Double vinyl four-picture disc edition of Lateralus. Each side contains a different picture and is packaged in a plastic gatefold with a holographic foil. Sony. 2005.

 

Tool: Maynard James Keenan (vocals); Adam Jones (guitar); Justin Chancellor (bass); Danny Carey (drums). Recorded at Cello Studios, Hollywood, California, The Hook, Big Empty Space and The Lodge, North Hollywood, California. "Schism" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. Personnel: Art Bell. Audio Mixer: David Bottrill. Approaching Tool's LATERALUS with a casual ear would be a careless endeavor, to say the least. The sheer magnitude of the musical and emotional textures is as heady as it is primal. Standing out as one of the defining traits of the Tool sound is Justin Chancellor's hauntingly melodic bass playing, which often launches into a role reversal with the mountainous guitar work of Adam Jones. The best examples of said phenomenon are found in "The Grudge" and "Reflection." Drummer Danny Carey slips easily into the pocket, fearlessly tackling odd time signatures and tasty percussion like few contemporary metal percussionists (best evidenced in "The Patient.") Lyrically, LATERALUS crawls through the cerebral catacombs of vocalist Maynard James Keenan, exploring themes such as the fallout from failed communication ("Schism") and clutching to past pain in a desperate attempt at control ("Grudge"). LATERALUS is yet another art-metal tour de force displaying the collective mastery of Tool.

 

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