking an age to to set up an elaborate stage of era furnishings and ornaments, their slow arrival to the stage became a drag. Going through some sort of slow candle lighting ceremony they took far to long, overplayed their set time and took more than five minutes between the three songs they churned though doing dull rituals of candle lighting and blessing books. It was a sham and they angered a lot of fans with the poor execution of their show. It did not translate to festival restraints.

Die Antwood
 Hear the booming bass from the Tent where Batushka were dampening spirits I was dead excited to catch the quirky South African Rave Rap duo! Unfortunately I only caught the trail end of their set however it was an absolute riot! The sound system was blaring and their energy on the stage was phenomenal. I couldn't help but move. Its really nice to have something break the flow of similar music being played around the festival. Would have loved to have seen more of it, shame about set overrun but these things happen.

Slipknot
 Prior to the show I had been feeling a little hesitant with Joey and now Fenn's departure. It was however a dynamite show from a band who seemed focused on giving us the absolute best. Corey Taylor was pitch perfect and ten years on from one of the greatest shows Id ever seen, the Knot proved they still have it! It was very emotional, strong memories of my social groups bonding over this band in our youth and that feeling of freedom when your inside the song, inside the moment, free of life's burdens. Only a few bands can do that and Slipknot is one of them, with deep cuts like Get This and Scissors it felt truly special.

Cane Hill

 With delays for fans entering the arena Cane Hill has to kick off Sunday to a small crowd however they gave it their all and a being at the front one could get a better appreciation of guitarists unique playing style and use of effects. As a band they have obvious influences from Korn and Nu-Metal however it made clear that they are bringing their own style and it rocked hard!

Alcest
 Ive been waiting a fair few years for my opportunity to catch Alcest and they did not disappoint! Their serine music translated beautifully to the intimacy of the small stage and their enchanting singing was captivating. The sound was impeccable and these songs came to life on the stage! Wonderful set.

Whitechapel
 Ive never gotten that deep into this Deathcore band however of the times I have seen them they have always been killer. Clearly oversold on the smallest stage, a rammed audience squeezed in and despite being at the back, barely able to see the stage the sound was impeccable. Their trio of baritone guitars were crushing and they soared through a brutal set of tracks. Perhaps this is an advantage of listening from next to the sound desk!

Smashing Pumpkins
 They feel somewhat like a recent discovery for me. Its always 90s bands that seem to get to my heart and I would have been thrilled for this show had I not seen them earlier in the year. It seems they are good friends with Amalie Bruun of Myrkur. They brought her out to do a Black Sabbath cover together which has a special atmosphere to it. Their show was reasonable, amazing set design but It feels like they have ambled through the last fifteen years missing out on the opertunity to establish themselves as a headline act. Billy's stage presence is left to be desired between songs but the performances themselves were fantastic.

Slayer
Its farewell to the legendary Slayer from this side of the pond. I would of loved to see the whole show but the beginning was absolute fire and ever over thirty years into it they can still pull of their songs with a manic intensity. Tom sounded fierce and the live show is certainly not the reason they are calling it curtains. There was a huge fan turn out for the legends but I had to leave early to get my spot for Tool.

Tool

They have been my band of choice to "get into" this year. Many, many hours churning through their discography, which seemed so difficult to get at first. Having got through every record I made the drive north listening to Tool and really starting to connect with the music in anticipation. Live music always has this magic and I shouldn't of been surprised to have it unleashed again. At first the show felt a little underwhelming, no cameras on the band and nothing but trippy visuals plastered across the big screens. It didn't take long for me to realize how much the band wanted the show to be about the music. Their flawless executions of dense and difficult music became a beacon of light and all of a sudden I felt that "strangeness" around their music disappear. It made complete sense, I was converted to a die hard fan and blasted nothing but Tool on the late drive home too. An utterly amazing show to end the weekend on.

Tool "10,000 Days" (2006)

The time has come to draw the Tool journey to a close, however this wont last long as a thirteen year gap between albums will end with another record later this year! With 10,000 Days I have have taken the most time as once again the words to describe this music often alludes me. It has however been the easiest record to get into with many hallmarks of their sound now etched in my mind. The one most distinctive is the cyclical rhythm guitar work that needles in timing oriented jabs of chords and palm muted chugging. On paper it could almost play like a Djent record akin to Meshuggah but Tool take a typically artsy approach with their plastic and narrow guitar tone. One can then relish more so in the winding patterns without the crushing intensity.

The guitars temperament lets dense atmospheres brood as its habitual chugging becomes a current to flow with. Although its polyrhythms and time signature play is clear in this department, much of the bass, drums and second guitar too play into this mentality with the more common constructs dabbling with subtle shifts and oddities. Its a firm backbone for a stage of expressive, emotive and freeing tangents to emerge from, not only does Keenan rise from this foundation but both the lead guitar and even bass get involved in brewing these swells of musical delight. Danny Carey too will dazzle with his ambidextrous playing. It feels like a light can be shun on him at any moment within the record and something interesting will be taking place at his kit.

The records pacing is something of contention. After a steady opening fifteen minutes of chug and churn riffing and swells of expression, the music shifts for the next seventeen with two slow burns. The title track itself builds to an brief out poor of energy that is short lived and after The Pot it feels like the record never gets locked into a groove. Lost Keys has its melancholy guitar lick laying down a sadness that is amplified immensely by this howling guitar feedback that conjures a feeling of grief and punishing loss. It moves into heartbeats and a conversation with a doctor that makes the song feel like a soul has been clutched from the jaws of death.

Rosetta Stoned brings back the foundational guitar work and theme established. Its another epic brew of swelling music that takes its time mounting through itself but after that eleven minutes the album tends to loose my captivation as ponderous and crawling paces of subtle and tender atmospheres don't quite grab me as much as they did when the record was fresh. Its a strange criticism because the dynamic nature of this band is whats so interesting but as it draws on the magic of their pacing feels lost as the momentum keeps sinking back into the quiet. Its hard to say what record is their best but this certainly feels worthy of being considered alongside Lateralus.

Favorite Tracks: Jambi, The Pot, Lost Keys, Rosetta Stoned

Rating: 7/10

Tool "Lateralus" (2001)

My journey through the records of Progressive Metal behemoth Tool hits an elongated fumble as we arrive at one of their most talked about records. Its been over a month since Ænima and with that time Ive sunk my teeth into this meaty eighty minutes of progressive epics many times. I have found myself at the same conclusion many times, Lateralus is slow to get going and its best moments are spun from lengthy build ups that dispel the tension and immediacy yet its best stirrings of musical gusto lurk from these meanderings like a switch that changes nothing. My favorite moments seem to stem from apex of these unending tangents as a final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Its been a fascinating listening experience but as I turn my thoughts into words, the semblance of their meanings feels like a key starting to turn the lock.

Dissecting the musics continual unwinding, one can see the markings of mathematics and music theory manifesting in its song structures and riffs. A lot of the guitar works repeats with obvious cycled counts and poly measures. Its song structures play out linear paths of slow methodical builds in atmosphere and intensity. The guitars often play out pivoting on this principle as slabs of slicing distortions grind through the timely measures with a repetition that always deceives itself, a niche touch. Danny Carey and his presence on the drums are as powerful as ever. He finds himself with one heck of a task to take that big and busying drumming style and play it out through unending passageways. His ability to hold the music together through massive segments should not be understated, its an essential performance.

Lateralus as a whole encapsulates the tone Tool built so far but channels it rather directly into these deeper atmospheric tunnelings that take out the raw emotions. Maybe it is to be found in Keenan's words but with most of that passing me by his performance plays more like another instrument with occasional outbursts of raw screams and energy in the musics peaking moments. The record really gets going with Parabola, a song that perhaps most sounds akin to their previous work. It opens with a groovy crowd bouncing riff that flows into big, engulfing lead guitar notes in the upper range, immediately gratifying. It mostly manages to avoid the number shuffling riffs and compositions while still sounding keenly progressive.

After this track it feels like almost every song is illuminated in its crowning moments with riveting moments of electricity. With that in mind the meandering in between is far more enjoyable as its droning quality suddenly swallows you whole in these moments of brilliance. Lateralus, at eighty minutes, seems to be a deep cut but even after a whole month of devouring it I came to a point where I felt as if the album was too big for itself. Then in the listens leading up to writing this post its as if the magic finally started to click. Its almost like I am only now just starting to actually hear it. Although 10,000 Days is next I will undoubtedly keep this one spinning from time to time.

Favorite Tracks: Parabola, Ticks & Leaches, Reflection

Rating: 7/10

Tool "Salival" (2000)

I decided that our dive into the world of Tool would be a complete one, at that means covering this live album cobbled together with a couple of "outtakes" from the Ænima sessions. Taken from different shows, the live performances show the band are truly capable of illuminating their music on a stage for an audience. Picking the lengthiest of jams, four of these songs alone make up a blistering forty seven minutes as they jam out the psychedelic sections with a sprinkle of elongated atmospheric magic.

Part Of Me from the 72826 demo is explosive, a three minute romp of unleashed, immediate energy and anger, a highlight but a total contrast to the dense atmospheric tracks that it runs against. You Lied is another highlight as a big, stomping, sludgy guitar riff hurls itself from the shadows with strong Melvins and Sabbath vibes, a great riff to stick in the mind. Beside the strength of the live music, the extras seem dull, not even in comparison, just a one minute interlude parallel to that heard on Ænima.

The Led Zepplin cover is a fascinating one tho, they do manage to transform the track into a Tool alike beast but its final experiment of harsh Industrial pounding and helpline recorded messages just grinds out the listening experience. Its a halfway album but I really think they could of ditched the bonus material and stuck to a traditional live album and that would of been fantastic, the other stuff feels like a distraction. This record has however got me very excited to the prospect of seeing them live!

Rating: 5/10

Tool "Ænima" (1996)

Three years on from their burly debut Undertow, American outfit Tool make dynamic strides forward. In scale, atmosphere and dynamism Ænima goes further inwards and beyond their horizons, helping us to all seventy eight minutes available to CD format of that time. These lengthy songs takes their time, meandering in a madness that lays beyond. After its first three songs, each track is broken up with some form of interlude, a few of which are rather fascinating. So far I have found Tool to be a strange band to decipher, its a slow process but that strangeness is now starting to seem like whats to be embraced. Its all so obvious now, as the analytic mind turn on, the signs light up.

More so than before do these songs unfold like abstract emotional journeys. Playing with loud-quiet dynamics, the group craft songs with a keen ear for atmospheres which can stir the mood and dip toes into psychedelic realms before they so often erupt with groove and aggression. Once again its Keenan's shouts and groans that seem to resonate most with these outbursts as his words reach their pinnacle at the crux of the musical momentum. It is perhaps the brittle and stale, buzzing guitar tone that withdraws what should be obvious. Riffs crafted with precision and cohesion that's just unlike other bands of the time... or anything Ive heard. They just have an edge in that department that feels blunted by a grisly and chromatic production style.

 When the temperament is calmer, with an often unsettling demeanor, these guitar bends do resonate sweetly but that is just a personal preference. The drums play straight in heavy sections but conjure its share of atmosphere, guiding the direction exquisitely. Keenan gives a lot of emotional clout to the music, his frustrations and musings delineates much of the upheaval and unrest the compositions hold in their peering to the darkness that lurks in the shadows of every song. Even in its boldest of scenic passings does the mood not feel far from a strange madness, even the unleashing of roaring intensity does not go all the way in to that which stirs beyond.

This darkly bizarre side of this record lays itself bare on a handful of its many interlude tracks. Experiments in noise from the electric zaps and interstellar storms of Ions, to a babies needing cries, drowned out by alien buzzing and flickering voices on Cesaro Summability. Die Eier Von Satan stands stark apart from anything else at work as a commanding, domineering German voice recites a recipe for baking cookies as if at a Nuremberg rally. Its a fine piece of paranoid Martial Industial but feels more like a cheap trick more so than any true insight into historical prejudices, the song is of course fantastically string, as well as a haunting reminder of the perils of man.

The record comes to a close with a snippet of the then recently deceased Bill Hicks to tie noisy synth experiments into a lengthy epic closer of psychedelic exploration that ends with the alarming cries of "prying open my third eye" over and over. The bands ability to hold and progress a moment really shines and ends the record on one hell of a bang. I still feel like there is deeper to go with this record but I can firmly see the excellence and praise music fans heap on this band is showing. It will take longer for me but I am enjoying the process and eagerly awaiting Lateralus.

Favorite Tracks: Stinkfist, H, Forty Six & 2, Jimmy, Die Eier Von Satan, Third Eye
Rating: 8/10

Tool "Undertow" (1993)

Still in the phase of getting to grips with a bands sound, Undertow, the debut full length record of American Rock band Tool, has revealed some magics of which I am growing fond of. Bringing one song from their demo 72826, they already sound like a ripening group with that early 90s Alternative scene sound brimming. On this record the songs take a measured step forward, increasing complexity and finding strengths. Singer Maynard performs with an earnest vulnerability in his singing, extending his range upwards, feeling more involved with his lyrics as his wording comes with surges of aggression when he shouts and emotive inflections in softer sections.

The instrumentals behind him show an intelligence as intensities and atmospheres shift with a unique energy that feels like the core appeal of Tool. Guitar rifts meander with a steady pacing that has many of the songs refraining obvious aggression and letting it brood in the tracks tone, leading one unsuspectingly into big bursts of energy. The album really gets going with Bottom. The song disperses its build up for a scenic mid section of slow, sleepy drums, hypnotic guitars and a wonderfully intense reciting of poetry by the one and only Henry Rollins. After this recital the track explodes into life and tense riffs shift into a prowling pinch harmonic groove that gets me every time.

The distinctions of the following tracks are talking points of there own. The dynamism and cohesion is fiery, each instrument finds its measure of involvement that varies, setting stage for Maynard to wail his pains away. Its here that the musical structures start to find complexity led by vision as the unraveling of guitar licks ques up with a rotating arsenal of grooves and aggression. They flirt with odd time signatures, pull of the odd extra beat and title track Undertow exemplifies this exquisitely as its rotation of riffs dismantles itself in a whirl of choppy guitar thrashing that starts shuffling the momentum off beat and evolves the music into a mammoth groove.

I am still digesting this record, soaking it in, basking in its ambience. Much of the charm is still mysterious but the spark is there and on a song like Flood it is all laid rather bare. They build a dark, grisly, brooding setting out of chunks of tribal drum striking and reverberated voices drifting in and out of focus behind dizzying guitars. Their vision is stunning. It gets a little grimmer on the closer as the band make an unforgiving mockery of religion, pairing a preacher and his crowd with the baas of sheep. Its another brooding song and its in these surges of atmosphere that I am led onto the magic of their music. I'm sure ill grow fonder with more exposure.

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Intolerance, Bottom, Undertow, Flood

Tool "Opiate" (1992)

Following up on their promising demo 72826, American Alternative Rock outfit Tool put together Opiate, an EP consisting of six tracks, four from the demo and two new songs. Its all recorded in a new studio however two tracks are actually recordings from a new years eve show. They sound fantastic in the live setting, giving a lot of charisma and energy to songs that previous sounded a little flat within that chromatic demo quality. Unfortunately these re-recordings don't add much to the experience. Hush and Part Of Me both sound mediocre on this recording. They have stepped up the overall clarity but things still have a sloppy demo sound, the bass guitar suffering the most.

The title track Opiate certainly raises eyebrows with its roaring scream of "We both want to rape you". The music aggrandizes this dramatic moment and a dive into the lyrics hides no secrets to its religious context. An exact meaning may be down to interpretation but it seems to criticize the evil that can be bestowed in the name of God. Its the records best song with a thunderous momentum of bustling tom drums and dramatic, sinister guitar work after pivoting from a more generic rock song. Eventually it fades out to a break of silence that reveals a "secret" track with some patience. This hidden music is a psychedelic jam of comedic musing and cried of Satan. Doesn't add much to the record, but it is its own experience.

The opening and other new song Sweat has crunchy rolling guitar riff work in its opening phases that sets the tone for some anxious lyricism. Its breaks to expansive, atmospheric driven guitar licks are appropriate but its far from a memorable song. So far Ive found myself understanding the music and picking up on the vibe but not feeling anything remarkable bar one or two moments. This rehashing of their demo was a little underwhelming but I am hoping for great thing with their debut Undertow.

Favorite Track: Hush, Opiate

Rating: 5/10

Tool "72826" (1991)

I'm not new to Tool. I've been well aware of their reputation for many years but never found my way into their music. With a Download Festival show looming and a probable fifth album In the works its time to really give them a go! Working in chronological order we start with their demo tape 72826, a name which decodes to Satan. It feels like an excellent choice as I hear some clear links to sounds of other bands in the early 90s Alternative music era and I'm already picking up on some unique themes and concepts in their sound and identity.

On the lyrical front a majority of songs stem from personal relationship struggles manifesting into venting agitation yet most often with a streak of underlying intelligence. It rises to the forefront with Hush, its words challenge the ideas and norms of freedom of speach from a grounded, thoughtful position rather than that of rebellion. That perspective may be shaped by the more artistic and intentional construct of their sound. The words frequently blossom with clarity and wisdom as Maynard James Keenan cries out "I can say what I want to, even if I'm not serious. I can say what I want to, even if I'm just kidding". Its a thought provoking statement when juxtaposed with shouts of "kill yourself" which may initially seem thoughtless.

The music reminds me a lot of Post-Punk in some ways, just within the realm of Rock and Metal. Tool shape up their aesthetics and musical constructs with an ear for opposites, striking balances of melody and demonstrative groove with the guitars leaving space for big prowling baselines to clank and rattle in behind the animated drumming of Danny Carey. Its all comes together without a cheap trick of trope. Every track, although varying in quality, has a set of riffs that firmly establish the tone of the song without an over reliance on any particular instrumental approach or style.

The production for a demo in 91 is alarmingly decent yet objectively its aesthetic is brittle and colorless. The guitars are a dulled by their fuzzy distortion, the bass guitar clanks for volume like a Primus record and the drums lack depth, sounding metallic, especially the tom rolls. Despite all this the charm firmly emerges. Keenan establishes himself upfront with a great performance that reminds me on Eddie Vedder when he boards on a similar flamboyance. Its a great demo and has actually got me excited for the next few records as they will undoubtedly evolve to a Progressive behemoth.

Favorite Tracks: Hush, Sober

Rating: 6/10