Love or Hate?

**Frownland** · 08-12-2015, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ki

^you gotta be in a certain mindset for that album.

I agree. It's a great album to zone out to, but for me I'm somewhat with TH when I say that it loses a bit of its luster on intensive listens.

YorkeDaddy · 08-12-2015, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ki

^you gotta be in a certain mindset for that album.

In the mindset to listen to mediocrity maybe

Machine · 08-12-2015, 11:24 PM

I hold Lateralus on a really high ****ing pedestal, and when someone dosent like it I always wonder why. That being said, thinking about it I could see why the vast majority would find it unappealing.

**Frownland** · 08-12-2015, 11:30 PM

It's obviously not the case with everyone, but I honestly think it's the metal tag that leads people into thinking it's boring since they go into the album with inappropriate expectations. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and someone recommended Albert Ayler to me because they heard I like avant-garde music. At the time, what avant-garde music meant to me was Mr. Bungle, Naked City, Frank Zappa, Beefheart, Zu, and a few other bands that were all a little more rock based. When I heard Ayler for the first time I wrote it off as boring noodling since it wasn't the avant-garde music I was used to.

Machine · 08-13-2015, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

It's obviously not the case with everyone, but I honestly think it's the metal tag that leads people into thinking it's boring since they go into the album with inappropriate expectations. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and someone recommended Albert Ayler to me because they heard I like avant-garde music. At the time, what avant-garde music meant to me was Mr. Bungle, Naked City, Frank Zappa, Beefheart, Zu, and a few other bands that were all a little more rock based. When I heard Ayler for the first time I wrote it off as boring noodling since it wasn't the avant-garde music I was used to.

Exactly I always put it in the art-rock and experimental rock categories instead of labeling it as metal/prog-metal.

Ninetales · 08-13-2015, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

It's obviously not the case with everyone, but I honestly think it's the metal tag that leads people into thinking it's boring since they go into the album with inappropriate expectations. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and someone recommended Albert Ayler to me because they heard I like avant-garde music. At the time, what avant-garde music meant to me was Mr. Bungle, Naked City, Frank Zappa, Beefheart, Zu, and a few other bands that were all a little more rock based. When I heard Ayler for the first time I wrote it off as boring noodling since it wasn't the avant-garde music I was used to.

i wouldnt call Tool boring, its just their sound that grates on me. i can listen and enjoy them in short bursts (The Pot and Schism are v good) but their albums just dont do much for me.

theyre not bad but not great either imo

grindy · 08-12-2015, 11:36 PM

I've tried to get into Tool countless times and always ended up just being bored.

Trollheart · 08-13-2015, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

I could send you the album and provide some info if you want.
(Also the very first link google finds for me is his website in english.)
Or just leave it be, if you prefer to. You're the boss.

Okay send me the details. I don't like to dismiss anyone's selection. Meantime I'll push on if that's ok.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micco

The Brothers Johnson - Blam!!

Added. I'll have the whole list updated very soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechnicLePanther

I really just don't understand how you were bored by it. I would expect disinterest, bot not plain boredom. Perhaps you're just not getting into them the same way most fans do. Maybe you were bored because all of their songs sound pretty similar. That is a common argument against the band, and I can totally see it like that. But the way it is, I'm just hoping for a bit of further explanation.

By the way, try listening to some of their songs on their own. Their music videos tend to receive a lot of accolades, so you may want to watch those with the songs to add some depth. The videos are a bit strange, but the tend to work well with the songs. Also, I don't know if you're interested at all, but their earlier songs are a bit heavier, and at the same time tend to be a bit easier to get into. Try some of their other stuff out if you find the time.

I like progressive metal but I also like to be engaged. This album did not engage me. It almost seemed like the same drony effort all the way through, interspersed with technical wankery for good effect. The instrumentals were virtually nothing at all, and other than the last few tracks there's nothing I would want to listen to again. I don't care about the videos: the only reason I had to listen to it on YT was that GPM hadn't got it and my Spotify membership has lapsed thanks to that credit card fraud, and I haven't yet decided whether I want to renew it.

It was also far far too long and I saw no interesting ideas in the melodies or lyrics. Didn't like the singer either. Nothing about it made me want to listen to more of their music. I'm aware that they're something of a polarising band: you either love them or hate them, but I just didn't feel it. I didn't hate the album, I just couldn't wait for it to end. Bored out of my skull, as I said. I'm not saying it was necessarily a boring album but it bored me. Batty thought War of the Worlds was boring in a lot of places, and though I strongly disagree, I accepted his personal view. You're just gonna have to accept mine on this. A clear, boring, big white MEH.

Plainview · 08-13-2015, 05:47 AM

I've realised how little you'll like Nuclear War, so can I just push my other Rec up instead and forgot the Sun Ra? Probably for the best!

grindy · 08-13-2015, 10:10 AM

It's been a year since my last attempt, so I might try again.
Which Tool album would be a good start for me? (fan of prog/experimental, not fan of metal/alternative)

08-12-2015, 11:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	It's obviously not the case with everyone, but I honestly think it's the metal tag that leads people into thinking it's boring since they go into the album with inappropriate expectations. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and someone recommended Albert Ayler to me because they heard I like avant-garde music. At the time, what avant-garde music meant to me was Mr. Bungle, Naked City, Frank Zappa, Beefheart, Zu, and a few other bands that were all a little more rock based. When I heard Ayler for the first time I wrote it off as boring noodling since it wasn't the avant-garde music I was used to. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

08-12-2015, 11:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	I've tried to get into Tool countless times and always ended up just being bored. __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

08-13-2015, 10:10 AM	#10 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	It's been a year since my last attempt, so I might try again. Which Tool album would be a good start for me? (fan of prog/experimental, not fan of metal/alternative) __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

08-12-2015, 11:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	I hold Lateralus on a really high ****ing pedestal, and when someone dosent like it I always wonder why. That being said, thinking about it I could see why the vast majority would find it unappealing.