After an exhaustive five-year litigation battle between the band and their label management, Tool offer up the latest chapter in their musical self-discovery in Lateralus.
Make no mistake, this is a prog rock record, reminiscent of King Crimson and Meddle-era Pink Floyd, with a hint of Rush mutated with Tool's signature sonic assault on the ears.
Lateralus demands close listening from the first piece onward, as it becomes quickly apparent that this is not going to be an album one can listen to and accept at face value.
Complex rhythm changes, haunting vocals, and an onslaught of changes in dynamics make this an album other so-called metal groups could learn from.
While some compositions seem out of place, others fit together seamlessly, such as the 23-minute song cycle serving as the climax and resolution of the album.
However, the album's most disturbing moment arrives at the end, with dissonant electronic noises placed randomly with a drum solo over a phone call to a talk show discussing the secrets behind Area 51, once again serving as a symbolic gesture from the band encouraging people not to take things at face value and to think for themselves.
Overall, a solid, well-produced album from a band that never fails to deliver with each release.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The GrudgeDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 08:36 | 19 MB | 55 MB |
| 2 | Eon Blue ApocalypseDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 01:04 | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| 3 | The PatientDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 07:13 | 16 MB | 45 MB |
| 4 | MantraDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 01:12 | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| 5 | SchismDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 06:47 | 15 MB | 43 MB |
| 6 | ParabolDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 13 MB |
| 7 | ParabolaDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 06:03 | 13 MB | 41 MB |
| 8 | Ticks & LeechesDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 08:10 | 18 MB | 51 MB |
| 9 | LateralusDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 09:24 | 21 MB | 61 MB |
| 10 | DispositionDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | ReflectionDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 11:07 | 25 MB | 65 MB |
| 12 | TriadDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 08:46 | 20 MB | 46 MB |
| 13 | Faaip de OiadDanny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan | Tool | Play | 02:39 | 2 MB | 16 MB |
| 78 mins | 177 MB | |||||
| 78 mins | 470 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Bottrill | Engineer, Mixing, Producer |
| 2 | Danny Carey | Composer |
| 3 | Justin Chancellor | Composer |
| 4 | Vince DeFranco | Engineer |
| 5 | Alex Grey | Illustrations |
| 6 | Adam Jones | Art Direction, Composer |
| 7 | Maynard James Keenan | Composer |
| 8 | Mackie Osborne | Design |
| 9 | Tool | Primary Artist, Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |