The Long Shadow Of Lateralus

Robin Staps, The Ocean

“I was into 90s hardcore and was never really interested in immersing myself in their music until Lateralus came out, but it wasn’t until I saw them live at Roskilde Festival in 2006 that it really clicked. Me and my ex-girlfriend were spellbound, we listened to Lateralus and 10,000 Days non-stop on our eight-hour drive home. Tool have not only reinvigorated the scene, they’ve created a musical realm of their own. Their approach to intricate and convoluted, yet always groovy and effective, polyrhythmic arrangements is quite unique and the fact that they always seem to strike the right balance between catchiness and complexity without sounding scholastic or unintuitive is pretty exceptional, even more so since they pull all that off as a four-piece live.”