Totally understandable, at this point. I'm a fan and will buy the record. I like the new tunes they've been playing live . . . but . . . they're more of the same, tbh. Who knows though, the album may represent the evolutionary step forward we experienced with AENIMA and LATERALUS and even 10,000 DAYS to an extent. We'll see!
The gig in Krakow was absolutely stunning, still don't expect that much from a new album...hope I'm wrong and gonna get hit on the head hard!
Fully agree that AEnima to Lateralus was a evolutionary step forward, as was Undertow to Aenima (and Opiate to Undertow), but I can't agree that Lateralus to 10,000 Days was a step forward, to me it was more like two steps backward.
[edit, I did say DAYS was an evolution "to an extent"] Yeah I thought so too and didnt listen to Days for over 10 years. When I finally sat down with headphones and the lyrics I learned that there is at least some "innovation" on the record. The title song sounds like something new and different, even the kind of poppy sounds of a few tunes. This is not evolutionary like the other records but it is a slightly new or different sound. But when I heard "Vicarious" for the first time it literally sounded like they took four of their earlier tunes and mixed them up and this cliche'd TOOL-Sounding song was made. The new tunes have a bit of that about them too. They really can only do TOOL, you know what I mean?
The title song is absolutely impressive, I'd say on par with the best songs on Lateralus. Vicarious, The Pot, no real innovation there but two of my favorite Tool songs on any album. To me, at this point anyway, the innovation isn't nearly as important as the strength of the individual songs and the album as a whole. While their first three albums really seemed like albums in the best sense of the word, 10,000 days just doesn't. The flow on that album is poor and the best songs (title track, Vicarious, The Pot) really show how poorly the experimentation on some of the others pays off.
Tool have sort of reached classic rock band status, which puts them in a tricky situation when it comes to the new album. If there are too many new elements, people will moan that it is moving too far away from their classic sound. Not enough new elements, and other people (or maybe even the same people) will moan that its more of the same. No doubt, a large percentage of the comments online will be along the lines of 'come on, 13 years for this?!' Maynard has already joked that the album will be called 'Chinese Deux-mocracy' . Perhaps a better name will be 'Damned If Do, Damned If We Don't'
I have limited expectations, but I think what we do get as an album will be satisfying. Will it break new ground no one's ever heard in metal before? Who cares. I just want to hear good new Tool music (and get a nice pressing of it).
I'll admit that neither of the new songs have grabbed me yet. But I can imagine Invincible being a pivot point in the flow of the album. Heck, it took 15 years before Stinkfist grabbed me (ahem!l
Wow. How vague, underwhelming, and pointless can an update be? Unnamed Tool "employee" says a single is coming in July. Stop the presses! July 1st? July 31st? Thank you for nothing, Jose Mangin. What a stupid article. No offense to Ortho for the post, of course.
Album supposedly comes out two months from tomorrow without a pre-order option, cover art, track list or album title anywhere in sight. Yeah, sure, this is really happening.
I know seems odd. I’m not worried though. I remember when Radiohead announced In Rainbows only a week before it came out.
Might you be thinking of The Raconteurs’ Consolers of the Lonely? In Rainbows came out immediately for download but it was a bit before you could get a physical copy iirc.
Don’t listen to them. And ya I remember it was first released as a download but was just saying how sudden the release was.
The new songs have evolved into pretty incredible songs. Check out the show from Prague, they are perhaps the best songs of the set. Although, I was truly taken back how great they played every song to be honest. When Maynard gets to dancing like he was in Prague, you know it's a good night. I truly think after watching the Prague show, the new album could be the best Tool album they have ever done.
Of course it is. Why would they bother tracking an album, paying Bob Ludwig to master it only to not release the record?
Albums used to come out with no information, no single, no advance warning. Amazing, I know. Somehow they still sold in the millions, personally, I like the thrill of the surprise and not knowing everything in advance.
Listening to some of the recent shows, Tool seems like they are rejuvenated. They seem to be playing better than ever lately.
I saw Tool live back in 2002, but it took me until 2010sh to really appreciate and enjoy listening to them. As I got older I came to appreciate the nuances and composition of the music.
I went to the show in Amsterdam last month. The band was still tight as a mf. I believe they played two new songs, not immediately impressed. However I found their material always was growing on me, so I expect this to happen again now. Besides the new material I am hoping for some proper vinyl releases or reissues of the back catalogue.
Sorry if you've seen this before, but reissues were floated a couple of years ago. And indeed, Adam Jones himself commented on this very forum about it. Tool Planning to Remaster and Reissue All of their Albums for Vinyl Release Perhaps these will be released alongside the new album in August. If they are, I think I'll be spending most of the rest of the year in my tool shed!
