13 years is a long time. So is 29. That’s how long these men have been making music together and the familiarity and comfort with each other shines on this album. No doubt, TOOL took their unique sound and perfected it on this album. This is not an album to introduce people to TOOL There are no songs shorter than 10 minutes (outside of interludes) and the sound is heavy and thick. Only 7 new tracks are on the album, but with so many movements within the song it feels like more. At times the songs sound like they have reached their natural conclusion, but the band continues to expand on themes and sounds for another 3-4 minutes This may exhaust some, but it’s also where some of the gems in the album are.

Lyrically the album strays from previous work. While most of TOOL’s previous albums dealt with a mix of psychology, social commentary and heavy personal issues for singer Maynard James Keenan, this album is lacking in that department. 10,000 Days had 2, maybe 3 tracks dedicated to the passing of his mother and in older albums Keenan utilizes the band as an outlet for his childhood trauma and recovery from it. On Fear Inoculum the themes seem to deal more with society and its downfall. Outside of Pneuma there are no calls to elevate the spirit or references to Jungian philosophy like in previous albums. Instead we are subject to Maynards thoughts on society (Descending, Fear Inoculum, and 7empest) and possibly man himself (Pneuma, Culling Voices, and Invincible). Invincible is an interesting track into the MJK’s mindset. Lyrics like “feeling time bearing down”, Warrior struggling to remain relevant”, and “Once invincible, now the armors wearing thin, heavy shield down” give insight into the mindset of a 50 year old part time singer (of 3 bands) and full time wine maker. There are also a certain number of Roman references sprinkled through the album. I would think it would be to draw parallels between the collapse of Roman society and the collapse of American society.

The highlights of this album come from drummer Danny Carey and guitarist Adam Jones . This is probably Jones’ best work on the guitar, especially on 7empest. But Carey is playing lead drums on the album. He has so many great moments that I can’t wait to see live. The drum rolls and fills an Pneuma are invigorating and creative. It almost sounds like he hits every drum head through the song. The main rythm in the track Fear Inoculam has a sick tribal vibe. Chocolate Chip Trip reminds me of Merkaba, a track off the band's album Salival. Another highlight is on Descending. The song seems driven by emotion of the drums. With the sound at the beginning of the song resemble tide flowing into the beach, this song could be viewed as a sequal to Aenima. They have such an impact on the overall tone of the song, plus there’s a filthy use of the gong on the live performance of the song. Descending also features some great work from Jones, as he and Carey bounce off of each other. It’s also an example of the band lengthening the track. They could have wrapped a bow around it at the 8:20 mark, but decided to extend the song another 4 minutes. But to me that is where the highlight of the song is. Powerful drumming, gong hits, and wailing guitar. I’m all in on this track.

Overall it’s an album that will provide multiple listens for the foreseeable future You get the feel that they take their time composing their songs, and perfected their evolved sound. They follow a similar pattern and have very direct changes in time signatures and beats. I feel the album as a whole is incredible for any TOOL fan or prog rock fan. Though difficult to digest and unpack, its been worth the wait.