is this song exceptionally bad ass?

[drum_dood]

i get so wrapped up in this song it's just insane. from the beginning guitar riff...to the 987 part...to the insane 5/4 drum part on the "verse"....to the part that's like "i embrace my desire to feel the rhythm...to feel connected". the drums on that part are so insane i can't even figure out what the hell danny's doing!...then the ending climax about spiraling out! shit...i get goosebumps talking about it but more importantly when i hear the word TOOL i think of this song. i personally think it's the defining song in their entire collection...

[a_divine_martyr]

I'd have to agree with you.

The song isn't THAT hard to perform on guitar (my beloved instrument. *hugs*). But the sounds are just amazing.

I don't know...

I haven't memorized the solo's yet... but...

Plus at the end when Maynard is kind of chanting the lyrics

"With my feet upon the ground....We'll ride the spiral to the end we may just go where no one's been. Spiral out. Keep going, going"

Just you can feel the passion in the music and lyrics.

Maybe I'm just an obsessive fuck...

[Shadowfax]

Lateralus is definately one of the greatest of all Tool's songs (in my opinion). It's also one of their more positive sounding song's and it inspires me so much. I've even written the entire lyrics to the song on the cover of one of my schoolbooks (haha yah, im weird). But thank you, Tool, for the inspiration...

spiral out...

[a_divine_martyr]

I had some of Jerk-Off on my math book.

That day in the "detective's" office, I got bitched at for 5 minutes. Teehee!

[Sailor Bacon]

Yes, this song is, in fact, badass. It is one of Tool's most thought-out and great songs, and is one of my all-time favorite prog songs.

[skywarp94]

To me, the part beginning with the solo after "swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human" until the very end of the song is the greatest section of music ever recorded. The entire song just comes to an incredible climax and once they kick in with "and following our will and wind..." I just get chills until the very last note.

[flipmojo]

Some people, like myself, think that Lateralus is the song that defines Tool, to date. It is beyond amazing. My personal favorite.

What's funny is that when Lateralus came out I didn't think it was that great. I wasn't ready for it yet.

[grudge-nothing]

In the song lateralus, the break with the what sounds liek exeptionally hard drum beat, seems to be sumthing that not many drummers can play-now someone here might reply and say they can play it but i would highly doubt it. i do know that there are some out there that can play the beat- i was just wondering if any drummers on this site have tried the beat or can get close to it- i agree with some of the posts on how this song is one of the defining songs that showcases teh musical talent of the band-another one that i feel does the same is the grudge thanx for ur time.

[halo99]

is this song exceptionally bad ass?

no, not really. and in fact, it's rather boring and nothing i've never heard before!

[hoogamaphone]

I saw Tool on Nov. 25 in Amherst. Lateralus was amazing. From start to finish, I was in awe. The combination of the light and sound was amazing for this song

For "black and white are all I see..." black and white checkerboard style lights covered the floor seats, then for "red and yellow then..." the lights changed to red and yellow and started moving.

[VillageIdiot]

Most definitely.

It is probably my favourite Tool song, if you put a gun to my head and said choose. Its awesome.


It is also totally wicked live, which makes an even better song. :D

[Ambion]

Originally posted by grudge-nothing
In the song lateralus, the break with the what sounds liek exeptionally hard drum beat, seems to be sumthing that not many drummers can play-now someone here might reply and say they can play it but i would highly doubt it. i do know that there are some out there that can play the beat- i was just wondering if any drummers on this site have tried the beat or can get close to it- i agree with some of the posts on how this song is one of the defining songs that showcases teh musical talent of the band-another one that i feel does the same is the grudge thanx for ur time.

Grudge,
After spending about 2 months on it, I am able to play all of lateralus (as well as several other songs on the album). When you say the break, I'm confused with what you mean. I assume you mean the break is when the instruments stop and its the bass rhythm. That whole section is in 5/8 time. It starts with a repetitive hi hat beat, and then breaks into a difficult sounding beat that is actually not very difficult. It goes:
H |X-X-xX-X-x|
S |--------o-|
B |oooo------|
|1+2+3+4+5+|

Sorry about how messy that looks, just cut and paste it into word with Courier New as your font and it'll work....anyway.....the hi hat is just playing the same rhythm over and over again with the pickup on the and of beat five, then the open hats on beats 1 and 2, etc. Its a big exercise in independence. To learn it, I suggest doing what I did, which would be getting the hi hat pattern down pat and then adding in the bass and snare.
If you think that the break is the part where maynard says "Reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me", that part isn't difficult at all except for being in 12/8 time. I hope i've answered your question.

[Aeturnus]

This song is one of the many that define tool. I don't know, it's hard to think of just one song defining the different aspects that Tool takes. I'd say this song is second to Third Eye in terms of representation. 3rd eye still has to be the all time poster song for the band, sums up a lot of what they are about.

[awwww shoot]

D00d, this song is BAD ASS. OMG!

[Soaky]

I actually had prison sex on my school book and a teacher of mine freaked while reading it, almost suspending me for no reason, but I agree. Lateralus is a great track, and I think I lost some of my man juice after hearing it for the first time...

[futile]

Yes this song is great....it is one of the few songs that incorperates great lyrics with fasinating intermentals. as for writing the lyrics around school, the lyrics to "stinkfist" carved into ones desk may cause a few after school detentions. and a brief visit to the counsler.

i think im gunna start a thread on this....

[djbkxr]

The 5/8 drum beat following the break isn't all that difficult. What makes it sound complex is the context in which it is played in (a 4 meter), which in turn makes the accents cycle/syncopate creating an illusion of complexity. Good stuff :)

[Smoky Mac Daddy]

i think the awesomest part of this song is towards the middle, when he says "reaching out to embrace the random, reaching out to embrace whatever may come" it's so hardcore it just revs me up so bad i wanna go punch someone in the face!

and by the way i know i'm retarded for asking, but is there a way to reply without using the "reply w/ quote" button on all the posts?

[Professor Frink]

Originally posted by Smoky Mac Daddy
and by the way i know i'm retarded for asking, but is there a way to reply without using the "reply w/ quote" button on all the posts?

try "post followup" ;)

[lalizards]

Originally posted by halo99
is this song exceptionally bad ass?

no, not really. and in fact, it's rather boring and nothing i've never heard before!

WHAT??!! this is THE most idiotic thing I have ever *ever* read in my entire life...go ahead...read it again...stupid, no? let's reexamine this-first-boring, I will concede boring-if you don't long songs, as anyone who is familar with Halo99's "opinions" will know, he doesn't. Second "Nothing I've never heard before!" one word: WHERE???!!! I have never heard anything like this song anywhere else on the planet; and I have heard a LOT of music, and someone, in the name of "god" smack this guy a good one.

[eslupminoyler]

I hope halo99 gets an enema for being so impetuous and rude and worthless