So these Los Angeles prog-metal heads have been doing their thing since 1990, and by the time Lateralus came around in 2001, they’d already carved out their weird little niche with the thinking man’s metal approach. Maynard James Keenan’s got this voice that can go from whisper to scream, Adam Jones plays guitar like he’s painting with sound, Danny Carey’s probably got the most complicated drum kit in rock, and Justin Chancellor rounds it out on bass. These guys don’t just make music, they make experiences.
Lateralus is basically Tool saying “screw your three-minute radio songs” and going full art-rock experiment mode. The whole thing clocks in at nearly 79 minutes, and honestly, it feels like a journey rather than just an album. The math nerds love pointing out how they built songs around the Fibonacci sequence and all that, but what really gets you is how the thing flows. “Schism” is probably their biggest hit and for good reason, it’s got these shifting time signatures that shouldn’t work but totally do, while “Parabola” hits you with this chorus about mortality and being alive that’s surprisingly uplifting for a band that usually wallows in the dark stuff. The title track “Lateralus” is where they really show off, with Maynard singing about overthinking while the band proceeds to overthink every single note.
Look, this isn’t background music for your barbecue. It’s heavy, it’s demanding, and sometimes it gets a bit too up its own ass with the mystical themes and mathematical concepts. But when it clicks, man, it really clicks. There’s something about how they build tension and release it that just works, even if you can’t explain why. If you’re into bands that treat albums like complete statements rather than collections of songs, and you don’t mind your metal served with a side of philosophy textbook, this is essential listening.