Don’t get me wrong; Lateralus is one heck of a big puzzle. Just to think about it, my brain melts. Yet, this album bestows upon me such ophthalmic pleasure that it far exceeds my standards of excellence. Tool is an incredible band and “Lateralus” is the quintessence and zenith of the group’s entire work. It symbolizes one step further from previous Tool material into progressive/art-rock territory.
Critics usually tend to favour “Ænima” and though I absolutely adore it too, “Lateralus” just has something more. The band manages to maintain its dark and profound signature sound and tortured interiority whilst exploring a new vast and complex atmosphere it had not really trekked into with the previous albums. Many related themes are approached in “Lateralus” and this is probably the main reason why it as been pigeonholed as a concept-album, despite the fact that there are no real significant musical constants or leitmotivs found in it. I will try to exhibit the intricacy of this album by presenting some of its unveiled mysteries.
First, there is the restructuring of the album. Even if Lateralus already flows amazingly with its determined song set, you can reorganize the set list according to the Fibonacci sequence (look it up on Wikipedia or on video; it’s a mathematical pattern linked to spirals, the main theme of the album). Some speculate that the actual order of the songs MUST be rearranged so as to reveal the “true” message of Lateralus. The “must” part is somewhat extreme if you ask me, but hey, it’s still worth a try. For starters, the album has 13 tracks (a Fibonacci number). The most convenient arrangement would consist of the thirteenth track being placed in the middle of the new song order with each other tracks being grouped into pairs that sum the number 13. These have to surround the middle and form two spirals converging towards it. Appears like this:
6, 7, 5, 8, 4, 9, 13, 1, 12, 2, 11, 3, 10 (the numbers in bold represent the two spirals).
If you do place them so, your enjoyment of the album should be increased, as the band pre-orchestrated all of it so the transitions between the songs are even more interesting. I tried it myself and I must say that I agree with whoever figured that out. Also, in the title-track, during the verses, the drumming and vocal rhythms correspond to the Fibonacci sequence in their syllable counts in addition to the fact that the main riff of the song is comprised of three different meters: 9/8, 8/8, 7/8, so 987 which is also a Fibonacci number. The upheaval with this Fibonacci sequence and the spirals is not only mathematical; it’s philosophical. It suggests living following the movement of a spiral; constantly growing and spiralling out, exploring and reaching toward the unknown.
This is only a hint of the mathematical connotation behind “Lateralus” and there is a whole lot more… You need time to deal with this album, but it does pay off. It is so deep in every manner conceivable. Danny Carey has to be one of the best and most innovative drummers out there (some even claim that the drums are the lead voice in Tool). Add to that an awesome guitar/bass section with skeletal riffs harmonizing together remarkably, as well as Maynard’s poignant vocals, sung with so much zeal and intensity. Tool stands out as a whole but every instrument gets its chance to stand out. Most metal-orientated bands right now suck and lack imagination and quality. If you are into metal and other related genres (although Tool isn’t really hard anyway), you should definitely give Tool a listen.
by Kerry
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