After Dream Theater droppped out of my playlist, I thought I wouldn't be straying near progressive for a while...but then I came across Tool. They satisfied my hard rock cravings and at the same time, made some of the best progressive I have heard in a while.
[This image is originally from http://amiross.blogspot.com/2007/12/tool-band.html]
Tool really put a lot of thought into their music. While most big progressive bands, especially progressive metal like Dream Theater, concentrate mainly on melodic complexity, Tool's trademark is the use of very unusual, varying time signatures, and hard-hitting, significant lyrics. Their song and album themes cover everything from political and social commentary, to mathematics and nature.
Their sound is characterized by heavy, wholesome, distorted riffs, a driving and inventive bass (I personally really like the bass sound of Tool), subtly melodious and haunting vocals, and thoroughly absorbing rythms (Danny Carey's drumming lend an incredibly infectious power to all of Tools songs). All the ingredients for a great hard rock performance.
If, however, you allow yourself to penetrate a bit deeper into their music, you discover the kind of deliberate thought that each song of Tool features.
Keenan's lyrics (and the perfectly complementing vocals) unfailingly send chills down the spine. Beautifully constructed verses, and perfect vocal timing. Nowhere does this come out better than in Lateralus, where the lines of each verse have a peculiar property: if you count the number of syllables of each line, the number oscillates up and down the Fibonacci Series (the song itself is about spirals- which, in nature, are described by the Fibonacci Series- and how one should live life not linearly and fixedly, but laterally, allowing oneself to move away from narrow-mindedness and explore the beauty of the world. I can't help but smile at that.)
Jones's guitaring style isn't anything specific...though metal-style play seems to be an underlying characteristic in many songs. Jones, like the other band members, likes to experiment with guitar sounds...which gives Tool's songs a whole range of interesting guitar sounds, and complements the theme of the band.
Justin's bass, as I noted earlier, has a great texture to it. And he plays the instrument inventively enough to capture your interest, as well as shoots a great deal of energy into the music.
Drummer Danny Carey, of course, is the man behind all the lovely crazy-time signatures and accenting. All things put together, Tool are just great if you wanna rock out...and don't want some easy listening at all.
Check out the video of Vicarious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUXBCdt5IPg
1 comment:
LOSER. and you tell me I'M good? and I should teach YOU? IDIOT.
i mean, i love the way you write.
you should've given my common law exam for me. Alam would've given you more than 29 on 50. sickening performance i tell you. i should be ashamed.
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