Album Review: “Fear Inoculum”

There are many ways one might describe the band Tool, “peculiar” being one of the best ways. Their heavy sound and progressive, technical compositions differed from the youthful, cathartic sound emerging out of early ‘90s Seattle; in fact, they didn’t sound like they were from anywhere at all. However, despite not sounding quite “normal,” Tool amassed fans and acclaim throughout the ‘90s and 2000s. On May 2nd, 2006, Tool released their fourth album, 10,000 Days, which would be their last album for 13 years. But, this past summer, on August 30th, the prog metal giant awoke from its slumber and brought forth to the masses “Fear Inoculum.”

Depending on if you bought “Fear Inoculum” as a hard copy or streamed it, it either has seven or ten tracks. As we’re high school students, I will be considering the 10 tracks from the streaming version. Out of these 10, my top three songs were “Invincible”, “7empest,” and “Pneuma” (in no particular order).

Despite the more instrumental approach on the album, Tool’s frontman, Maynard James Keenan, still delivers a powerhouse vocal performance. The title track, coming in at just over 10 minutes long, sets the tone for the album. It is intense and impressive, and it was a great choice to follow it up with Pneuma’s mysterious intro. 7empest’s echoey guitar intro instantly called to mind Frame by Frame by King Crimson, a beloved progressive rock classic.

“Invincible” essentially has two forms. In the beginning, Adam Jones (guitar) sticks to the melodic palm-muted intro riff while the rest of the band builds up tension above it. Later, the song gets a bit heavier, with more rigid but rhythmically varied riffing. At 12 and a half minutes, it is not the longest song on the album, but it is one of the most entertaining to listen to and one of the most lyrically interesting on the album.

I was rather unimpressed, however, by the four minute and 48 second “Chocolate Chip Trip.” Danny Carey’s drumming was, as always, fantastic, but the digital aspects felt unnecessary and seemed to suggest a lack of confidence by the band in a fully solo drum track, in the vein of Neil Peart’s “The Rhythm Method” from Rush’s live album A Show of Hands.

The album’s final song, “Mockingbeat,” is similarly peculiar as “Chocolate Chip Trip,” but sounds more intentionally scattered. The non-melodic noise aspect reminds me of  (-) Ions from their 1996 album Ænima and seemed less hesitant in its weirdness.

Overall, the shorter songs that appear exclusively on the digital copy feel unnecessary and draw attention away from the longer songs that get the full attention of the hard copy. Maybe this was an experiment with their first album released directly onto a streaming service, but, to me, it feels like clutter and is just extra length on an already lengthy album.

All in all, I would give this album a 4.4 out of 5. It is satisfying to listen to, whether you listen from beginning to end all at once or just listen to a couple of songs while you study. It doesn’t sound like their old material, but would it be better if it did? I’m not so sure. “Fear Inoculum” is an exciting adventure for new and old Tool fans alike and bodes well for the future of the band. If you haven’t yet delved into Tool’s discography, this album is a great place to start.