Tool “Fear Inoculum” – Review

Add a fan base as rabid as any band in history, possibly the most hype ever given to a metal album, and 4 musicians known for being perfectionist, and you have the recipe for a gigantic letdown or the final batch of concrete that cements Tool’s place as larger than life deities in the history books of music lore. The wait is over, we now spiral out and review in depth this 10 track, hour and twenty six minute composition known as Fear Inoculum. 

The title track opens with a dark mellow feel that is sure to give Tool fans across the world chills, right away the intricate magic weaving of textures can be heard, the magicians Adam Jones, Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor slowly build making a spot for a Shamanistic Maynard James Keenan vocal to take over. 

Penuma follows and on first listen, you realize it’s a classic Tool track ready to take over a large portion of the Tool Armys title of favorite piece.  It is quickly realized that this work alone was worth the wait, 11 minutes and 53 seconds of a trip with the California crew captaining the ship. 

Pneuma is followed by one of the 4 intermission tracks that Tool is famous for, Litanie Contre La Peur is a beautiful synth composition that gives the senses a much needed massage after trying to soak in the previous track. 

Invincible and Descending sandwich a second intermission Legion Inoculant. The two tracks were the subject of many hungry Tools fans conversations for the past few years, the tracks being worked out slowly as instrumentals during live shows. The studio versions added lyrics and prove to fit in perfectly with the direction of this opus. 

Maynard James Keenan takes center stage for Culling Voices, a beautiful vocal performance with the band laying perfect dynamics to ensure the voice shines. This track sounds less like the Tool of past as any of the album so far, maybe even more of A perfect Circle song.

Chocolate Chip Trip, or during live shows over the past year CC Trip is all Danny Carey working his synth/percussion genius. This the third of the intermissions, stands out as what we could eventually hear on a Danny Carey solo album.

……………7empest. A book could be written on this work. The track could be a highlight reel for Adam Jones riffs, the amount of great guitar work on this 15 minute and 44 second symphony, rivals none I’ve heard in the genre. Breaking down this track into 4 sections you can hear Adam Jones immolate riffs in the style of each of Fear Inoculums four predecessors, it’s almost as if written to be the Swan Song of the band paying homage to each of their earlier albums.  

The album closes with the last intermission piece, another journey into the mind of Danny Carey, percussion and use of synth pads are an eerie if not odd way to end the album.  

In closing to answer my introductory question, yes it was worth every 420,940,800 seconds. A review could be written on the packaging alone, a 36 page booklet with art featuring Alex Grey and Adam Jones. A 4 inch HD rechargeable screen with video footage, not only is the music revolutionary but the presentation as well. I rate Tools Fear Inoculum a 4.99 out of 5 stars, that wait was brutal.