Tool

Still stellar and still listen to it like it was the first time. When you get hooked by the first listening on albums such as Fear Inoculum or Lateralus it can't be about the catchy effect merely because the structure, duration and even pace of the songs are the absolute opposite of catchy. It means you reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally like it. I'll go even further: the more I listen to the album the more I like it and the less I pay attention to Culling Voices which in my opinion is the only song that is merely "good" from the lot. Of course I don't listen to Chocolate either :p. But the rest is simply as good as it gets.
 
karljant said:
Still stellar and still listen to it like it was the first time. When you get hooked by the first listening on albums such as Fear Inoculum or Lateralus it can't be about the catchy effect merely because the structure, duration and even pace of the songs are the absolute opposite of catchy. It means you reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally like it. I'll go even further: the more I listen to the album the more I like it and the less I pay attention to Culling Voices which in my opinion is the only song that is merely "good" from the lot. Of course I don't listen to Chocolate either :p. But the rest is simply as good as it gets.
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Honestly, the best use of Fear Inoculum and Lateralus is for background music while studying.
Chocolate Chip Trip is the only one of their instrumentals I actually like.
 
karljant said:
Still stellar and still listen to it like it was the first time. When you get hooked by the first listening on albums such as Fear Inoculum or Lateralus it can't be about the catchy effect merely because the structure, duration and even pace of the songs are the absolute opposite of catchy.
Click to expand...

I don't know, I got hooked on Lateralus pretty quickly and although I skip some track these days, those songs that I've like on first are still my highlights.
 
I've been hardcore listening to Tool since last summer and finally got around to discussing and rating the albums and songs in the Random Album Reviews thread. For this run through I tried to use @Jer 's rating system and I really liked it. It compartmentalizes things better in my head and separates the awesome from the REALLY fucking awesome a little better.

10 - Flawless
9 - Excellent
8 - Great
7 - Good
6 - OK
5 - Eh
4 - Poor
3 - Bad
2 - Horrible
1 - Worthless

*Some slots reworded from Jer's original breakdown to better apply to my view.

Due to the nature of the system, it can actually end up lowballing my actual enjoyment of the albums while at the same time working better for the songs. The averages of most of these albums are lower than I'd give them off the top of my head, so that has to be adjusted. But this depends on how I adapt the system to work going forward, so consider my 'actual' ratings potentially temporary compared to the averages.

Opiate >
Sweat - 9
Hush - 7
Part of Me - 4
Cold and Ugly (live) - 7
Jerk-Off (live) - 6
Opiate - 7
The Gaping Lotus Experience (hidden) - 4
A pretty good start to the band's discography, if inconsistent (with a couple of their worst songs).
Average: 63%
Actual: Decent 7.

Undertow >
Intolerance - 9
Prison Sex - 9
Sober - 10
Bottom - 8
Crawl Away - 7
Swamp Song - 9
Undertow - 7
4° - 6
Flood - 7
Disgustipated - 8
A great first album with some killer songs, more direct and punchy than the band will be in future if slightly less memorable at the same time.
Average: 80%
Actual: Solid 8.

Ænima >
Stinkfist - 10
Eulogy - 10
H. - 9
Forty Six & 2 - 10
Hooker with a Penis - 9
jimmy - 9
Pushit - 8
Ænema - 10
Third Eye - 8
The band's best album, filled with nothing but great songs (and interludes which generally work pretty well within the context of the record).
Average: 93%
Actual: High 9.

Lateralus >
The Grudge - 10
The Patient - 9
Schism - 9
Parabol / Parabola - 10
Ticks & Leeches - 8
Lateralus - 10
Disposition - 8
Reflection - 9
Triad - 7
A masterful and complex record with a streamlined sound and more genre-pushing music.
Average: 88%
Actual: High 9.

10,000 Days >
Vicarious - 10
Jambi - 10
Wings for Marie (Pt 1) - 7
10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) - 8
The Pot - 9
Lost Keys / Rosetta Stoned - 10
Intension - 6
Right in Two - 9
Slightly less consistent than the two preceding albums, yet with its own unique style and some great songs.
Average: 86%
Actual: Light 9.

Fear Inoculum >
Fear Inoculum - 10
Pneuma - 9
Invincible - 8
Descending - 10
Culling Voices - 7
Chocolate Chip Trip - 7
7empest - 10
A wonderfully consistent comeback for the band, with every song being stretched to its furthest extent and most of them succeeding with flying colors.
Average: 87%
Actual: Strong 9.

So my Tool album rating is as follows:
  1. Ænima (1996)
  2. Lateralus (2001)
  3. Fear Inoculum (2019)
  4. 10,000 Days (2006)
  5. Undertow (1993)
  6. Opiate (1992)

And I've also ranked all of the band's songs as well:
1. Forty Six & 2
2. Lateralus
3. Parabol / Parabola
4. Eulogy
5. Lost Keys / Rosetta Stoned
6. The Grudge
7. Descending
8. Stinkfist
9. Ænema
10. 7empest
11. Jambi
12. Sober
13. Vicarious
14. Fear Inoculum
15. H.
16. jimmy
17. Prison Sex
18. The Pot
19. Pneuma
20. Reflection
21. Schism
22. Right in Two
23. Intolerance
24. Hooker with a Penis
25. The Patient
26. Swamp Song
27. Sweat
28. Invincible
29. Pushit
30. Ticks & Leeches
31. Third Eye
32. 10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)
33. Bottom
34. Disposition
35. Disgustipated
36. Wings for Marie (Pt 1)
37. Undertow
38. Flood
39. Opiate
40. Opiate²
41. Culling Voices
42. Crawl Away
43. Cold and Ugly
44. Hush
45. Chocolate Chip Trip
46. Maynard's Dick
47. Triad
48. Jerk-Off
49. Intension
50. 4°
51. Merkaba
52. The Gaping Lotus Experience
53. Part of Me
 
I am loving the setlist this tour!
The focus on new material with the inclusion of less-obvious classics (Rosetta, Swamp Song, Intolerance, The Pot, The Grudge) reminds me of Future Past! Plus, at the gig I went to, there very few "overplayed" classics- no Aenema, Stinkfist, 46&2, or Schism. Really cool.

One unexpected highlight was Culling Voices- it never really clicked for me until seeing it live. Having the whole band come out and sit downstage for the first half of the song was really special.
[/ISPOILER]
 
I listen to Tool all of the time. The only album that didn't click with me on first listen was 10,000 Days. I stuck with it and once I got into the lyrics it has become my favorite Tool album. I can listen to Rosetta Stoned on repeat for a long time. It is also in my top ten songs of all time.
 
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