Title: A brand new Tool
Product review: Lateralus is going to prove to be Tool's most accessable album, I'm sure. Even though the songs average over 6 - 7 minutes each, the band's melodic sensibility has increased ten-fold over Aenima. The single, Schism, is a sprawling epic, yet still manages to hold your attention (the line "I know the pieces fit" will stick in your mind for days). Other songs on the album show Maynard's voice in top form; being exposed to Billy Howerdel's songwriting in A Perfect Circle has definately had an effect on him, and it's rubbed off onto the rest of the band, who coax some of the most memorable lines out of their instruments that they ever have.The downside of all of this is that, at times, the album isn't as hard-hitting as it could be, and the production just doesn't bring the guitar out like it should. On my first listen, I can't think of a soul-rending riff around here like the one from the title track to Aenima. Mutedness notwithstanding, this really is a great album.
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