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Retro Review: Tool ‘Undertow’

Published

16 years ago

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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. 
toolundertowcover
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 
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Music

GUNSHIP Debuts ‘Time After Time’ Music Video Featuring Unseen ‘Whistle’ Footage

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3 hours ago

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July 29, 2026

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Whistle Gunship video "Time After Time"

Synthwave outfit GUNSHIP has released a new official music video this morning for their cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” featured on the soundtrack to Corin Hardy’s (The Nun, The Hallow) supernatural horror film Whistle.

To bring it full circle, Corin Hardy directs the music video himself, incorporating previously unseen footage from Whistle. More specifically, the new music video features an extended sequence from the film.

This collaboration builds on GUNSHIP’s longstanding relationship with Hardy, who previously contributed vocals to the band’s track “Cthulhu.”

“Working with Corin is a total dream,” said GUNSHIP. “He’s an old friend who we bonded with over our love for cinema and music, and we were honored to have our song featured in the film. After the Whistle premiere, we were chatting over a pint, and he told us about a beautiful pseudo ‘one shot’ sequence he was heartbroken to lose in the final film. We suggested resurrecting it and using it as a music video. Corin got it immediately, and the result is perfect. It’s heartbreaking, haunting and pure 80s noir soaked.”

Corin Hardy added: “I wanted Whistle to feel like a horror movie I might have watched around the late 1980s, alongside films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Lost Boys, and The Breakfast Club. Films steeped in teen-angst and heightened feelings. Music was such a huge part of creating the romance of those cinematic worlds. Gunship’s synth-drenched cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ was always top of my list. Their unique heart-on-your-sleeve sound was the perfect choice for a key moment in the movie. To come together post-release and create this extended music video is simply the cherry on top. Dan, Al & Al (Gunship) have provided the film a real companion piece in the world of Whistle… it makes me want my MTV again!”

It’s a fitting collaboration, as music serves a narrative purpose in Whistle. Music, the director told Bloody Disgusting, was a means of immersing viewers in this world and its characters’ perspectives. Hardy even touched on this particular track: “So in a way, the music you’ll listen to is effectively what Chrys is listening to, which is her dad’s record collection. Then there are other songs like the Gunship track, which is a Cyndi Lauper cover, which is more like Rel’s [Sky Yang] music. It comes in when we have a sequence in Rel’s romantic heartbreak moment. So yeah, I made a character list of who might be listening to what.”

Whistle sees a misfit group of unwitting high school students confronted with mortality when they blow a cursed Aztec Death Whistle, setting a terrifying chain of events in motion.

Dafne Keen (Logan, “The Acolyte“), Sophie Nélisse (“Yellowjackets”), Sky Yang (Rebel Moon), Jhaleil Swaby (“Supergirl”), Ali Skovbye (Grizzly Night, “Firefly Lane”), Percy Hynes White (“Wednesday”), Michelle Fairley (“Game of Thrones”), and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead).

The supernatural teen horror movie is available to stream on Shudder now.

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