Fear Inoculum

It's hard to explain or describe a TOOL album. You have to listen to it for yourself and you have to listen to it multiple times at that to truly understand it. There are a lot of complaints that Fear Inoculum is too derivative of their previous works, and it's true that you will find distinct glimmers of past albums in the songs (eg. 7empest has an unmistakable Undertow influence, and Pneuma sounds kin to something off of Lateralus) but I don't see this as anything to criticize. There is nothing wrong with a band invoking their own sound and the songs still have plenty of their own flavor to add to the mix. I admit I didn't love the album the first time I heard it, but even with TOOL being my favorite band I can't honestly say I've loved ANY of their albums on a first listen (except for Ænima, that album killed right out of the gate). It takes time and patience and openness to let their music sink in and take hold. Now I adore this album. I wouldn't say it's their very best work, but at no point did I expect or need it to be. They've already hit that benchmark (again, Ænima). I just needed this to be good and to be TOOL. And it is most definitely both. Maynard's role takes a bit of a backseat on this outing, which can be a difficult adjustment at first. The lyrics are good (great, in a couple of spots) but overall, he has held back quite a bit compared to previous efforts. I don't know if this was intentional (or just a lack of interest on his part) but in return, you'll get to see other members like Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor really shine and get some long overdue spotlight. The songs are definitely long, even by TOOL's standards (the shortest proper song on the album clocks in at about 10:05) but as is typical with this band, they are so engrossing and engaging that once they've fully wrapped around your brain, you'll barely notice. The only exception to this, I feel, is 7empest. While I genuinely love this song, it may be the first track from TOOL that I've ever felt was longer than it needed to be. Not egregiously so, by any stretch, but I still find myself briefly zoning out somewhere in the middle of it. The one element that I feel truly falls flat on this album is optional "interlude" tracks. In TOOL's past catalogue, most of the albums have contained segue tracks that are usually soundscapes or short instrumentals of a sort that provide a connective tissue between the main tracks, either serving as an intro or outro to an actual song, or simply a transition from one song to the next. This creates a cohesive listening experience when you put the album on and play it through from start to finish. Most of their albums feel like they were meant to be listened to as one complete work, rather than a collection of songs. But Fear Inoculum is not like that. The songs feel separate and, for the most part, do not flow from one into another. In and of itself this is ok, but this time the included interludes feel extremely tacked on. They each feel like the band was just messing around in the mixing booth and then said "Hey, this is neat. Let's throw it on the album." Even Chocolate Chip Trip, which on the first couple of listens turns into a surprisingly fun three-minute Danny Carey drum solo, begins to wear thin after a short while. These interludes do not hurt the overall production, exactly, but they really don't feel necessary at all and I often find myself skipping over them. If you're trying to scale all of TOOL's albums on a self-contained best-to-worst spectrum, Fear Inoculum may actually be one of their worst albums. But any band that can claim THIS as their worst album, is clearly one of the greatest bands to ever exist. It is a phenomenal effort, especially after 13 years, and miles above anything else out there right now. If you are new to this band, this MAY not be the best place to start (*cough* Ænima) but if you already love TOOL, I think this album will assuredly find a place in your heart.

Tool fans are a protective bunch, and I am a fan. I know from experience as a King Crimson fan as well just how protective we fans can be. I once saw a KC fan yell at a tourist for taking Robert Fripp's photo during one of his famous soundscapes performances. That was the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center (called Brookfield Place today) in 1999. I get it. Don't criticize our favorite bands. They are critic-proof. Tool are back and they have met our expectations. Fear Inoculum is great. I can't really put together a cohesive review, but I wanted to share my notes. I have thought about this since 2001, and I think it has to be said that the band has been going easy on us this century. They haven't been as challenging or revolutionary as they were in their first six years. Tool, even when not smashing through walls, is impressive. Parabola is one of the most incredible tracks I've heard this century, yes. And I love Invincible, self-reflexive as it is. But overall, Tool has mellowed a little into an art rock band that impresses with their musicianship, but doesn't quite reach the heights of the albums of my infancy. I came into this world in 1973. You know that year. Houses of the Holy. Dark Side of the Moon. Selling England. Tubluar Bells. For Your Pleasure. Larks' Tongues in Aspic. Brain Salad Surgery. The following year had The Lamb and Starless and Bible Black. As much as we want to place Tool with them, we can't. Tool are influenced by some of these greats. And it seems more apparent than ever on Fear Inoculum. Most of the main tracks are spaced apart by instrumental tracks that quote some of their earlier works. And I agree - ambitious, epic songs should have space between them on an album. So bravo to the boys for making an album. If you play it all the way through, there will be chances to take a breath. But I still think it is an accessible album, despite the length. 10,000 Days is not the easiest of listens. Fear Inoculum is really smooth and easy by comparison, like an irish whiskey on the rocks. The compositions tick all the boxes: time changes, strong solos, Maynard's impeccable vocals, and one of the best drummers and bassists in rock. The lyrics, as usual since Lataurus, are not all that great, but they are fine. And the songs this time out have a more consistent tempo. There aren't many fast sections here (nothing like Bottom or Grudge). No need to dive into the photos and lyrics like this is a Rush album. Not many hidden meanings. It's just four amazing musicians making their work seem easy. And that is not a negative criticism. When I listen to Fear Inoculum, I hear a band that has composed and prepared for so long, recording the songs must have been a relief. I hear a relaxed art metal band. Is that nuts? I get it. I'm past the age of giving a crap, and so are these four talented guys who are decade ahead of me. They slaved over these compositions, looked back, realized that a lot of them are in odd numbered time signatures (involving a lot of 7s), and said screw it, they might be slower but they are all up to our standards. And that's really what I want to stress here. This is a Tool album. Like every other studio record they put out, it lives up to the hype and their high standards. We can't take that for granted. Despite my gripes about this album being accessible, I'm having a very hard time deciding if it is better than Lateralus. If it is, it's their third best full length album. If not, it's their second weakest. This? Weak? I gave it five stars. Time for another listen.

I’ve been waiting years for this release. Initially reluctant to pay the price but I imported one from the USA at a considerable saving over the UK/European price. I also had the day off work to listen it fully on the day of release. So I’ve now had several weeks of listening to it. There are few albums that ever truly lift me and really make the hairs stand up on your neck, but this is one of them. I love longer songs that take a while to develop. Whether it be Led Zep, Deep Purple, Type O Negative, Elder, or Jethro Tull etc - I like to sit down and just absorb their craft. Tool have just nailed it with this release. All 4 musicians are at their peak here. DC produces the most amazing display of polyrhythms (as always), JC works in tandem with him to be what I believe is the best rhythm section in any band at the moment, AJ produces riff after riff of drop D goodness (and some nice solos) and MJK goes through a range of emotionally charged vocals (although never quite reaches the intensity of earlier works eg Sober). The production is absolutely top notch. This isn’t an album to just dip into, you need to sit down, give it time with no distractions, and you’ll be richly rewarded. I was driving home today and got stuck in a traffic queue on the M62. But I didn’t care as it meant that I got to listen through the whole album again. I’ve often found myself sitting in the car park at work refusing to go in until the current track finishes. I thought Agent Frescos A Long Time Listening was going to be my album of the decade but it may now be a tie with Fear Inoculum. Just amazing.

Ca fait 13 ans qu'on l'attend donc forcément on a la dalle! Déjà le packaging, c'est beau! (c'est très cher aussi, 80€ pour 50$ outre atlantique ça fait cher le voyage en avion...). Je m'attendais pas à un aussi beau coffret. C'est dans la lignée des packages originaux depuis Aenima mais cette fois avec un écran au milieu qui se recharge par USB (pas très utile mais ajoute définitivement à l'ensemble. Le livret est super beau. Téléchargement inclus mais seulement en MP3 malheureusement. Que dire de l'album, un peu déçu au premier abord. Je connaissais déjà Descending et Invicible (un concert US sur Youtube et le Hellfest), j'aimais beaucoup ces deux chansons mais je n'avais pas écouté Fear Inoculum en entière. J'ai écouté l'album sans être attentif aujourd'hui au travail et j'étais un peu mitigé. Puis j'ai pris le temps de l'écouter comme il se doit ce soir... C'est simplement fantastique, je trouve. C'est du tool aucun doute mais cet album apporte une vraie évolution sur le son de Lateralus et évidement 10,000 Days puisque le son n'avait pas vraiment évolué. Cet album se bonifie au fur et à mesure des écoutes. C'est pour moi un vrai plaisir d'avoir enfin du nouveau Tool dans les oreilles! Ya que Tool en mettant leurs albums sur les plateformes de streaming pour prendre la 1ère place du Billboard rock pour Aenima sorti en 96, la 2ème place pour Lateralus sorti en 2001, la 4ème place pour 10,000 Days sorti en 2006 et la 5ème place pour Undertow sorti en 1993! Tout ça la 1ère semaine!

Es un disco muy especial.

随分と在庫が安定してきたのか、11月24日時点で、北米のAmazonなら38.90ドルで購入可能です。送料含めても5000円するかしないかで買えるので、HDプレーヤー付きが欲しいのであれば、こちらで購入をオススメします。 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VGTYTBF/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_AaI2DbH4Z8033 内容については言わずもかな凄まじいです！

Ich geh hier in erster Linie auf die Verpackung der Special Edition ein. Und "speziell" ist dieses Ding wirklich. Kaum ist die Folie des Albums entfernt, bemerkt man schon die hochwertige Verarbeitung. Vergleichbar mit üblichen "3-teiligen" Digipacks, nur größer/höher und dickeres Material. Im linken "Flügel" befindet sich ein Booklet mit über 30 Seiten, darin sind erstmals in der Karriere von Tool auch alle Texte abgedruckt (!!!). Ansonsten beinhaltet es wunderschönes Artwork, 4 Gemälde/Portraits der Bandmitglieder und teils perforierte durchsichtige "Trennblätter". Vorder- und Rückseite sind mit 3D-Prägung des 8-armigen "Knochenpriesters" versehen. Im rechten "Flügel" befindet sich eine Kartonhülle in welcher sich die CD befindet. Auf der CD sind die typischen "Tool-Augen" aufgedruckt, diesmal in Farbe, also eine logische Weiterführung der Designs von Lateralus und 10.000 days. Das Highlight ist allerdings der zentrale 4" HD-Screen inkl. Lautsprecher. Sobald man die Verpackung aufklappt beginnt automatisch ein Video inkl. tooltypischer Soundeffekte. Unter dem Lautsprecher befindet sich mittig ein Pausenknopf, rechts und links davon die Lautstärkeregler. Ausschalten lässt sich das Video durch Zusammenklappen der Verpackung (Magnetverschluss). Das Video selbst dauert einige Minuten und ist sehr aufwändig animiert, zusammen mit den Sounds entfaltet sich eine wunderbare Atmosphäre. Ich finde es sogar besser als das Video von Vicarious (10.000 days). Der Stil ist ähnlich. Das abgespielte Lied (nur instrumental/synth) ist übrigens exklusiv nur in der Verpackung und sonst weder auf der CD noch als Download erhältlich. Weiters liegt noch ein Infoblatt zum Umgang mit dem verbauten Akku, ein Ladekabel (kleiner Schacht ein paar cm links unter dem Screen) und eine Downloadkarte für das gesamte Album inkl. Interludes, welche auf der CD nicht mehr Platz gehabt hätten, bei. Für mich persönlich die genialste Verpackung einer CD die ich jemals in Händen halten dürfte. Der Preis von derzeit ca. 80 Euro ist natürlich vergleichsweise hoch, aufgrund der Verarbeitung und Ausführung aber jeden Cent wert. Noch eine kurzer Eindruck zur Musik: Eigentlich ist es ja nach ein paar Tagen noch viel zu früh um ein neues Tool Album bewerten zu können, daher gibt es nur eine kurze rein subjektive Meinung. Während der ersten paar Durchläufe wurde das Album immer besser, wie es auch schon bei den vorigen Alben der Fall war. Die Lieder auf diesem Album übertreffen für mich alles bisher Dagewesene und ich finde es im Moment um Längen "besser" als 10.000 days. Richtig genießen lässt sich das Album am besten alleine, am Stück und bei gedimmten Licht um voll in dieses Machwerk eintauchen zu können. Man muss sich allerdings wirklich selbst ein Bild davon machen. Eingefleischte Tool-Fans können hier aber bedenkenlos zugreifen und erleben hoffentlich auch zig Gänsehautmomente beim Durchhören dieses Meisterwerks. Bisherige Highlights und Anspieltipps sind "Pneuma" und "Descending", wobei alle Songs inkl. des psychodelischen Drumsolos "Chocolate Chip Trip" erstklassig und 100% Tool sind. Meine hohen Erwartungen wurden jedenfalls klar übertroffen. Fazit: Tool haben hier ein absolutes Meisterwerk vorgelegt. Auch wenn es 13 Jahre gedauert hat^^ Die großartig gestaltete Verpackung unterstreicht die Genialität dieses Albums zusätzlich. Für Toolfans spreche ich eine klare Kaufempfehlung aus. Wer sich allerdings unsicher ist sollte sich vorerst eher die MP3 Version zulegen (derzeit 11 Euro). Tools Musik ist aufgrund ihrer Komplexität, langen Laufzeiten und ungewöhnlicher Songstrukturen sicherlich nicht für alle geeignet.