I'm sorry but Tool has driven the "be mysterious" shit into the ground. You'd think you would notice by now based on the new music, the artwork, the interviews and such.

Thanks flux, that was an interesting read.

After reading through the thread, I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle between thinking that it was great to read your interpretation of the album and also that it's possibly a little bit too deep. The whole idea of the gap that's been created and one half of it falling away sounds a lot like some of the ideas in VALIS and other works, but I can't really buy into the idea that one half will definitely split away and that the album is reflecting that as it's main theme, because it implies that we're heading for a hugely negative set of experiences and I think that that mindset is a kind of self fulfilling prophecy in itself that the band wouldn't subscribe to.

I'm into Tools deeper stuff, don't get me wrong, but I can't really see messages to us being the main theme of this album. I think that it leans a lot closer the the 4 of them making music as good as they possibly can, (because they owed it to themselves after what they'd already done to try and help us.) and that the messages have been pretty much left out. Why? Because I think that Aenima and Lateralus are showing two things (I don't have the earlier albums so I can't add them into this.) :

If we're looking at Maynard, and possibly extending to the other 3 members of the band, I think that Aenima is the album where an effort to improve your being is a major theme, and that Lateralus is a highly improved being reaching out into some of the farthest reaches of consciousness, especialy with the alchemical theme that more than one song contains, but then we have 10,000 days........

The occult has been searched through, the psychology has been done, the alchemy has been brought to an advanced stage, the inner battle has been fought and for the most part won, and now the focus is on experience. Maynard urges us to experience this in Lateralus, and now this is them experiencing their lives through music and the rhythms and vibrations of existence. The work has been done on their part, and now they appear to be at the stage where THE message has been sent "Push the envelope, watch it bend." and they're now giving themselves to exploring music (as opposed to music + messages equally) and the inspiration from that music as the path and way of who and what each one of them are.

Another thing is that when you look at what they've already given us, and what they might be yet to give us, I don't think that they would unfold things on such a grand scale that future albums still contain hugely important messages as part of a bigger puzzle that was always intended to be that way, because I'm pretty sure that each album contains easily enough in itself to be enough for us, because they're only pointing the finger at the moon and not showing the full picture, because they can't do that. It's a co-operative process where they show us things and we follow up those threads of inspiration if we want to, because it has to be that way. We can't sit in Tools vehicle and expect them to be at the driving seat of our lives because we ultimately have to be driving ourselves to wherever we're going. Meaning and messages have already been sent out by the dozen in previous albums and I'm pretty sure that they're now at the point where the experience is at the center.

"Angels on the sideline, baffled and confused." They're baffled and confused aswell, because the messages have already been sent, and now they're watching things unfold with them. You can only do so much to help people, and then you have to have faith that they will have it in themselves to figure the rest of the puzzle out, because it's only inside themselves that it can be worked from. (lead to gold)

Still though, it's great to see a thread like this, where we're discussing things that are inspiring and not reading people whining about the album. Sorry if I seem overly negative with this post aswell, but hopefully this will help more than hinder some of the stuff that you're still trying to work out.

Overanalyzed, but very well written. Danny Carey summarized this album the best: "this is our blues album". It's more straightforward and less cryptic as others have said.

Sure, and Beethoven was gay and had a temper... Jesus himself had to take shits, you know. Tool are musicians, not just straight philosophers. It almost seems as if they had decided to write books instead of play instruments, you would have more respect for them. I propose that they are every bit as important and powerful as any philosopher who has tried to tell us anything. I dont know of any other music since the classical era that could help humanity like they have.

Great review man.

bump...must keep it alive!!!

paraflux, I vote sticky. I dont agree with it, but its good for the forum to have serious intellectual attempts at interp.

Exellanté. Your take on Vicarious was great. It's a relatively straight forward song, but the way you worded it made the songs' message not only more clear, but real. It's of course, not something new, but something that alot of us probably needed to hear again. I would continue to go on like this about the rest of your review, but my brain is on overload after reading all that... And like usual when I get on here, anything worth saying has already been said. :/

I'm sorry. This is sounding so spot on that I'm going to have to come back and read it later. I feel Tool should always be an exploration.

This was really impressive flux!

I'll surely listen to the album in a different way tommorrow (it is almost 2 am here!)

Thx man...!

The interpretation of Rosetta Stoned is truly amazing.

I liked the song from the start, but it is SUCH a hard song to figure out, especially with the lyrics in the beginning not being very understandable, that i didn't really get into it as much as some of the other songs.

I have no idea whether you interpretation is "right" or "wrong", or even if there is a right and wrong, and will not comment on that. But reading what you had to say on it helped me wrap my head around the song far better than anything else ive tried in the past week or so. Thank you flux.

very in depth. good review. gives me something to read while listening and enjoying my cup of tea.

Well damn. Now that flux has figured it all out you guys will have to find something else to worry away over for the next 5 years. That's gotta suck. ;)

I feel ya. Maybe the answer is that we have to find in it within our own lives and apply that way, not a universal answer. Either way, this fascinates me.

tr00th\m/ They are performers who play rock/metal, and they mix it with these ideas and concepts. Truly unique.

As I said in the beginning, to understand where I am coming from, you should be familiar with AEnima and Lateralus. Most of this is because of all of my talking about the gap. I had to jump ahead and assume that people reading this would at least have some knowledge of this gap. The words were trying to get out of me too fast and I didnt want to give what I considered history lessons... but due to the overwhelming number of private messages asking about it... I will do so tonight, as I feel that H., Pushit, Schism, and Reflection/Triad are important.

The gap is a metaphor I think, not a physical "gap" you have to cross, like actually "stepping through a shadow". I think the purpose to apply it your own life experiences, the gaps you need to cross. Tool have given us that inspiration through the music, pointed it out, and now it's up to us to use it if we wish or just take the music at face value, which is still just a valid....you can headbang along to Vicarious without thinking about all of the other stuff and get tons of enjoyment from it. But the fact that the other messages are there is significant to those who choose to implement them.

Awesome\m/ In my personal opinion the gap remains a metaphor for life struggles/things that hold us back from being alive and doing what we want to, but I'd love to read your take:)

Sticky this, seriously.

The way that the band writes, it means everything from an ant being outcast from his colony and forced into a river... to the universal reality of the human separation from the divine. Every level in between is truth as well. Being able to stack meanings on top of each other has been, until now, one of the band's most amazing qualities.

That's tough to wrap my mind around. I personally feel like the connection with the divine isn't something to totally strive towards, more like dealing with your problems and finding your own peace among the universe of chaos. But as always, many different interpretations.

I love this.

On the case of duality, and things in two's; I noticed that exactly halfway into the 10,000 days song, the main bit kicks in. It's absolutely exact, as my iTunes has 5:36, or 5:37 either side. I think you are very right paraflux.

If we never agreed on anything before, this is what we agree on now. I feel the exact same way about Tool, and I am glad to see someone of intelligence who feels the same. My god, I want to give you a blow job.

I've just noticed the halfway point thing with The Pot aswell! I'm gonna check all of the other songs.

Again, this relates to the artwork, as the pictures are in pairs on each page. Even the tracklist is written twice next to each other.

Paraflux, thanks for sharing your interpretation. I found it to be very interesting and well analyzed. You really got the right idea and mentioned some points that I had gone through my head as well. I think there might have been some overanalyzing, but for the most part I agree with you. Very well done man.

[QUOTE]Tool are the alien, giving us the message of hope/warning. If the doctor/nurse were hearing this insane babble coming from this mysterious patient about an alien abduction and the end as we know it, I'm sure they were inclined to think the guy was insane. Now relate that to our lives. I'm sure after this in-depth review of Tool you've given, any time someone asks me what a Tool song is about, I'm going to feel compelled to give them this whole shabang. I'm the alien to them. Paraflux, you're the alien to us. Tool are the alien to all of us. If my friends asked me about Tool and I told them this hugely long, elaborate, deep analysis of every one of their works, they'd be inclined to think i'm insane.. just like the doctor/nurse thought the patient was totally insane (though we don't get that clarification, we can infer).
[\QUOTE]

that's trippy.

this is how hypercharged misinformation turns into a cult following. hahaha, that's the punchline!

innerspacegirl, use [ ] instead of <> to use quote tags

haha, i've done/felt the same way with friends who asked me about tool. Luckily I have a really close friend who has an open mind, and was quickly 'abducted' by tool. ..others just give me a weird look.

*ps* this thread rules sticky it!

that's trippy.

this is how hypercharged misinformation turns into a cult following. hahaha, that's the punchline!

Tool has, more than almost any other band, set the struggle of human consciousness struggling to come to terms with itself to music. That is their accomplishment. Other than that, what do they have to show me? They talk a wonderful talk, but what are they really doing to improve this world? They aren't exactly altruists. They get paid a lot of money for what they do.

Maynard swaggers around like Jesus on wheels, judging people based on superficial impressions, even going out of his way to make someone feel bad. His snobbery is overwhelming. Instead of using his money to better the world, he starts a fucking winery. The fact that he is complaining that people just aren't "getting the message" is so egotistical that it causes me physical discomfort. He has achieved nothing in this world beyond making himself rich. His voice is magical, but his life is uninspired and selfish.

He doesn't even want to associate with the people that he supposedly wants to help. He calls them names, and insults their intelligence. He doesn't mind taking their money, though. You know what you call someone like that? A whore.

As for the rest of the band, they also greet us with silence. Their only message is "Here is some music. Give us money." These are evolved beings? None of these people have contributed anything of note beyond their music. If their message was the truth, they would be using the power of that truth to improve civilization. Yet, they haven't. Gee, I wonder why that is. Perhaps it's because they're just fucking Rock Musicians who leech off society to fund their extravagant lifestyles.

Anyone who sees a higher purpose to Tool I think is insane. If they really cared so much they wouldn't charge so much for their concerts and products, wouldn't have things like toolarmy, and would be out in the world using their power and status to effect REAL CHANGE that has MEANING to REAL PEOPLE, instead of preaching to us on a pedastal while they treat themselves to the very finest and expensive things. Maynards 50,000 dollar bottle of wine could have fed and clothed and vaccinated hundreds if not thousands of people.

I like their music, but that's all it is. The words are pretty, they make you think, but when it comes down to it, when you constrast it with what the members of Tool have actually done in this world, they come across as pretentious and hollow.

Just a thought in reference to tool being the alien in Rosetta Stoned:

Paraflux said it best (accidentally I think).

The song is about someone shown divine information who is then unable to remember it or relate it to others. He would have to trip again to find the information, and it is still unlikely that the enlightenment would outlast the effects of the drug.

Someone in another thread mentioned that in an interview Maynard said psychadelic drugs, ideally, would be used once. You'd learn something divine, and never need the drug again. If you can't remember the divine information without the drug, you're forced to either become a junkie or lose the information forever.

It seems the song may be pointing out the way many people hear the messages in Tool's music but do not put them into effect or make use of the inspiration to do something positive. They need to keep telling us over and over, and we keep forgetting our pen, not writing it down, and not creating a positive impact on the world.

This would be cause for Maynard's disappointment in his inability to change the world mentioned in interviews, and would explain why this is a 'blues album.' They're disappointed in us, as usual.

They show you what you are willing to see, nothing more.

It is my opinion that those of us who are on the other side feel things more strongly than those who do not feel at all. Therefore, the impressions are not superficial.

SO when Jesus, the night before his arrest, cried to the Father that his cup was full, when he was on the cross, saying

why have you forsaken me

he was being a whiny bitch? There are plenty of examples of what burdens can do to a man. As for the snobbery part, I dont want to be around a hell of a lot of people either. Call me snobby if you like, but I dont see the significance. What you would rather him do is go and do a week of TRL and smile and introduce videos by people he doesnt give a shit about?

Because there is a balance. Dont put him on a pedestal. I'd call you a bitch too if you did that to me. If people would get off his jock then perhaps he wouldnt be so aloof.

Damn straight, here's some music, give us money. That's their path. I dont think any one of us would want them to be distracted by anything else that would take away from what they can do musically.

You cant just give this out like a pill. What makes them not be simply preachers is because they arent trying to indoctrinate any of us, instead, they show us by example what is possible, and encourage us to learn to teach ourselves. Not to take in some dogmatic spew and run with it.

I wonder who is judging on superficial assumptions now?

Count me in, sounds like fun. I should look into this "insane."

You're right! We should pay less for higher quality products! pfff

I should have saved the preaching response for this paragraph, but it still applies.

I dont think I want you to like me, if this is how you feel about things that you like.
*shrug* if that's what you desire.
Not pretty enough for some, it appears.
Well, some of us.
I imagine everything you just said was applied to the skeptics of Christ, if and when he was around.

Interesting thoughts. But I think that the point of Tool is to literally be a "tool" to invoke others to make a change. But I agree that if they wanted to sound less hypocritical they could go start a charity or something.

I just read the behemoth of a post, but Flux, you rocked house, my friend.

I was on the verge of disagreeing with you until I saw the lyrical quote from Rosetta stoned about the "warning". Then it all just hit me like a ton of bricks... Think about the response that we "junkies" give when we hear a new Tool album - We go "HOLY FUCKING SHIT", and then we scramble around trying to find hidden meanings. Tool is the "ET" being... the monstrous musicians who blow us all away by their utter existence... but what do we do because of them? We argue on forums about their lyrics. I don't think that is what they want at all. Maynard even SAID so in an interview with one of the german magazines before the album was released that he was sick of his musi not making an impact.... As little as I like Blair, I seem to remember him saying that what were looking for was "right in front of our very eyes". While that was referring to the whole 10,000 Days hoax deal, its easily compared to everything that Flux said. I just can't agree with you more, man. Fantastic post, and you make me glad to be here.

excellent interpretation. thanks.
btw i vote yes for a sticky.

+1. Glad to see someone who has some sense. :)

Ya I agree with most of his post but dont be too quick in ellecting him official spokesperson of the rest of the band sans maynard. Just because there is the absence of evidence doesnt mean its the evidence of absence in their efforts. Maynard says what he says the rest of the band just endorses it.

I guess my reply to that was completely nonsensical.

See, this is my gripe about you. You 're holding Tool up to the same light as Christ. Christ accomplished far more than Tool could ever in sixty lifetimes.