ByAnand Venkitachalam

September 16, 2019 (IANSlife) American metal giant Tool has finally released its long-awaited fifth album ‘Fear Inoculum’, 13 years after their last album ‘10,000 Days’ was launched to critical and commercial acclaim.

‘Fear Inoculum’ has topped the Billboard 200 with 270,000 album equivalents sold, replacing Taylor Swift in less than a week and that too with little marketing.

The progressive/experimental band is one of the biggest metal acts of the '90s, continues to stay relevant without any music release since 2006.

Tool’s sound is known to contain complex and unique song-writing, accompanied by hard-edged dynamic guitar work, complex time signatures, intriguing concepts, groovy bass lines, progressive drumming, enchanting visual art, psychedelic atmosphere, and just an overall experimental and hypnotic sound.

'Fear Inoculum’, released on August 30, continues Tool’s tradition of long complex songs with an immersive atmosphere and is the longest album the group has released to date, with the physical version alone clocking in at nearly 80 minutes and the digital version at 90.

The band’s performance has not deteriorated with age, however, as everyone is still in top form and as such no one can really be singled out for any particular achievements which escalate them above the others. Maynard’s voice hasn’t aged a bit, and is just as dispassionate and haunting as before. Justin Chancellor continues to write strong memorable bass lines, which are groovy and dynamic. Adam Jones’ complex and melodic guitar work is still fire, and Danny Carrey continues to prove why he’s among the best of the best with his innovative drumming stealing the show.

As usual the band is geared towards a psychedelic and progressive rock-oriented songwriting with a '90s alternative metal sound, and as such, the album hits right on the mark and gives fans exactly what they want to hear.

From the very start of the title track, you can make out it’s Tool, and this is where lie both the strength as well as the weakness of the band. Though undoubtedly innovative songwriters, who have cultivated a soundscape solely unique to them, it has also become an identity marker for them. So predictable, that less than one second in and those familiar with Tool can instantly make out it’s them.

'Fear Inoculum’ also continues with its tradition of polyrhythms and psychedelia, without bringing anything new to the table, which may be particularly worthy of note. The guitar work, the psychedelic grooves and even Maynard’s haunting vocals are something you can only get so much of.

Though not lacking in taste, this record does lack some substance as some of the ‘experimental’ stuff here seems as if it was literally ripped off a King Crimson or Hawkwind record or something. Then at other times, the record can feel self-indulgent and bloated with unnecessary cuts to make up the transitions and boring ambient interlude pieces.

The production on the LP is very clean and smooth, you can hear every detail extremely well, but such posh production can come off as a bit artificial at times. Perhaps, the best way to sum up this offering is – yet another Tool record with their signature style.

So, is the record worth the long wait? It is, if you are a Tool fan. It is also, if you are new to the band and want to explore with some of the songs summing up their quintessential style, provided you have the patience for an LP with each song longer than 10 minutes and a few short ambient pieces.

But this record is not for you, if you are expecting something new from Tool, like less relying on psychedelic overtures and polyrhythms, folksy acoustic pieces instead of the typical ambient interlude.

Score : 6.5

(This article is a website exclusive and cannot be reproduced without permission of IANSlife)

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in

Editing by Ritu Pandey and N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe