Tool is on itunes!!

[Igottago]

I made the mistake of downloading and starting to listen to it around midnight PST last night. Ended up listening to the whole thing. All I can say is, they actually managed to live up to expectations, if not surpass them...sounds like a lot of this material is right up there with their best work. I actually think some of the musicianship has even taken another level up on this album, there are some real goosebump moments. The reviews I've been reading were right -- this album is insanely good. Invincible and 7empest are early favorites of mine.

[Tron_fdc]

There are 4 or 5 good songs, and of those one or two REALLY good songs. You really can't complain too much about that when you compare it to some of the garbage getting released these days. Albums with one good song and the rest is filler......rinse and repeat.

7empest is my fav so far. Classic Tool riffs, MJK vocals and of course fu*king ridiculous drumming. Invincible would have been my instant fav, bit it seems like it fell short on the crescendo near the end. It builds and builds.....and then just ends. I was hoping for a major increase in pace and furor, which is the classic Tool style like at the end of Vicarious or The Pot where MJK is screaming his eyeballs out to keep pace with FURIOUS instrumentals.

THAT is why I love Tool so much. You feel like you just ran a marathon and won a fist fight at the end of each song.

[Engine09]

What are these guys doing with the physical release? I don't use ITunes, don't care about downloading. Just need a CD to put in my stereo.

Only physical CD available today at Sunrise is a $69.99 special edition with some bull#### gimmick inside. Walked out.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Engine09

What are these guys doing with the physical release? I don't use ITunes, don't care about downloading. Just need a CD to put in my stereo.

Only physical CD available today at Sunrise is a $69.99 special edition with some bull#### gimmick inside. Walked out.

Pretty sure that's the only physical release so far. I'm holding out for a vinyl edition.

[devo22]

yeah that's the only version there is so far. It's too bad, I really loved the 10,000 packaging and I'd have loved to buy a physical version of this one too ... but I'm not dropping €80 for a CD.

[Engine09]

Such sleazeball ####, worse than the digipak versions Roadrunner would release to squeeze more money out of people. I'm really disappointed the band let this happen.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

It comes with a 4” HD rechargeable screen, among other goodies.

I can assure you this physical edition is only for hardcore collectors and completionists. It’s expensive but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s gouging. It’s that there’s no market for regular CDs so just think of it that they only released a deluxe special edition.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Engine09

Such sleazeball ####, worse than the digipak versions Roadrunner would release to squeeze more money out of people. I'm really disappointed the band let this happen.

This is a band that has always taken pride in their artwork and presentation, so not sure why you think its such a gimmick. Yeah its pricey, but its not meant to be a standard CD with inserts printed on recycled paper.
And literally no one buys CD's anymore so not sure why they'd waste their time mass producing a standard CD for the masses. I think this is a limited edition physical release.

Who knows, maybe a standard version will be released at some point. Do any bands still do that?

[Engine09]

A rechargeable video screen with a CD? That's a gimmick, a circus gimmick that I don't care about and certainly won't pay for.

Release any type of special garbage you want, just give us a regular version on the release date.

Do any bands release standard versions anymore? Yes, everyone does.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Who knows, maybe a standard version will be released at some point. Do any bands still do that?

Release a regular CD?

Yes... basically all of them.

[The Reverend]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

There are 4 or 5 good songs, and of those one or two REALLY good songs. You really can't complain too much about that when you compare it to some of the garbage getting released these days. Albums with one good song and the rest is filler......rinse and repeat.

7empest is my fav so far. Classic Tool riffs, MJK vocals and of course fu*king ridiculous drumming. Invincible would have been my instant fav, bit it seems like it fell short on the crescendo near the end. It builds and builds.....and then just ends. I was hoping for a major increase in pace and furor, which is the classic Tool style like at the end of Vicarious or The Pot where MJK is screaming his eyeballs out to keep pace with FURIOUS instrumentals.

THAT is why I love Tool so much. You feel like you just ran a marathon and won a fist fight at the end of each song.

I had this thought as well, that Maynard takes a bit more of a back seat to the musicians on this record. There were times on 7empest that I thought he was going to sing but then nothing. I will say it appears as though is he is doing more weird layered vocal stuff like intermittent breaths of air on some tracks. Really next level studio stuff.

If you get a chance, listen to the Trap Set podcast where he interviews Danny Carey. Fantastic insight into what went into the record and neat tidbits about how he played in a country band with Jeff Buckley for two years.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Engine09

A rechargeable video screen with a CD? That's a gimmick, a circus gimmick that I don't care about and certainly won't pay for.

Release any type of special garbage you want, just give us a regular version on the release date.

Do any bands release standard versions anymore? Yes, everyone does.

Well for your sake I hope they release it. But I don't know if there's going to be a lot of demand for it in general. Luckily you have numerous ways of listening to the album cheap, should you choose to.

[devo22]

very early obviously, but I'm super-happy with the album. It doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it really doesn't have to ... it's atmospheric, it's exciting, it's craving for attention, it's Tool. Don't really care for Chocolate Chip Trip or the interludes, but the rest is great. Pneuma and Invincible are instant favs, I like the album version of Descending a lot better than the live recordings, Culling Voices is a great grower and 7empest is a ton of fun.

It's fun to take the time and dive in. It's even more fun when the songs grab you during the first listen and still have so much to unpack and discover for later. No idea how it's going to hold up against the rest of the discography long-term, but for now ... couldn't have asked for more.

[dammage79]

Chocolate chip trip is wicked. The Danny Carey gift that keeps on giving. Oh you want a recorded drum solo? Here you go. Enjoy with a heaping side of synth. Loved it.

About to go on run #3. First one last night gave me a good fix. Round #2 I listened to in the work truck for half the day. About to go into the headphones again for round #3. Hoping to have something to replace the tape deck in the truck so I can go park in the forest and crank it.

Stupid pre bluetooth or AUX OEM stereos.

[The Reverend]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Chocolate chip trip is wicked. The Danny Carey gift that keeps on giving. Oh you want a recorded drum solo? Here you go. Enjoy with a heaping side of synth. Loved it.

About to go on run #3. First one last night gave me a good fix. Round #2 I listened to in the work truck for half the day. About to go into the headphones again for round #3. Hoping to have something to replace the tape deck in the truck so I can go park in the forest and crank it.

Stupid pre bluetooth or AUX OEM stereos.

Apparently Carey did Chocolate Chip Trip in one take.

[metallicat]

It's kind of stupid how good Danny Carey is. I'm not a musician and you can just tell he's so complex and just on another level. Just amazing. I haven't had a chance to sit down and fully take the whole album in with headphones yet, but from what I've heard it's really good.

[dammage79]

4th run. Culling the Voices still the top of my list but I think that's more to do with music hitting a spot on a personal level.

Overall this album is a pretty good environment to be in. Not going to say amazing but this is a very good space to be in.

[Erick Estrada]

This album probably deserves at minimum 5 listenings to derive any fair conclusion and I haven't got that far but as of now I think (won't be popular here) the new Slipknot is a better Metal release as I feel this is more of a rock/metal album.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This album probably deserves at minimum 5 listenings to derive any fair conclusion and I haven't got that far but as of now I think (won't be popular here) the new Slipknot is a better Metal release as I feel this is more of a rock/metal album.

I wouldn’t categorize Tool as straight metal either. They get called prog metal which seems to fit them better.

Fear Inoculum is a very technical album and I need to really focus to appreciate it. It’s definitely a headphones in the dark record. Ænima and Untertow had more hooks and are better for casual listening, and I like them more overall. I’d say the new record is a notch above Lateralus.

The drums are by far the highlight and I could feel them like no other record in my headphones. I could have done without some of the synths, especially on Chocolate Chip Trip. Maynard is great but he’s not stretching his vocals too much. There’s nothing wrong with that though.

I’d like to hear the new songs live, especially Descending and Pneuma, which are my favourite tracks. I’ve warmed up to 7empest, especially the last few minutes.

[Erick Estrada]

I get this weird feeling when listening that Maynard isn't overly involved as while I'm sure it's not intentional it feels like he's kind of marginalized on this album as it seems more of a showcase for Jones and Carey. 7empest is my favorite but I'm not sure why it had to be 15 minutes.