Just out of curiousity. Anyone think it could be a concept album in some regard. I mean, all these songs which are linked in some way. This talk about lost keys in some of Blair's posts. It kind of makes me think that it could potentially be a concept album of sorts.

I don't know, just thought I'd throw it out there and see what people come up with.

Considering all their past albums have been driven around concepts, I wouldn't be surprised of such was the case this time around as well.

Being Blair loves to fuck with people, the "supposed" tracklisting with only one interlude, and the statement that they're "pissed" again, leads me to believe: no.

but I'm lead to believe it will kick major ass anyhow.

Didn't Adam say something in GW about a central theam?

Lateralus was a conceptual album. And by looking at track lenght's and how they suposely connect, this probably will be an even more conceptual album. From what I read from the interviews, Tool will be exploring even more the progressive scene, it will be a symphonic album where songs start in one place, diverge into diferent directions and end up all in the same place, so this means all of the songs must be interconnected.

I kinda think that Tool subvert the idea of concept albums by interconnecting separate albums into a single vehichle for their ideas. The albums aren't "concept albums" as much as Tool is a "concept band".

Undertow = Concept

I don't mean, concepts within the album. I'm talking shit like Animals by Pink Floyd.

Perhaps The Wall in some degree.

Hell the album title, 10,000 Days, even sounds like it could be a concept album in some way.

Could that sexy cat be a concept in some way?

It's how I feel.

Could it be a concept album?
My avatar says yes.

Moreover, I've just come to the conclusion that there will be 2 major Tool publications this year. One is the album, the other one, well I don't know, either another album or a DVD. I am perfectly aware of the fact that many other people have made speculations on this--whereas I am a cagy person--but now I'm absolutely sure that there's TWO asteroids approaching fast.

This is psychic now.
Read my lips.

Tool has no concept albums. the wall is a concept album, operation mindcrime (if anyone remembers that one) is as well. Tool does not have one album that has a fluid storyline.

seacrest out

Yeah, what this dude said.

Uh, a concept album has theme .. not necessarily just a storyline. Dark side of the moon was a concept album, but it didn't have a storyline. Sgt. Pepper, concept album, no storyline. See where I am going with this? Concept albums have a central theme! So therefore, Aenima and Lateralus, and well Undertow and Opiate could be considered concept albums.

i agree that a concept album has a theme, but not all themed albums should be considered a concept work. any good art has a theme. so, with that said, and your above logic, all well written music should be considered conceptual? i think not... see where i am going with this?

I have to admit that is funny. (...yet somehow pathetic that I understand it)

(Of course I do remember Operation: Mindcrime! I don't like Queensryche very much but that album is fantastic.)

In my opinion (i.e. in my ears) Ænima and Lateralus are "concept albums". Yet, they tell no story. Unlike conventional "concept albums" they were not conceived [sic] on someone's desk, no doubt about that. And still, each of those 2 Tool albums is one big piece of art to me. Those records FEEL like "concept albums".

i agree on two points: operation mindcrime, while QR normally being a fairly terrible band, was a great album (although they released a follow up last tuesday that has just gotta blow) and secondly, that aenima and lateralus both have central themes.

But most good albums do have central themes. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of random songs by the same band and they might as well be 11 singles.

Only exceptions can be when bands are starting out and such, or if the music is just really good. Idk..

Hm, actually I wanted to prove you wrong, but the more I think about your thesis the more I agree.

Oh yes, the notorious "exceptions". ;)

I said a central theme .. which insinuates a single IDEA throughout an entire album. Led Zeppelin wrote amazing rock and roll music, they had themes here and there, little ideas they tried to get across, but they really never had one IDEA on an album that they wanted to present. Tool did. Lateralus (in my opinion) is about rebirth and letting go. That whole album seems to be tied to that SINGLE IDEA. Rebirth.

Jeff Buckley was an artist amongst artists, but 'Grace' was never thought of as a concept album. So, not all well written music is considered conceptual.

A concept album (to me) is an album that is written and based upon one central IDEA.

Bands probably don't come out say there album is conceptual because when you say your album is conceptual, it's basically like saying it's fucking amazing. Conceptual albums (according to history) are always the biggest and best.

then you agree with me. but i reserve the right to consider EPIC as the biggest and best.

Epic the record label? Yeah, that label always has bands doing those awesome albums. to bad Korn got booted off of Epic records, their albums were HUGE!

This is interesting. Seems to me there's two different opinions of what a "concept album" is. On the one hand there's the ones who look at the very word "concept album", and on the other hand there's those who consider what has thus far been dubbed a "concept album".
So, what is a "concept"? Is it something in your mind that you know about and try to put into the music? Or is it something rather subconscious that is not too obvious?

And now I hope you're still with me.

No. He was talking about the genre.

Korn left my universe after their debut. But: One of the greatest bands ever happened to be on Epic (the label). And that's my cool enigmatic fact for today.

EDIT: Regarding Epic -- I'm reconsidering irony on your part.

I was being sarcastic.

In Tool's case I think it's something that borns inconsciously, it reflects their stated of mind and their evolution based on experiences, and later on they are a aware of the conscience of that concept, turning it into a theme that they use as a "tool" to work on their music.

I was being tired.

concept album = Pink Floyd "The Wall" or Queensryche "Operation:Mindecrime"

Carcass, Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious

dredg - el cielo

While those are concept albums, I think they're more rock operas. The way I see it, rock operas are a type of concept album but tend to have more lucid stories and actual defined characters.

Not a concept album - The White album, anything by Britney Spears, et al.
Concept album - Dark Side of the Moon, Sgt. Peppers, Fantastic Planet, etc
Rock Opera - The Wall, Tommy, American Idiot

Not to keep returning to this example, but Dark Side of the Moon is generally regarded as the best original example of a "concept album" in that all of the songs relate to one central concept.

In the case of Tool this may or may not have been a conscious effort to create "concept albums," but the fact is that their full albums (even Opiate to a certain extent) do have a central concept that all of the songs return to.

I think after DSOTM a lot of bands were like "wow mang that's cool lets make a concept album toooo!!!!1" which led to other bands not liking that idea as much, so they even if they do make an album that could be seen like that they don't promote it as a concept album (like Radiohead's OK Computer, Kid A, and Amnesiac).

Then of course there's Machina which according to Corgan is a concept album, although nobody's actually managed to find a clear theme within the album itself and was most likely just the product of his massive ego (which, I guess, is a concept).


EDIT: OH, and to answer the original, question: I think the new album will be like the other ones where they haven't actually said that it is indeed a concept album, but there will most likely be one connecting theme as opposed to a collection of loosely connected songs.

I hope not.

I am hoping for more of a space jazz odyssey.

TOOL would do exceptional with a concept album!

B-52s - self titled

i hope they go in that direction.

yeah next monday.

what a masterpiece =)

This guy knows whats up. They follow themes, yes, but they are not concept records and Danny has said as much.

This is the way I see it;

Concept Album - An album that CLEARLY tells a STORY in which each song is a continuation of the previous song without the listener needing to find a way to link the songs together. Some recent examples from the past 20 years: Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime", Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", Dream Theater's "Metropolis PT2: Scenes From a Memory" and almost all of King Diamond's albums.

Conceptual Albums - A collection of songs that deal with an overall THEME, but do not tell a story. examples: APC's "Thirteenth Step", Tool's "Lateralus", Dream Theater's "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Disc 2" and just about every '80's hair band CD since all they wrote about was sex and drugs and partying.

The thing is most albums DO have an overall THEME to them. By grouping those albums in together with albums that are, in fact based on a story, takes away from those albums and there becomes no distinction between the two.

Reviewers have said the album has native american chants, and a very pagan feel, including in the song "The Pot". The album artwork is from a mural that suggests unity shared within all human beings. Adam Jones said there's lots of lyrics dealing with different perspectives. If the album does have one underlying theme I'd guess it would be condemning ethnocentricity (which is measuring people's culture and lifestyle compared to how it meets your own culture's standards). Obviosly the lyrics will be much better than Emotive, but they might share the same theme as songs on it, like "People are People" "Peace Love and Understanding" "Freedom of Choice". We'll see....