Tool Album: “Undertow”

Tool is amazing. They write complex, emotional music, never sound corny, and they can flat-out run a chill down your spine. This particular album is more of a straight rock approach to their brand of music, as opposed to the heavy distortion of Ænima. It's tough to comapre the two albums because of this difference, but one thing I can pick out is that I like the bass better on Undertow. It is used to great effect; one example of this is on "Intolerence", where the bass keeps the flow of the song together, allowing the guitar to play more complicated and varied riffs. The vocals by Keenan are simply astounding : he can sing soft and beautifully, and conversely go all out and yell. During all of the yelling, however, he never sounds untalented; he is able to keep the high quality of his voice. That's very rare to find these days. And last but certainly not least, Danny Carey's heart-pounding drums are able to pick a song up from a slow melody to all out rage and then slow it back down again. If they continue on the path that Undertow and Ænima have beaten out for them, their new album (which is rumored to have been in production since October '99) will be something special indeed.

There is no common opinion on what is the best Tool album. Some will say they got better with each release, while some others think their first two releases, Opiate and Undertow, are better and more musical. Without getting into this debate, I'll kindly suggest, if you've never heard Tool before, start right here, with their first full-length release, Undertow (their debut Opiate is an EP).

The songs on Undertow are all significantly more simple and direct than their work on Aenima and Lateralus; it could be argued that the band hadn't matured fully while they were writing these songs yet, but still, for a 1993 release, Undertow is one of the most innovative discs ever, given how the scene was littered with a million grunge bands at the time. This is not to say Tool has no alternative elements in their music though. The second track of the album actually sees vocalist Maynard Keenan opting for a slightly grunge-styled delivery with great results. However, aside from that, "Prison Sex" is an ultimately adventurous piece and easily transcends the boundaries of grunge. Pairing a gritty bass motif with immensely powerful drum fills, the song also contains a dynamic guitar theme that soars above this combination, climaxing at the final second, suggesting there is not a single overplayed note on it.

Actually, Undertow, as every other Tool album, immediately impacts the listener with its solid rhythmic angle, the amazing Danny Carey on drums and Paul D'Amour on bass (now replaced by Justin Chancellor). Carey's drumming style is absolutely mind-blowing and his tone is to die for, while D'Amour on bass really defines the character of the album, be it with his fat bass lines on "Intolerance" (with killer guitar effects at the end) or his meticulous grooves on "Bottom", a song with a phenomenal atmospheric undercurrent that emphasizes tranquil passages filled with whispered spoken words, sporadic bass throbs, and glistening cymbal work. Guitarist Adam Jones is equally important to this album. His minimalistic yet effective guitar expressions are in a league all their own. You won't hear a million flying solos on this album (or any other for that matter). If that's what you're looking for in music, you'll have to look elsewhere. Tool simply rocks in a different kind of way. Sure, their music is riff-based, marked by plenty of visceral rock nuances, and amidst all these complex passages, it is Jones himself who chooses when and where to insert those riffs, each one having a point and purpose. The guitar work of Tool is simply one of a kind. Adam Jones' guitar lines bleed atmosphere through and through, in a very unique way. "Sober", my personal favourite off of this album, is not only a relentless attack on religious hypocrisy, but it also displays what an amazing lyricist and singer Maynard Keenan is. Just listening to this song, I can already hear how all those new bands, such as Dead Soul Tribe, have been influenced by the genius of Tool's songwriting. The chorus of "Sober" is so well-written and infectious that it won't let go days after you stop listening to it. And I really, really love Keenan's haunting lyrics. He conveys his thoughts with zero pretense, which, in my opinion, is a big plus.

I wish I could describe each track in great detail, but it would be impossible to do so without missing vital moments. Though, at face value, Undertow may seem rather simplistic and concise, repeat listens expose great details. You may be as surprised as me when you start enjoying the numbing guitar drills on the bleak "Crawl Away" or effect-laden guitars paired with oppressive instrumental interludes on "Swamp Song". The title track, besides going back to the band's grunge-infused themes, is also one of the vocal-based cuts, where you hear so many changing chord progressions your head spins; while the Eastern influence on "4 Degrees" (complete with terrific percussion) make you believe they further explored this on their following releases.

"Flood" is arguably the most brooding number on Undertow. Its slowly-picked bass guitar, Keenan's vocals echoing distantly in the background, and dense atmospherics build on through its eventless yet languid first half before venturing into a hard-hitting rock number with philosophy-infused lyrics. The last song "Disgustapated", starting at track 10 and ending at track 69, is a trippy piece of over 15 minutes, littered with odd sound effects, tribal percussion work, spoken lyrics about abuse and intolerance, and a static hammer sound that goes on and on. I'm not even going to go into the pictures in the booklet, which are equally 'different' and 'unusual', for lack of a better term.

It was incredibly difficult for me to crack Tool's music. However, once I did, I never looked back. It may take months or even years, but if you're a music fan with an open mind and enjoy innovation and musical depth as much as I do, give Tool a listen. If you heard them before and thought they were obtuse, maybe you should go back and give their album(s) a new spin. You may be grateful you did.

Not that this album is in dire need of additional scrutinization or anything, but I've now decided to add my two `sense' here into this huge Amazonian mix. So here we go..........

The major thing I need to say about Tool is that you CANNOT take their music at face value, not for a single danged second because once you fall for the brilliant facade, you've basically fallen into the chasm you think you're avoiding by listening to Tool in the first place (more on this later). There are multiple layers of meaning, multiple layers to those meanings, and even layers to how these meanings interact with other meanings. If you look at Tool from only one perspective, then you will completely miss the point of what Tool (or at least Maynard) is trying to show us.

Alright, so why do you listen to Tool? With this album and the "Opiate" EP that preceded it, it had a whole lot to do with a defiant theme of `questioning authority'. I mean sure, the music on "Undertow" is utterly sweet in every musical aspect, laying the foundation for modern nu-metal. But it was the messages of anger and depression and the manipulation of religion that so seemed to torment Maynard that really got attention. This is what got the freethinkers and atheists into Tool, because they, like Tool, `questioned authority'.

Questioning authority is good. Really, it isn't the greatest idea to just submit to anyone and everyone that seems to hold authoritive influence or power of some sort. However, it's one thing to truly search for truth and truly find it, and something else entirely to ignore the truth simply because you don't like it. This album is the story of someone who searches for truth, but somehow prefers desperation. This album is a HUGE slap in the face to those who hear Tool and `question authority', and yet fail miserably in that very regard by not even thinking to question the authority that TELLS them to in the first place! This album, "Undertow", is the beginning of the longest and most complex rock opera ever recorded (more, even, than "American Idiot":-). If you're still reading, pay attention.

Questioning authority truly IS the friggin point, people. Once you question Tool's true motives behind their music, then you will begin to understand what Tool's is actually saying. "Undertow" is the story of someone who questions authority and arrives to the WRONG conclusion, which is that there IS no conclusion. Humanity just blows. He just wants to sleep through this (`why can't we not be sober?'). Depression depression depression. It is patently clear to this character that religion cannot be the answer to anything he's looking for. He questioned that authority, and decided that it doesn't make sense to follow God. But throughout the album there are snippets of this guy looking back, and thinking "maybe I left the answer back there" with religion. "Digustipated", the album's closer, seems to be this guy reminding himself that he doesn't believe in God, that religion is a tool used for greed and manipulation. He's trying to run away from his doubts.

If I had the patience, I would go track by track and explain the obvious meanings of the track, the not-so-obvious meanings, and how each falls into the story perfectly. Unfortunately this can't be done right now, but try looking at it like this: "Undertow" runs seamlessly into the following album "Aenima", which follows the same thematic thread but has the character realize that he has to look beyond himself, beyond his eyes for the answers. At the closing, `Third Eye' is a determination to look for spiritual guidance, and "Lateralus" is the eye wide open and the truth understood. Ever notice all those eyes in the "Lateralus" artwork? Anyway, that was an incredibly inadequate summary, but I'll need to continue with those on their own reviews.

In people's great respect for Tool and their belief in `questioning authority', people are losing Tool's greater meaning by not questioning what Tool is trying to say. If you look at it from multiple viewpoints, it makes more sense than any other musical work I have ever heard. I know a lot of folks will disagree simply because they can't believe Tool could get any more complex then they already thought, but this is what it is. I'll write my other Tool reviews A.S.A.P. and tie it all together, but until then, yours truly can't wait `til Tool album 2005!!!!!

Tool should not be classified as a rock band. They should be classified as an orchestra. The song writing in this album, I feel is bordering on (and i'm a violinist) the Mozart level. The way that they weave and twist the guitar melodies, drum beats, amazing vocals, and underlying bass rhythm is beyond me. Each song is a masterpiece, a journey. That's not all, the album as a whole, feels like one large, well, opera. Each song is perfectly placed, This cd was designed to be listened all of the way through, no shorter. The listener is taken on a journey as they flow through the truly original songs. And nothing is repetitive. Everything is in sync (no, not 'nsync). All I can say is that if you want to hear what a really true metal band sounds like, a band with amazing talent, a band that has the song writing capabilities with the likes of Led Zepplin, Lennon, and Metallica, all in one, Tool is what you need. If you like this, Aenima is even a more must buy.

Beautiful. It is impossible to say whether it is better or worse than AEnima or Opiate. Undertow is an excellent album by an incredible band. Tool is amazing, with burning guitars, chilling vocals, and fantastic bass and drums. They are very talented musically and this album is very deep and has a lot of meaning (AEnima has even more). From the opening, the sharp "Intolerance", to the 10+ minute monster "Disgustipated", this album is a must-have.