Tool

According to the dictionary, a tool is something that helps you to do some sort of task. When the human body finds its limitation, the aid of a mechanic-inspired artifact becomes clear.

Music-wise speaking, you could say the same 'bout Tool. The first time I heard 'em I was in my early twenties (Not sure if I was 20 or 21?), during an intense low-energy time in my life. I sort of felt stuck (not saying that I don't feel like that anymore...) and, weak.

What is more strange, and amazing, is that I got used to Tool's music quite fast. This drummer friend I got turned me on into Tool's music, and for some strange reason, the first CD I heard, was their latest (At the time, year 2005)... It was called Lateralus.

As usual, I started to dig the new album for hours... And it seemed to be an amazing journey, 'cause because of that particular album, I learned a lot of new things on guitar. I usually was a 4/4 guitar player, but one day, my drummer friend says "Ey, let's play the 5th song of the CD you're into man". So I said "O.K. Let's try it for real...".



-I didn't know what I was getting into.

Maybe my over-bloated self, took it as it was something easy. But it wasn't at all. "It's a dropped D song, usually this songs are easy to play" I thought. Oh man, how wrong was I. That song was actually a true pain-in-the-hands, since the times involved on the song are so UNUSUAL and changing.

The funny thing is, that it took like 3 jam-sessions to me to get used to the tempo changes, but I finally did it. My friend was a key part on the process, he has an amazing time as drummer, so he practically kept the beat of the song we were studying at that moment.

To me, personally, playing that song was almost like performing a piece of Classical Music, mixed with Rock N' Roll loudness. The song I'm referring to is called Schism...

The song deals 'bout the fact how two people who were related between each other, start growing some sort of "distance" between the two of them, after being practically one, due to the lack of communication between the two of them. The whole album, to be honest, deals with this kind of feeling, where the main thing to be reached is the balance between the body and the mind. Separate them, in fact.

To make things even weirder, the whole album could be heard in two ways. One is the traditional way, where you follow the order of the CD, and the other is drawing a spiral between the number tracks, and re-arranging the numbers in your CD Player... To be honest with you, the two things are totally SEPARATE, like body and mind.

That's what Tool's music is. A Tool that allows you to discover your inner self, and your place in the cosmos. At least, to me it's like that.