Lateralus
Studio album by Tool
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	October 2000 - January 2001 at Cello Studios, Hollywood, California, The Hook, North Hollywood, California, Big Empty Space, North Hollywood, California, The Lodge, North Hollywood, California
Genre	Progressive rock Alternative metal
Length	78:58
Label	Zoo Entertainment
Producer	David Bottrill, Tool
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Drowned in Sound link Entertainment Weekly (B-) May 25, 2001 (pp. 76-77) Kerrang! 9 May 2001 (p. 44) NME (7/10) May 25, 2001 (pp. 76-77) Pitchfork Media (1.9/10) link PopMatters (Favorable) link Q December 2001 Rolling Stone link Spin Magazine (Favorable) January 2002 (p. 77)
Tool chronology
Salival (2000) Lateralus (2001) 10,000 Days (2006)
Alternative cover
Holographic gatefold package

Lateralus (pronounced /lætəˈrælɪs/)^{[citation needed]} is the third full-length album by Tool. It was released on May 15, 2001. On August 5, 2003, Lateralus was certified double platinum by the RIAA. On August 23, 2005, Lateralus was released as a limited edition two picture disc vinyl in a holographic gatefold package. Image File history File links Tool-lateralus-album. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... The Hook is a classic example of an urban legend. ... North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. ... North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Alternative metal is an form of music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Zoo Entertainment was an American record label, and a subsidiary of BMG. The label was formed in the early 1990s by industry icon Lou Maglia (former president of Island Records), but is now defunct. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... The Drowned in Sound logo Drowned in Sound or DiS is a UK based music webzine dedicated to new music. ... Image File history File links Stars10100. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a weekly magazine about popular music published in the UK. It is unlike many other popular music magazines due to its intended focus on guitar-based music and indie rock bands, instead of mainstream pop acts. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... Salival was a limited edition box set in CD/VHS and CD/DVD formats released in 2000 by alternative metal band Tool. ... 10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth full-length studio album by Tool. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. ... The RIAA Logo. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Overview

Lateralus emerged after a five-year legal tussle with Tool's former label. In spite of its unusual and complex content, the album still became a commercial success in the United States, quite apart from the mid- to late-1990s releases. The album was revered by critics and fans alike, and was named Kerrang!'s album of the year in 2001. The album is 78 minutes and 58 seconds long. According to an interview with Danny Carey, the label promised them only 79 minutes, so they "gave them two seconds of breathing room."^{[citation needed]} 80 minutes is usually the maximum possible duration for a commercial CD. The CD was mastered using HDCD technology. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Daniel Edwin Danny Carey (born May 10, 1961 in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.) is the drummer for the progressive rock band Tool. ... High Definition Compatible Digital, or HDCD is a patented encode-decode process, now under Microsoft, that attempts to improve the audio quality of standard Redbook audio CDs, while retaining backward compatibility with existing Compact disc players. ...

Two music videos were released: "Schism" (the video had the short ambient segue, "Mantra", at the beginning) and "Parabol/Parabola". These were subsequently released as two separate DVD singles on December 20, 2005, featuring remixes of the tracks by Lustmord. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Schism is a song by American progressive rock/metal band Tool. ... Ambient music refers to a kind of music that envelops the listener without drawing attention to itself [1] // The term ambient music was first coined by Brian Eno in the mid-1970s to refer to music that can be either actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending... Parabola is the name of the second single from Tools album Lateralus. It was released in 2002 as a promo CD only. ... A DVD single is a music single in the form of a DVD. The format was introduced in the late 1990s/early 2000s. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brian Lustmord Williams is a musician credited with creating the dark ambient genre with the influential album, Heresy - a relentlessly dark work that sounds like a journey through Hell. ...

In January 2001, the band 'jokingly' announced that the new album title would be Systema Encéphale and provided an obscure tracklist. One month later, they revealed the real title and a completely different tracklist, much to the chagrin of several members of the media who had accepted and promoted the original title.^{[citation needed]}

Album art

The cover is translucent and flips open to reveal the different layers of the human body, including a spiritual layer representing vrajna,^{[citation needed]} the transcendental wisdom of enlightenment or union with the divine. Partially obscured in the brain matter on the final layer is the word "God." The artwork was done by artist Alex Grey, who also designed the 3-D cover for 10,000 Days. The cover text is styled to resemble Arabic writing. Physical Features of the Human Body The human body is the entire physical structure of a human organism. ... The human brain controls the central nervous system (CNS), by way of the cranial nerves and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and regulates virtually all human activity. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953 in Columbus, Ohio) is an artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. ... 10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth full-length studio album by Tool. ...

Several images within the album art contain parabolic spirals. Spirals are alluded to throughout the lyrics of the title track, while the titles of two successive tracks, "Parabol" and "Parabola", on the album also lend themselves to this imagery. Additionally, this spiral imagery may tie in to the fan-speculated relationship between the song and the Fibonacci sequence, as the mesh of spirals in the album art closely resembles that of disc phyllotaxis (the intricate spiral design formed by the florets of the sunflower and daisy for example), which occur in Fibonacci sequence as well. While the actual spirals depicted in the artwork, however, are not known to have been tested against Fibonacci numbers or the Golden Ratio associated with them, a layer in one of the transparencies contains a geometric figure containing two pentagons and a pentragram, shapes in which the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci numbers play a very important role.

Track listing

All songs written by Tool. Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ...

1. "The Grudge" – 8:36
2. "Eon Blue Apocalypse" – 1:04
3. "The Patient" – 7:13
4. "Mantra" – 1:12
5. "Schism" – 6:47
6. "Parabol" – 3:04
7. "Parabola" – 6:03
8. "Ticks & Leeches" – 8:10
9. "Lateralus" – 9:24
10. "Disposition" – 4:46
11. "Reflection" – 11:07
12. "Triad" – 8:46
13. "Faaip de Oiad" – 2:39

Schism is a song by American progressive rock/metal band Tool. ... Parabola is the name of the second single from Tools album Lateralus. It was released in 2002 as a promo CD only. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Track information and interpretations

• Some time after Lateralus was released, a minor flurry of interpretive activity arose around the album. In particular, Carey told an interviewer about Keenan's remark that the time signatures of the main riff in "Lateralus" (9-8-7) also represented a step in the Fibonacci sequence (the sixteenth step, as it turns out).^{[citation needed]} This led some Tool fans to suggest that the tracks on Lateralus can be listened to in spiral-like orders: 1,2,3,5,8,13,4,6,7,9,10,11,12 ("The Fibonacci Sequence"), 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13 ("The Lateralus Prophecy"), or 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10 ("The Holy Gift").[1] These arrangements are rumoured by fans to produce different storylines for the album, although the band has said nothing official on the subject.

• In addition to time-signature relating to the Fibonacci Sequence, the two of the verses of the track "Lateralus" are believed to be sung in the Sequence. This being done by the syllables.

(1) Black (1) Then (2) White are (3) All I see (5) In my infancy (8) Red and yellow then came to be (5) Reaching out to me (3) Lets me see (2) There is (1) So (1) Much... A tiling with squares whose sides are successive Fibonacci numbers in length A Fibonacci spiral, created by drawing arcs connecting the opposite corners of squares in the Fibonacci tiling shown above – see golden spiral In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers form a sequence defined by the following recurrence relation: That is...

• And so on. This is the act of "swing on the spiral", a line later in the song. These ties

(though not confirmed by Tool), lead many to believe that Lateralus is about the Fibonacci Sequence and how it relates to life.

• Just as Salival was initially released with several errors on the track listing, as well as differentials in the album title Ænima and song title "Ænema", early pressings of Lateralus had the ninth track spelled as "Lateralis."".^[1]

• The vocal on "Faaip De Oiad" is a recording of a call from a 1997 conversation on Art Bell's radio program Coast to Coast AM. The caller, in a frantic tone, claimed to have been previously employed at Area 51 and stated that the true nature of aliens were that of "extra-dimensional beings" that have infiltrated the military establishment and plan to destroy the world's large population centers to more easily control the remaining humans. The broadcast was cut short however, when their transmitter failed but Art Bell returned on the air with the use of a back up link system. Supposedly, the same caller called back some weeks later and claimed it was a hoax. "Faaip De Oiad" is Enochian for "the voice of God." Described as Danny Carey's personal percussion piece for the album (as was "(–) Ions" on Ænima), he can be heard drumming intensely in the background along with sounds of static and various electronic debris.^{[citation needed]}

• The song "The Grudge" is written in 10/8 time and is another example of the wide variety of diverse time signatures employed by the band. The lyrics contain several references to astrology (specifically, the "Return of Saturn"), and to alchemy, "transmutate these leaden grudges into gold". It also references the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne with the lyric "Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen".^[1]

• "Eon Blue Apocalypse" is about Adam Jones' Great Dane named Eon Blue, who died from cancer, according to an interview with Danny Carey. [2]

• Drummer Danny Carey sampled himself breathing through a tube to simulate the chanting of Buddhist monks for the song "Parabol" [3].

• The eighth track, "Ticks & Leeches", is rarely performed live due to the immense strain the song puts on Keenan's voice. They have performed it occasionally, however, with Keenan utilizing several distortion devices to minimize the difficulty of the song.^{[citation needed]}

• The original title of "Reflection" was "Resolution" before being changed at the last minute. Pianos strings were banged for samples on this track.^[2]

• Mantra is used in the opening of Schism's video.

Arthur Art W. Bell, III (born June 17, 1945) is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as the founder and longtime host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland. ... Coast to Coast AM is a late-night syndicated radio talk show in the United States which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies. ... This article is about the U.S. Air Force installation in Nevada. ... This article is about the Angelical Language recorded in the journals of Dr. John Dee. ... Ænima is the second full-length studio album by the American rock band Tool. ... The time signature (also known as meter signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and what note value constitutes one beat. ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... The Saturn Return is the astrological phenomenon that occurs in a persons natal chart at approximately 28-30 years old. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 1850 book. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... The Great Dane is a breed of dog known for its giant size and gentle personality. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Daniel Edwin Danny Carey (born May 10, 1961 in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.) is the drummer for the progressive rock band Tool. ... Schism is a song by American progressive rock/metal band Tool. ...

Alchemic connections

Some song lyrics on this album can be interpreted as references to alchemy, especially because the Philosopher's stone often serves as a spiritual metaphor to evolve from a lower state of imperfection and vice (symbolized by the base metals) to a higher state of enlightenment and perfection. References to this spiritual transmutation are: For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Philosophers stone (disambiguation). ...

"Give away the stone. Let the oceans take and transmutate this cold and fated anchor.
Give away the stone. Let the waters kiss and transmutate these leaden grudges into gold." ("The Grudge")

"Black then white are all I see in my infancy, red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me....Lets me see". ("Lateralus")

If seen in this perspective, the part from "Lateralus" can either refer to the four colors of the Philosopher's stone during different phases of creation, or to the colors of the ingredients themselves (i.e. black = mercury, white = salt, yellow = sulphur, red = stone).

It is also believed that the same line refers to the order in which infants start to see colors.^{[citation needed]}

The infant theory is strongly referenced in the book The Giver, about a secluded utopian-esque society with many secrets. It is suggested that all within the society are fully color blind. Slowly the main character begins seeing colors, the red of an apple, then the yellow of the sunlight, like an infant awakening to reality. The Giver is a soft science fiction novel written by Lois Lowry and published on April 16, 1993. ...

Some people also believe to have found a relation between Lateralus and the Hermetic Kabbalah [4] where black, white, red and yellow refer to the colors associated with various Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. This article is about traditional Jewish Kabbalah. ...

The four colors also relate to Hippocrates's four humors of the human body, blood (red) yellow bile (yellow), black bile (black), and phlegm (white). The four humours were four fluids that were thought to permeate the body and influence its health. ...

Yellow, black, white, and red, are also mentioned in the second stanza of the first canto in the poem "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Percy Bysshe Shelley composed the poem Ode to the West Wind in 1819 and published it in 1820. ... Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822; pronounced ) was one of the major English Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among the finest lyric poets of the English language. ...

"Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,

Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou,

Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed"

In an interview with Keenan in 2001 he did not acknowledge any alchemic relations in regard to the lyric mentioning black, white, red and yellow. Keenan stated:

Personnel

• Maynard James Keenan - Vocals
• Adam Jones - Guitar, art direction
• Justin Chancellor - Bass
• Danny Carey - Drums
• David Bottrill - Producer, engineering, mixing
• Vince DeFranco - Neurocistance/Engineer
• Alex Grey - Illustrations
• Statik (Collide) - Machines on "Triad"

Maynard James Keenan (born April 17, 1964, as James Herbert Keenan) is an American rock singer. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Adam Thomas Jones (born January 15, 1965 in Park Ridge, Illinois) is a Grammy Award-winning musician, guitarist and visual artist, best known for his work with the band Tool. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Justin Chancellor (born November 19, 1971) is an English-born musician; currently the bass player for Tool and formerly of the band Peach (GB). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Daniel Edwin Danny Carey (born May 10, 1961 in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.) is the drummer for the progressive rock band Tool. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953 in Columbus, Ohio) is an artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. ... For the song by Howie Day, see Collide (song). ...

Chart positions

Album

Lateralus sold 555,000 copies in its first week, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200. It has been ranked #123 in the "Definitive 200" of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[4] The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ...

The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ...

Singles

“Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... Survivor is an album released by female R&B trio Destinys Child in 2001. ... Destinys Child was an American R&B group. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... These are the #1 Albums of 2001: ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Break the Cycle is Stainds third studio album from 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... Staind (IPA: ) is an American alternative metal group[1][2] from Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. ...

References