Issue #16: Tool – Undertow

Released:  April 6th, 1993

Recorded:  October – December 1992

Genre:  Alternative Metal, Progressive Metal

Record Label:  Zoo Entertainment

Duration:  69:07

Producers:  Sylvia Massy, Tool

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Undertow is One of My Favorites

When I first set out to cover my favorite 90’s albums, I knew immediately that Tool would have a spot (or two) here, but I had a difficult time deciding which album to hit first.  In the end, I landed on Undertow, mostly because it was the first record from Tool that I owned, and also the only one for quite a while.  I had this album for years before appreciating it beyond “Sober,” and it can still be a challenging listen at times.  The term “progressive [insert genre here]” is often used as a euphemism for “music that’s so good it doesn’t even sound good.”  It’s easy for unconventional bands/acts to fall prey to this term; not only does it scare potential fans away, but it can also put unreasonable expectations on the music.  For such reasons, I try to file Tool away under “alternative metal” and leave all the progressive stuff to, well, people who care more than I do.

Tool has been an acclaimed band ever since they hit the scene, but the appeal can be hard to find.  With strange time signatures, shifting time signatures, non-standard song structures, and a very, very anti-pop approach to their music, enjoyment is found on a deeper, more studious level.  Depending on the song, Keenan’s vocals can range from anywhere from clear as day to indecipherable.  To fully appreciate the music of Tool, understanding the lyrics is essential.  Luckily, Tool has been kind enough to provide their official lyrics on their official website.

The music on Undertow is dark and ominous, and the lyrics tackle some unsavory issues as well.  Keenan isn’t squeamish or apologetic about jumping right into the big stuff, including child abuse (“Prison Sex”), religion or lack thereof (“Disgustipated”), drug addiction (“Sober”), and a variety of other, more ambiguous subjects.  There are songs like “Flood” and “Undertow” where I’m unsure if the words are about a particular someone or wrestling with personal demons, particularly on the grounds of society and/or religion.  Is he saying “I told you so” or actively issuing some type of threat in “Swamp Song”?  “Bottom” is about being completely destroyed and numb as a person, but why?  A girlfriend?  A parent?  Friend?  A metaphor for something on a larger scale?

And such is the nature of Tool’s music.  Keenan has made scant comments about one song or another from time to time, but if you know anything at all about Tool, you know that they prefer to let the music speak for itself and their band exist as an entity not to be conflated with the personal lives of the members.  This lack of ego is extremely rare; it’s human nature to seek attention, but Tool has actively shied away from it and remained fairly silent when it comes to their individual thoughts and feelings.  Understanding this helps place the band’s work into the realm of art rather than entertainment, and it’s easier to look at the music in new and different ways.

Lyrically, these songs resemble poetry moreso than typical songwriting, and as such it can be difficult to find the “true meaning.”  However, this also gives Undertow a very personal quality.  These tracks will speak to different people in different ways, in much the same way that any art should.

I imagine that there is a small subset of people out there with acutely tuned tastes or a well-trained ear and mind for the unusual, but for most of us, Undertow will not be an immediate favorite.  However, it may be just interesting enough to listen to again, and then a little more interesting the next time, a little more the third time, and so on.  This is how Undertow got my attention, and nowadays I find it to be a fascinating record if only because of how cryptic and bizarre it truly is.

Musically it has guitars, bass, and vocals, maybe some static or a few sound effects here and there, but the components of the music are familiar; it’s how they’re put together that challenges the listener.  Some of the song can seem formless at times (“Intolerance,” “Crawl Away,” “Disgustipated”) while others feel more like a series of movements rather than the typical verse/chorus dynamic (“Flood,” “4°”).   There are patterns to be recognized eventually, but there’s a meandering quality that masks these patterns well.  “Sober” is easily the most accessible track on the album, and probably one of my all time favorites to this very day with its extremely skewed take on addiction.  It’s a tense track dotted with both anger (“Jesus won’t you fucking whistle / something but the past and done?”) and relief (“I just want to start this over”) and it really displays how powerful Tool’s music can be.  “Swamp Song” is another track that beginners ought to be able to get into, punctuated with one of my favorite lines on the album, “You’re a stupid, dumbass, belligerent fucker.”

Keenan works hard to use his voice much like another instrument, alternating between periods of almost spoken-word and frustrated yelling/singing that never quite gets as frantic as full-on screaming.  His quiet intensity is actually one of the things that kept me coming back for more even when the music itself remained confusing.  And although a solemn, desperate mood runs through Undertow, each track has a very different musical character.  Some songs have a “softer,” more rock-oriented feeling (“Intolerance,” “Prison Sex,” “4°”) while others verge into more strictly metal territory (“Flood,” “Bottom,” “Undertow”).  D’Amour’s bass plays a larger role here than in comparable rock and metal albums, evolving into a distinct entity that a lot of listeners aren’t used to.  Typically the bass is derivative of the drum beat in terms of timing, and when it comes to tone, relies on the chord progressions laid out by the guitar.  We hear the bass in music because we’ve become accustomed to a balance of highs and lows, but most bands don’t know how to do much else with it.  In most of Undertow, a guitar (or two) does its own thing, the drums do theirs, and the bass is doing something completely different, often carrying large parts of the song with it.  “Intolerance” and “Sober” are perhaps the best examples of the sort of responsibility that the bass can handle when paired with strong songwriting.

Undertow isn’t an album for everywhere, and indeed, Tool isn’t a band for everyone.  Music can be cerebral and successful, though admittedly there’s a point where it’s about “feeling” and not “thinking.”   However, I am glad that I finally took the time and energy to appreciate a work like Undertow; it’s rewarding in an entirely different way than the usual “great album.”

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Tool in this series:

• 1996 – Ænima – Issue #73

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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