by Dan Skiba
— Staff Writer —
Emerging from the Los Angeles scene at a time when hairspray and audaciousness ruled the roost, Tool has brought their brand of progressive resonance to their loyal following via five full-length albums, each garnering more enthusiasm and excitement than the last. That said, Tool fans have been gnashing their teeth for over a decade, hoping the adage “good things come to those who wait” will hold true more so than ever.
Certain to their delight, Tool’s latest progressive exercise, entitled Fear Inoculum, contains enough red meat to keep the Tool Army satiated for many (dark) moons to come. Using the philosophy of “no song is too long” throughout this release, Tool true to form shows excellent musicianship, reflective lyrics, and overall eclectic songwriting. At the microphone, Maynard James Keenan’s vocal chords most certainly remained intact over the last 13 years and show no signs of deterioration whatsoever. Adam Jones guitar playing is clean, innovative, and certainly heavy when the time is right, and Justin Chancellor shows time and time again that the bass can have a higher purpose than to only fill in the gaps. Then there’s Danny Carey on drums … being Danny Carey … and further solidifying why he’s regarded as one of the best drummers there is worldwide.
As hinted above, Fear Inoculum contains long tracks that include many unique instrumental passages. There is no doubt fans of Progressive Metal are going to find here what they have come to expect from Tool in the studio … and then some. The album truly feels like Tool fully committed to pleasing and appeasing themselves first, knowing their loyal disciples will follow and appreciate everything the band throws their way. So, from that aspect, Fear Inoculum serves its purpose. Tool’s marketing the purchase of this CD with some really cool add-ons that you don’t see every day. That coupled with the total minutes of music on offer makes for a “good deal” by anyone’s standards despite a premium price tag. However, lengthy songs with multiple musical shifts and obscure lyrics whose message or true meaning are only understandable if you’re in full Tool emersion mode raise the question about how often a listener will be able to devote the time and attention towards multiple listens.
The initial results from album sales show an immense thirst (especially in North America) for Progressive Metal … makes you wonder why other Progressive Metal bands haven’t enjoyed the same success, doesn’t it? One very possible reason is that Tool’s brand of Progressive Metal was made available to the masses back in the MTV days when the video for “Sober” was released. “Sober” planted the seed as Heavy Metal with something “different” about it. Those fans from the ‘90s remain ravenously faithful yet today, largely unaware of other bands in this genre that have just as much to offer, if not more. That may sound like a slam to Metal fans of America, but it’s really not their fault because for years marketed Metal in America translates to either Modern Metal (Hardcore or a Hardcore-Melodic blend) or classic Metal stalwarts such as Metallica, Guns N Roses, and Motley Crue. There seems to be a belief that no appetite exists for Progressive Metal, or the powers that be are simply oblivious to the potential explosion in acceptance (and album/song sales) that could result from offering and exposing what the Progressive Metal genre has to offer. So, if you are man (or woman) enough to admit that you’re a victim whose been under-exposed and under-informed about what Progressive Metal has to offer, then start out by checking out bands such as Pagan’s Mind, Vanden Plas, Balance of Power, and Opeth. If you like Tool and what you hear from these bands … your musical world may get that shot in the arm you’ve waited for since the last Tool release over a decade ago.
Band:
Maynard James Keenan – Vocals
Adam Jones – Guitars
Justin Chancellor – Bass
Danny Carey – Drums
Tracklisting:
Fear Inoculum
Pneuma
Litanie Contre La Peur
Invincible
Legion Inoculant
Decending
Culling Voices
Chocolate Chip Trip
7emptest
Mockingbeat
Label:
RCA Records
Website:
http://www.ToolBand.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.5 / 10)