This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
Lateralus (/ˌlætəˈræləs/)[2] is the third studio album by the American rock band Tool. It was released on May 15, 2001, through Volcano Entertainment. The album was recorded at Cello Studios in Hollywood and The Hook, Big Empty Space, and The Lodge, in North Hollywood, between October 2000 and January 2001. David Bottrill, who had produced the band's two previous releases Ænima and Salival, produced the album along with the band, and became the last Tool album produced by Bottrill to date. On August 23, 2005, Lateralus was released as a limited edition two-picture-disc vinyl LP in a holographic gatefold package. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling more than 555,200 copies in its first week of release. It was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on April 15, 2021. On February 13, 2015, the album was certified Gold by the BPI. It was also certified double platinum in both Australia and Canada. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song "Schism" in 2002. Lateralus was ranked No. 123 on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Definitive 200" list.
Can't do wrong with Tool for me. The rhytms, the heavyness and the atmosphere. It just speaks to me
This was in consideration for my addition but there was already one Tool album. I love this album and it’s my favorite by tool. The instrumental rhythms are a winding rust of prog metal brilliance. The album is strong and yet tame. It’s forceful but done so proficiently it’s soothing to listen to. 9.0/10
Man I just really like Tool. I'm not smart enough to understand the lyrics, but boy do I love the music. I love playing "Guess the Time Signature!" on all the songs.
The original list is infamously weak on metal, especially anything post-Metallica, and Lateralus is one of its most egregious snubs A remarkable and hypnotic prog metal album that deserves all of the hype. It’s ridiculously virtuosic yet still punchy and emotional. Schism is the song that blew up but the title track is the true highlight for me, especially the ‘bridge’ section where each instrument comes back in in a different time signature and the melodic lines weave together as it builds. Even ignoring the metric complexity and the constant Fibonacci sequence references throughout the song, the build just sounds so incredibly powerful
Ticks and leeches puts this to a 5 by itself.
I kind of think you need to either be incredibly dumb or incredibly smart to like TOOL. I hope I'm the latter but I'm fine with being the former.
Fuck the "ni nu ni fa" guy hey. What does that shit even mean? Anyway, Tool is pretty objectively good. 4/5.
I maintain that this album could have been about 30 minutes shorter, but it’s a classic record at this point. Very deserved placement on this list, and much more than many of the post-2000 picks
Perfect, epic album.. One of the best ever.. Favorite song.. Ill go with Lateralus today ane not Schism..
This third album of Tool contains a lot of fantastic alternative metal songs with many (rhythm) twists and turns. A bit long though.
As I mentioned in my notes for the other Tool album on the user submitted list, I have made this band’s acquaintance a while ago but didn’t stick with it outside the bounds of the friend who was a fan. I kind of enjoyed this although it did rock a little harder than I might have felt like rocking. The musicianship was great, and there were songs I really liked even if I might not listen to this again.
Ah - nu-metal for the MENSA crowd. I thought that this album needed to be in this list. Just a densely-beautiful and surprising explosion of noise.
I don't hate Tool, but I find them overrated and I'm not much of a fan Keenan's vocals
Honestly I’m shocked. I never thought I’d enjoy a tool album but this one was actually pretty good. Just the right mix of metal and prog rock. Honestly I’m surprised I slept on tool for this long. Every time I’ve tried to listen to them I didn’t like it but this really worked.
Second Tool album in a week and this is more what I'd hoped for.
Progressive metal, progressive rock, art rock, alternative metal. Ni fu ni fa.
TOOL lovers love their TOOL, and I don't mind it honestly, just solid heavy rock. As I commonly find in that genre it takes itself a little too seriously. The last item on this album also felt like a basic FU to my ears but at least it was short.
I don't typically gravitate to this type of stuff, but this was quite good. Intense, smartly crafted music. This does run long though, and would have benefited from dropping a couple of songs off the back half. Still, the quality is top notch overall. Definitely worth a listen. Fave Songs: Parabola, Schism, The Patient, The Grudge, Ticks & Leeches
Ya gotta give it up for TOOL. Cool stuff, fun time signatures, great use of dynamics. Maynard is a madman. Whole albums are a little exhausting to me though
Gotta have some TOOL 4 3
I remember playing through some of these tracks in Guitar Hero when I was younger and not being fully able to appreciate them at the time. Now, it’s easy to recognize the instrumental and compositional prowess of the band and how well-executed the ideas are on this LP. As a full album, however, I do think this collection of tracks suffers from pacing issues – the quieter, shorter interludes peppered in between the behemoth showstoppers introduce too much negative space between the melodically interesting moments.
Rating: 6/10
Not my favorite Tool album
I prefer the other tool album to those one, but can always make room for this one on the list too.
It's a strange album because of the relaxing pauses it makes between tracks, as well as other "experimental" tracks that really detract from the album and seem like "filler". The relevant tracks or hits don't give you more or less than you expect and those are a pleasure to listen to with good instruments and good metal. 2.5 stars
I didn't hate it quite as much as I thought I would, but I didn't like it either. Just not my thing really. 2 stars.
It was OK.
Not my kind of music at all
Not for me