listened to the album (the 10-track version) first and so far the only time on flight back home, started from track 2, since i’ve already heard the title track when it was released as single
fell asleep somewhere around track 4, woke up in the middle of “7empest”
agree with the posts saying that it’s kind of long and boring and vocals seem ‘detached’ as well as ‘recycled riffs’
the digital-only extra 3 “interlude” tracks are garbage this time, unlike AEnima ones where they were sort of weird and interesting and contributed to the mood and atmosphere
the instrumental passages in the songs seem way too long, and of course it’s some unconventional time signature or drums and guitars playing some poly-rhythm, then as you are almost into it, some cymbal or hi-hat comes in with it’s own pattern or something XD
As per the ‘recycled riffs’… I dunno if they’re recycled, but a lot of them, according to the band members, have been around FOREVER (“7empest”'s main riff was written before Aenima came out). That, coupled with Maynard’s statement that the album was finished by 2013, make me a little bit pissed. I mean, five years of nit-picking and procrastinating? Christ, get it together.
I like one of the “interlude” tracks – “Litanie Contre La Peur” sounds like an ancient Egyptian singing through Auto-tune – but the others are garbage, you’re right. Especially that nature sounds bullshit at the very end.
I’ve listened to Fear a bit more. I can safely say I like it better than I did the first few listens. The filler stuff is still completely uninteresting. I continue to wonder what they’ve been doing with it for the last 6 years or so, if it really was basically complete in 2013. The tunes are too long and most would be far better at say 8 minutes instead of 12. I think 10,000 days is better. There isn’t anything that really grabs your attention like Vicarious or Rosetta Stoned.
OK, there is Danny Carey. That being said, I’m a Tool fan and the album is good overall.
Like I said, it’s a grower. And you’re right, some of the tunes need editing. Especially “Descending,” which is good when it gets going, but the beginning seems to take forever. “Culling Voices” sounds like a 10-minute interlude, that can go too.
I enjoyed the album, it’s Tool doing what they do best. I was hoping for more progression to their sound. A Perfect Circle kind of opened up the possibility for Lateralus, but it hasn’t moved much since then. Still good stuff though.
I dunno man , I used to love Tool, but just can’t feel it on this, lots of the music sounds like they had already laid them down , not really that epic of a disk to me, I dunno maybe they are doing a Todd Rungdren , like he did in 93 with that inter active disk , and when you pop all the Tool songs in computer they can be assembled together and create one fucking long song
just picked up the special edition with the screen. haven’t opened it yet.
It says it comes with an mp3 download code … does that mean there is no disc with it?