Album Review. TOOL - Lateralus (2001)

The third Tool's studio album is another evolutionary step. In terms of music, this is still the same Tool, but devoid of the excessive avant-garde of the past album. However, this group’s products did not become mainstream, as it is still characterized as music not for everyone: it is deeply personal and original.

Not everyone can understand and love this work. It is much more difficult for perception than its predecessor "Aenima", and all its incredible beauty and mysteriousness is revealed far from immediately. Only after a certain ten auditions do you begin to understand his bottomless depth and volume of the musical message.

Each of the songs is a true progressive masterpiece for all times, and the lyrics have a lot of meanings and are so delicate that it is impossible to break away from listening.

The musical component of this album is no less ingenious than the text one. Adam Jones's guitar sometimes tones melancholically and dullly, but at the next moment it breaks down like a hurricane, then so pitifully cries that goosebumps run through body. Justin Chancellor's bass lines are very beautiful, and most importantly, they do not play the role of a secondary instrument, because, coupled with a bunch of effects, bass often becomes a solo instrument, and the party from "Reflection" may well put in a trance.

A separate word - this is the party of drums. Danny Carey left just to an inaccessible height. Playing at the same time both rhythms and percussion, he achieved an incredible polyrhythmia, for which, of course, many thanks to him.

“Lateralus” is an original blend of epic progressive metal, industrial and psychedelia. Tool made a truly ingenious album and with this they inscribed themselves in history, and it is not known whether they can repeat this again, because “10,000 Days” turned out to be weaker. This work was viewed from different angles, someone gave it an inexpressible significance, sought out the deep meaning in the already existing explanations... I think that this was not by chance, didn’t it?