Danny Carey – drums, percussion (1990–present)
Adam Jones – guitar (1990–present)
Maynard James Keenan – vocals (1990–present)
Justin Chancellor – bass (1995–present)
Discography:
Undertow (1993)
Ænima (1996)
Lateralus (2001)
10,000 Days (2006)
Fear Inoculum (2019)
Salival (2000, Compilation)
Opiate (1992, EP)
Fear Inoculum is the fifth studio album by American rock band Tool. It was released on August 30, 2019, through Tool Dissectional, Volcano Entertainment, and RCA Records.
First impressions,
Layered, spiraling, & hypnotic. An exhausting trip, but a welcome one.
13 years is quite a wait for an album that most of us probably thought would never come out, but it finally did and boy oh boy was it worth the wait. Before I continue it must be said that Tool is one of those divisive yet popular bands in not only metal but music in general. Heavy yet extremely proggy at times, yet atmospheric and haunting at others. This album is no exception to that statement, in fact on the surface it can be seen as more of the same from this quartet of amazing musicians, yet if you really take this one in you start to notice all the clever layers and all the subtle connective tissue it has to all of their previous releases. This is an album that really takes you on a journey to places you didn't know existed, while keeping you grounded in all the nuances that is, and always has been Tool. Now I have read on social media as of late that this is just more of the same, or this is their worst album yet, or even on the flip side some have praised this album as the second coming of Maynard Jesus Keenan, I’m not going to say I think it’s their worst album but I won’t say it lives up to all the hype that this 13 year wait generated for its release, but one does have to consider Tool is going to be Tool and there are really no bad Tool records, so that being said let’s get down to this review. Instead of gluing this experience together in one overly chatty review, I'll go over the album in less wordy statements on a track by track basis. This will be more effective in conveying how this album pulled me around by the synapses and truly exhausted me in a good way...here we go.
(This is for the 7 track physical version, not the 10 track digital, I'll touch on those 3 interlude tracks later on in this review)
1."Fear Inoculum"10:20
Track one starts with an atmosphere builder, familiar rhythmic patterns and a slow build into the main focus on this album, the rhythm section of Danny and Justin. Adam's guitar work is more tonal than anything with tangents of erraticism. Maynard’s voice is typical Tool fare, understated and almost angelic at times with that typical Tool phrasing and charm through all the deep lyricism we have grown to expect from a Tool song. A great album track that starts the slow build to the albums crescendo while building into one of its own in the process.
2."Pneuma"11:53
Another somber starter that starts off with more texture and sets an almost melancholy mood before deep diving into a very Tool like rhythmic progression, Maynard’s lyrics set a tone of slightly discordant psychology, the type of isolated genius that really worms into your mind. This track is a hypnotic spiral that grabs you by the brain and pulls you down into the depths with it whether you want to go or not. One of my favorites on this album for sure, it's layering and content are just jaw dropping in my opinion.
3."Invincible"12:44
The thing with this album is the formula it sticks with, this song is no different, a somber and subtle intro that builds the mood then the build into the song proper. Danny's drumming, much like the rest of this album, is the centerpiece that this song is built around, Justin's bass work supports the rhythmic work and Adam's guitar has moments of soaring over the song with both majesty and controlled viciousness, the landscape this song paints is one of simultaneous peace and chaos. One of the songs that shows its teeth but never uses them on this album. A nice midpoint on the album to be sure.
4."Descending"13:37
Starting with an atmospheric soundscape of waves, this is a beautiful song in structure and content, Maynard’s lyrics are thought provoking as usual, this is a mostly somber song and it really sets the pace for the second half of the album. The journey this song takes you on is one of desperation and triumph emotionally. It is a great transitional song for this album, and gets you ready for the conclusion of this monument of an album.
5."Culling Voices"10:05
This album is a labyrinth of slow builds and somber moods, this track is no different in that respect, Maynard’s voice and Adam's simplistic guitar work start this track of in a haunting fashion that proliferates the whole song. The build on this song is riddled with false starts and clever musicianship that makes you think it is barely holding itself together at times, it's a song that has a barren landscape type of feel to it, an all alone in the wilderness vibe...then it starts feeling like a challenge the world type of song, it goes from pensive to demanding back to pensive to flat out angry more than once in the later parts of the song, all the while Maynard’s voice is being the one emotional constant all throughout the song.
6."Chocolate Chip Trip" (instrumental)4:48
This is Danny's masterpiece, it makes you seriously think that Neil Peart has been replaced as the best drummer ever, the controlled chaos he brings to this very odd piece is the most aggressively technical thing I have ever heard. A great piece of sonic art, and a showcase of skill from an amazing musician.
7."7empest"15:43
The album's crescendo and the most aggressive song on the album at its peak, this is the snarl song of the album, Maynard’s vocals are in bite mode, gritty and growling in his unique way, his lyrics are scathing and accusing, and they don't apologize at all for it. The music follows suit and really builds this album to an exhaustive high point that honestly, literally exhausts the listener who has committed himself to this album's journey. This is among their high points in musicianship and songwriting, it leaves you with a sense that you have been taken on a trip through the mind of a psychopathic genius and then dropped back off into your own head to deal with the consequences on your own. A first class Tool song if there ever was one.
Conclusion,
I refrained from comparing this album to their past releases for one main reason, Tool albums are individual experiences and comparing them would be to trivialize their effect on the individual listener, however with that being said, this album does have moments of connective tissue to all of their previous releases, on purpose or purely coincidental it is a nice little touch that ties Fear Inoculum to its predecessors. This is the definition of a headphone album, the subtlety and layers that the listener will notice on every listen will keep them coming back to hunt for new things that they didn't notice the previous listens, it's a somber affair with moments of anger and spite that integrates well with the atmosphere this album has in spades. The defining meter of this album is the skill that was woven into this album, Danny’s drumming and percussion work is the star of this whole album, his creativity is top notch and it shows through all the technically challenging work he put in, Justin is just as solid as ever and supports the foundation on this release flawlessly, even getting some time to shine himself, Adam’s textural guitar work is intermixed well with the albums overall feel, not too upfront yet not buried, he soars when he needs to and provides that push when it is called for, a masterful contribution from a talented guitarist. What can be said about Maynard? He’s a story all his own, he’s also the logical core of all his projects, but in Tool he is the Lynch pin everything attaches to. He is subtle, direct, haunting, accusatory, and emotional throughout this whole album and every album that came before it. His lyrics are insightful, venomous, melancholy, and introspective and he phrases things in such a unique, almost mathematical way, as most Tool fans know and usually love.
The 3 extra songs on the digital release are simple instrumental interludes that serve the album in one major way, these tracks “Litanie contre la Peur”, “Legion Inoculant”, & “Mockingbeat” tend to be linking songs that convey the idea that this album is really just one very long song split up into several parts. These aren't essential for the album experience as a whole but they do fill in the blanks and make the picture more colorful.
In conclusion, Fear Inoculum, although not a perfect album is a great excuse to immerse yourself in an album that will take you on a ride you will come back to again. This is Tool at their best and in my opinion was well worth the 13 year wait.
Score: 5/5
