Likes: 
Faceplams: In case no one's pointed it out yet:
1 Calm
2 be
3 fore
4 the
5 tem
6 pest
7 comes
1 A
2 tem
3 pest
4 must
5 be
6 just
7 that
Active Member
In case no one's pointed it out yet:
1 Calm
2 be
3 fore
4 the
5 tem
6 pest
7 comes
1 A
2 tem
3 pest
4 must
5 be
6 just
7 that
Throbbing Member
Ahhhh of course I had to notice the album leaked early into my day at work..and now the wait until I get home seems an eternity.
Can't. Wait.
House Always Wins
I like ISIS. That’s a different type of beast.Originally Posted by cahernandez
(Unused symbol)
I just finished my first listen. Some thoughts:
- "High-calorie" is a very good way to describe this album. For me, this is the once or twice a year visit to my favorite steakhouse to have ALL THE FOOD. I'm not just going to pop this album on a whim, I've got to devote time and plan my afternoon around it.
- Overall I like the album but it feels like an unnecessary director's cut of an above average film. Some say it's bloated...maybe I'm saying the same thing. Not sure yet after only one listen.
- The songs are so long and so formulaic by track 4 it starts to get awfully monotonous. Good, yes, but still monotonous.
- I'd rather this be a double album mixing in some shorter full songs to break up the massive 10+ minute tracks. Maybe the digital tracks will do that, we'll see.
- "Calm as cookies and cream..."
no, sorry.
The package (based on that unboxing / kid tearing apart the album):
- Spoiler: Very underwhelming and unnecessary. I wasn't sure what to think of the screen when details trickled out but upon seeing it...come on, what a let down. I've not yet seen the AV content but I can't imagine anything being impressive on such a tiny screen. And to think each one of us have a larger (and likely higher resolution) screen in our pocket...seems like a waste.
- Spoiler: Everything else looked as one would expect: Alex Grey art / patterns, quality printing; the printed vellum pages are a nice touch.
- Unless there is a vinyl I'll probably pass on the physical album.
Last edited by cdm; 08-26-2019 at 02:02 PM.
Banned
I had my expectations low (anticipating Eat The Elephant levels of suckage)....Its definitely better than I expected but its also not some masterpiece that some were expecting. Musically they are dialed in to a 10 but Maynard's vocals seemed half-assed for the most part. Maybe it will grow on me the way Puscifer albums do on a 2nd and 3rd listen but I think MJK thought he was singing for a Puscifer or APC on this record. They should have had at least a couple of scorchers on this album.....1st listen, I would say its better than 10,000 Days but not even close to matching up with the holy trifecta of the 1st 3 records....Actually this album sounds like the album that should have come out in between Lateralus and 10K Days...
Saul Williams fan.
I like it a lot. Rammstein, Slipknot and Tool did not reinvent the wheel this year, but all of them came up with solid albums. They simply did what they do best, and everything worked out in the end.
BADGERS
Isis doesn't have a lot of 10 minute+ songs... sumac does, Yob does. I will say, as a guy who listens to a lot of bands that have big, lengthy tracks, Tools do tend to overstay their welcome more so than others. This is also true of Yob, but for different reasons.
My low expectations benefitted my opinion of this album, for sure. I actually like that there's an emphasis on musicianship and less singing... That's my jam everywhere. I also appreciate that this basically sounds very much like tool. It's a trade off... I imagine one of the reasons this took so long, knowing literally nothing about whether this is true or not, but I'm sure the band possibly wanted to expand their sound a bit and had trouble doing so, and eventually settled on sticking to what they know... To some success here. So this album isn't exactly pushing Sonic boundaries... Maybe rhythmic ones. It can be boring sometimes. It still works though.
This year's Sumac album is waaaay more interesting than any tool album btw. It actually does push some boundaries.
Last edited by Wretchedest; 08-26-2019 at 04:07 PM.
The Virus Inside
Be careful with these words around here, friend. I mentioned I thought this would be better suited as a double album with some shorter songs sprinkled in, and some select individuals here said I came across as "entitled" for wanting a double record and I need to be happy that I as getting a new record at all... *shrugs* Good to know I'm not the only one to share this same thought though.
There was some reeeeally good stuff released this year. Tons of massive bands that had been MIA crawled out from under a rock. 2019 will go down as one of the best years for music releases. With that said, Rammstein is still album of the year for me.
Last edited by ManBurning; 08-26-2019 at 03:26 PM.
Active Member
Dont
you
dare
point
that
at
me
Active Member
(Unused symbol)
Thanks for the input.
Administrator
Let's keep moving along, folks. It sure would be an inconvenient time to lock this thread because of unecessary snippiness.
Stubby Member
This isn’t the decoy thread?
Throbbing Member
I'm doing my best to hold my tongue.
On-topic, I'm finally home and able to listen to the album with my nice headphones. Let the journey begin!
Stubby Member
The home stretch from Culling Voices and CC Trip then the transition into 7empest sounds like Discipline era King Crimson all of sudden trying to re-create Undertow...successfully
Last edited by AndItKeepsRepeating; 08-26-2019 at 08:04 PM.
Active Member
Just listened....and I like it! I'll echo the sentiment that the album sounds a bit like a sequel to Lateralus. Or at least the natural progression from the last part of that album. The musicianship is insane and I actually kind of like that Maynard isn't front and center. It's a nice contrast to 10,000 Days. It does drag on a little bit, I had a little ear fatigue by the end.
Throbbing Member
Invincible still giving me goosebumps. Top 10 Tool track for me already
Administrator
Another thing that stood out to me about the new album is the guitar tone - something that, frankly, I think people get silly about, and it's the kind of thing that quickly becomes a chase for diminishing returns. It sounds like Adam Jones spent way too much time getting his guitars to sound just so, and I'm cool with that. While very much adhering to Tool's sonic formula, on headphones it sounds like he's tuned into the tonal sweet spot more tightly than ever before.
I was nobody. Nothing.
Idk, y'all.
I like this SO much more than 10k days.
And, perhaps the lyrics are "cheesy," but I REALLY , REALLY needed some of the positive messages on this record in my life right now- like, desperately.
I'm used to being disappointed by shit like this: like a lot of you, I was born around 1980, and had, for instance, the star wars prequels flung at me.
But this is different. This actually REALLY exceeded my expectations.
I'm sorry some of you guys feel let down, but, it seems like a lot of you who are feeling this way got a kick out of 10,000 Days.
I just sort of didn't.
THIS is, for me, the logical evolution from Lateralus.
Idk. No one is changing anyone's mind, of course. but good GOD, as for me, I LOVE this record.
Active Member
Agreed, this album tramples all over 10kDays. This album is fucking stunning.
Just tickles my balls!
Kinda surprised that the digital versions hasn’t leaked yet.
Just tickles my balls!
Same here re: the positive messages.
Resident Asshole
On that note I highly recommend anyone who hasn't listened to the album on headphones to please do so. I honestly believe this is the best way to experience it.
I've listened to the album 4 times and each time I end up finding a new layer/sound, I feel like this album is going to continue to mutate the more I listen to it. Yet I still don't feel like this is a masterpiece by any means. Maybe it's due to the song lengths or something, but I have a real hard time finding a hook that keeps me invested. I liked the idea of saying this is the type of album I will have to devote myself to listening to once or twice a year. It's good, like really good, but it sits in a special category.
I was also reading on Reddit about how this fits in as a continuation to Lateralus, what do you all think? **EDIT** Damn it, I didn't notice that @elevenism had already posted this idea
Last edited by NotoriousTIMP; 08-26-2019 at 11:33 PM.
xScott
I loved 10K Days and the Stat Wars prequels.
Active Member
The water opening of Descending fading into that bass line on a good ass pair of noise cancelers is fucking magical.
Resident Asshole
Dude, 7empest intro as well!
Throbbing Member
Waaaay too early but right now I feel Aenima > Lateralus >FOH, undertow, 10,000 days, opiate. It could be better or worse just my early opinion
Last edited by Rdm; 08-27-2019 at 01:38 AM.
Stubby Member
Culling, Invincible (first half only) and Pneuma are easily current faves. There's something more meditative about this album, which I'm not so sure helps its different pieces fit.
Just tickles my balls!
Is it water? I thought it was a big wind gust.
The Virus Inside
FOH? Is that a typo? Assuming it's FI...
Either way, least I'm not the first to do this... here we go:
1)Lateralus
2) Aenima
3)10K days
4)FI
5)Undertow
6)Opiate
I can see FI and Undertow going head to head for spot 4 and 5 depending on my mood. I listened to undertow today for the first time in eons. It's always been the one I never really pay enough attention to, so I got the itch to listen to it today. My top 3 is solidified though. Those won't change.
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