Music

Retro Review: Tool ‘Undertow’

Published

14 years ago

October 1, 2010

1993 was a year in which Grunge was at its height and Nu-Metal hadn’t yet appeared. Some classic films released that year include Leprechaun, Cronos, Army of Darkness, Fire In The Sky, and, while not horror but still badass, Jurassic Park. Also that year were great music releases from Wu-Tang Clan (Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers), Depeche Mode (Songs Of Faith And Devotion), Candlebox (Candlebox), Sepultura (Chaos A.D.), amongst others. Overall, it was one hell of a year in terms of entertainment.

Let’s be honest with each other; for all intents and purposes, Tool should probably not be as huge as they are. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tool and have been listening to their music since ‘Undertow’ came out. Growing up, the video for ‘Sober’ terrified me and gave me countless nightmares. However, their style, their album release pattern, their visuals, all combines to form a musical entity that should not be popular. And yet, something about Tool has people consistently begging for more and craving each album to enter yet another musical journey. Admittedly, I’m one of those people. Having seen Tool six times in concert, I can completely attest to the power of their music not only as an aural experience, but when coupled with their visuals, as a powerful, almost meditative force.

So let’s go back in time to the first full-length release from Tool, ‘Undertow’. And no, ‘Opiate’ does not count as a full-length release. Kicking off with the track ‘Intolerance’, it is immediately apparent what you, the listener, are in for. Guitars that are more overdriven rather than distorted, a very unique bass tone, intricate and complex drums and finally deep lyrics matched with haunting, furious vocals all meshed together to form a song that played with expectations. Listen to the song with a good pair of headphones and listen to all the little things that are going on in the background and how everything is panned. There are constantly layered sounds and textures swirling around at dizzying speeds. Trying to keep track of what’s happening is near impossible.

The production of the album is all about toying with aural expectations. Maynard’s vocals shift from having wet reverb effects to dry in-your-face power. While aurally pleasing, there are some volume shifts that are a bit inconsistent with the rest of the music. Paul D’Amour’s bass is thick, articulate and has now become one of those immediately identifiable tones that you can hear three seconds of and know which band is playing. Adam Jones’ guitar work may not show off the technical prowess of Van Halen or the chops of Pearl Jam’s Michael McCready, but his ability to control the overtones and feedback of his guitar is astounding. He also created a tone that is immediately identifiable and conveys the mood of the music wholly. His crunch and distorted channels are consistently articulate while sounding like they almost drip with agony and melancholia and his clean tones are riddled with fantastic and immersive effects. Danny Carey’s drumming is the stuff of legend but unfortunately, the drums don’t sound as tight as the other instruments, instead sounding almost boxed in and confined.

‘Undertow’ is an album that has had amazing influence over countless bands and musicians. It is an album that has withstood the test of time, sounding as relevant and as intense as the day it was released, mired ever so slightly by a minimally less-than-stellar production. If you’ve been listening to the past few Tool albums and somehow haven’t yet gotten to ‘Undertow’, prepare for an album that is less progressive and more grunge-metal. This shouldn’t dissuade you, as the album is undeniably ‘Tool’. Go and get this album if you don’t own it. If you do, pop it in and relive the early 90’s.

4.5 out of 5 skulls

JonathanBarkan

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

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Music

“He Walks By Night” – Listen to a Brand New John Carpenter Song NOW!

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2024

John Squires

It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.

Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.

Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.

“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”

You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…