Tool: Fear Inoculum

[Jon]

This digital version sounds a little...different? Maybe I'm going crazy. Listening to Invincible.

If you're going crazy then so am I. The digital version seems to be a little better balanced, with the low-end more defined. The sound overall is warmer, with a noticeable chunkiness on the bass. I haven't loaded anything into Audacity, Spek, etc., yet, but I noticed the difference right away.

[Toadflax]

@cdm yeah I think the Tempest lyrics are pretty bad. It's like one of their typical show-off/on-the-nose songs (The Pot, Hooker, Ticks and Leeches). The rest of the album is solid IMO.

I give Maynard a pass with these kinds of songs, simply because of what they are. "Adorable like cake in a crisis" strikes me as too silly a lyric for a song like TalkTalk, whereas "calm as cookies and cream" seems appropriately silly for an in-your-face song like 7empest. That said, I totally get wanting the lyrics to be better.

Also, it seems Maynard's developed quite the sweet tooth lately.

[Kodiak33]

If you're going crazy then so am I. The digital version seems to be a little better balanced, with the low-end more defined. The sound overall is warmer, with a noticeable chunkiness on the bass. I haven't loaded anything into Audacity, Spek, etc., yet, but I noticed the difference right away.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm hearing. The bass and guitar seem to be fuller, at least in Invincible.

[SM Rollinger]

I give Maynard a pass with these kinds of songs, simply because of what they are. "Adorable like cake in a crisis" strikes me as too silly a lyric for a song like TalkTalk, whereas "calm as cookies and cream" seems appropriately silly for an in-your-face song like 7empest. That said, I totally get wanting the lyrics to be better.

Also, it seems Maynard's developed quite the sweet tooth lately.

I thought the goofyness started back on Rosetta Stoned IMO

[Jon]

I thought the goofyness started back on Rosetta Stoned IMO

The Gaping Lotus Experience

EDIT:

Where did this come from?

It appears to be the same as what's available at fanart.tv, only lower quality. The metadata information was stripped and the picture was converted to 96 dpi from 72 dpi. Here is the one from fanart.tv (download link; the preview version is several KB smaller).

[Toadflax]

I thought the goofyness started back on Rosetta Stoned IMO

I feel like Tool gets one silly angry song per album: Hush, Swamp Song, Hooker With A Penis, Ticks & Leeches, Rosetta Stoned, and 7empest.

Granted some of those are sillier than they are angry and vice versa, and some are better than others, but for me there's always that one song that makes me go, "okay, we're doing this now."

That said, I think it carries a different weight when it's the last song, the longest song, and the only consistently aggressive song on the album, which is probably why the lyrics are standing out to people as not good enough for an otherwise epic finale.

[Mr. Blaileen]

I meant to listen to this Monday when I noticed it had leaked, and I don't think I've been able to bring myself to NOT listen to a leak since the Limewire/Kazaa/Napster days...but an insane work-week combined with getting a kitten a few days ago has distracted me enough that here I am on Thursday and haven't heard the album yet. Have a four day weekend ahead of me, starting tomorrow, so I'm gonna go find a cool nature spot and really dig into the album. I like FI and Invincible more each time I hear them, and I can't wait to dig into the rest of it..especially the studio version of "Descending".

[ickyvicky]

[Mr. Blaileen]

^ My brain right now.

So, are the segues any good?

[zecho]

^ My brain right now.

So, are the segues any good?

Literally been checking the forums all day waiting for someone to describe them.

[Toadflax]

Literally been checking the forums all day waiting for someone to describe them.

Only listened to them once so far, but my first impression is that they're fine. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible, and I don't know yet whether they'll improve my experience of listening to the full album. YMMV, but they're pretty much what you'd expect.

[Kodiak33]

I think they help break things up a bit, but I didn't find them particularly interesting either. The digital version sounds way better than the CD rip for some reason, I like it way better now especially Invincible and Descending.

[PhoenixML]

I will forever skip the segues and CCTrip. And this will still be my favorite album of the year.

[Amaro]

So, are the segues any good?

They’re more worth the listen than “Vigniti Tres” or "Mantra" but nowhere necessary like “Eon Blue Apocalypse”. I’ll give them more time to see how they shape the record, for better or worse.

Can someone please speak to a supposed 4th segue track that is apparently listed in the liner notes of the CD? I wonder if that’s available on the actual music player that comes with the packaging.

[Bachy]

Do the streams on Apple typically post by midnight local time? Or would it be by midnight PST? Regardless, just about 9-10 more hours to go.

[Demogorgon]

A certain Kingdom of Leaks already has all ten tracks if anyone is uninterested in waiting.

[Kodiak33]

Do the streams on Apple typically post by midnight local time? Or would it be by midnight PST? Regardless, just about 9-10 more hours to go.

I think North America is midnight EST, at least on Spotify.

[Jon]

Literally been checking the forums all day waiting for someone to describe them.

They’re more worth the listen than “Vigniti Tres” but nowhere as necessary as “Eon Blue Apocalypse”. I’ll give them more time to see how they shape the record.

Can someone please speak to a supposed 4th segue track that is apparently listed in the liner notes of the CD? I wonder if that’s available on the actual music player that comes with the packaging.

Firstly, I am 99.9% certain all four of the transitional/segue songs are time-screteched and/or reversed "elements" of the album (specifically the song "Fear Inoculum" for the first three). The only one featuring something that I believe to be unique is "Mockingbeat". There is a voice saying something (or repeating something) from 1:50 to 2:03. It's buried (think: NIN - "A Warm Place"), but doesn't sound tampered with otherwise. If someone wants to have a go at trying to isolate and amplify that bit, it may be worthwhile (for science).

Litanie Contre La Peur = first half sounds like isolated vocals time-scretched and/or reversed; a guitar (or maybe it's just vocal effects) start in half-way. Think "Mantra".

Legion Inoculant = pretty much the same as above. "Bless this immunity" is clearly heard several times around the midway point.

Mockingbeat = call me crazy, but I think the bird noises are distorted bits of the beginning chime in "Fear Inoculum". The percussion / synth pad sound are either a piece of drumming from "Fear Inoculum" or a simple synthetic beat. It's extremely hard to tell between what's been tampered with, and what could possibly be bits of Danny Carey having fun with synths.

Recusant Ad Infinitum = this is the track that plays as part of the video brochure thingamabob. It is available on YouTube, and is listed as 6:42 in length (this is a clip capture of someone doing an unboxing video, so you'll notice extra noises throughout). An official document from the FSK times the track audio at 6:32. This sounds like bits from all over the album given the time-stretching/reversal treatment already described. There are clear bits of "7empest" and "Descending", as well as "Fear Inoculum".

So what's the point? An "endless" album... in spirit. All roads seem to point back to the first track, "Fear Inoculum". I don't think there is a Holy Gift, but rather, the transitions allow for you to play with the track order per your tastes.

EDIT: The segues remind me of Mudvayne's L.D. 50. I wonder if there is/was a larger piece that these were culled from.

[TheRealNs1]

There is a voice saying something (or repeating something) from 1:50 to 2:03. It's buried (think: NIN - "A Warm Place"), but doesn't sound tampered with otherwise. If someone wants to have a go at trying to isolate and amplify that bit, it may be worthwhile (for science).

fucking NIN fans, always trying to run everything through a spectrum analyzer.

[TheRealNs1]

[deadwinterskies]

I'm holding off listening to the album until I have it in my hands tomorrow but I'm a little curious: was that guitar riff that Adam posted to his IG a few months ago from one of the new songs or was that just him dicking around on a guitar?

[Amaro]

I'm holding off listening to the album until I have it in my hands tomorrow but I'm a little curious: was that guitar riff that Adam posted to his IG a few months ago from one of the new songs or was that just him dicking around on a guitar?

It’s from one of the new songs... Soon you’ll find out which one!

(Shh, everybody.)

[richardp]

Wait what? What am I looking at here?

[otnavuskire]

Wait what? What am I looking at here?

It would appear that there are several variants of the CD packaging.

[Dissonance]

This album is epic soundscape of music. It took me a three listens when it leaked but wow.

1. Descending (god this song is incredible studio wise, way it makes me feel, that the bridge my god/ top 10 song of TOOL for me )
2. Penuma (Was an early top fav for best until aforementioned just sunk in deep)
3. 7empest (this song is a monster)
4. Fear Inoculum
5. Culling Voices (could interchange it with FI)
6. Invincible (such a disappointment from the live version as of now, part of "Tears in my eyes, Chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom soul," etc was better sung emotional live than the effect, andthe breakdown is weaker on studio to me
7. CCTrip

[theruiner]

Me waiting for Tidal to release the album.

https://giphy.com/gifs/frustrated-mi...-CxDifyGJqCiPe

And it's up.

It's also available on HD Tracks in lossless for $18, FYI. I am listening to it on Tidal tonight but will snatch that over the weekend.

[wight rabbit]

Me waiting for Tidal to release the album.

https://giphy.com/gifs/frustrated-mi...-CxDifyGJqCiPe

And it's up.

It's also available on HD Tracks in lossless for $18, FYI. I am listening to it on Tidal tonight but will snatch that over the weekend.

You can save 20% on it by using promo code HiResSummer.

[theruiner]

Holy crap, you're awesome. Thank you!!

[caca]

Listening right now. Holy fuck... this is outstanding.

[wight rabbit]

Holy crap, you're awesome. Thank you!!

Just got an e-mail about it, so I jumped on it! Unfortunately, I am having issues downloading it now. Every time I try to use the link it takes me to an error page.

Update: I managed to get their Download Manager downloaded. I guess it didn't like Firefox because the link worked right away in Safari.