Every song on this album kicks more ass than the one before it. Lateralus was their conceptual masterpiece but pound for pound this is their most solid album from start to end. All killer no filler.
Thanks for the reaction. You can apply your own meaning like any Tool song but to me this song is about addiction. Initially the first couple of times he tries it the feeling is "twice as clear as heaven" and "twice as loud as reason". The third time in the pay offs are greatly reduced "half as high as heaven" and "half as clear as reason" and he's caught in the "undertow".
It's interesting. When you listen to the album Undertow and then Aenima after, you can really hear Justin Chancellor's influence when he joined the band. I love Opiate and Undertow, but I think he was a better fit for the the band creatively because it seems they got a lot more ambitious with Aenima and that only grew.
There are quite a few mistakes in those lyrics. "Speaks from deep beneath peerless water" should be "Speaks from deep beneath the endless water" "I've been baptized by your voice" should be "by a voice" "I'll die beneath the Undertow" should be "We die beneath the Undertow" This might not seem like much but it does a make a difference to the meaning.
Undertow is one of my favorites, especially if I need to shed some anger, and undertow is a favorite one Undertow. Maynard uses water as a motif several times on this album. Undertow, flood, swamp song, bottom. When they slow and rachet is down, like a whirlpool pulling you down. The skill level to do that together is impressive and this early in their development even more so. Flood is tops for me two because of it puts you in the water, you feel the swelling wave, feel it slam up against the shore. The they come in that buildup just make it so much more powerful.
4:40 I’ve listened to this song, a lot like a lot, and the part that hits the strongest is the way he says the word me in the second verse take some time and listen to the words and the inflection and the meaning of the me that he says in the second verse it’s incredible
This is the journey and struggle with addiction. You can't convince am addict to stop. You can't reason with them. Only the addict can get out of this cycle. Each verse is another fall into the addiction and then trying to get out only to keep falling back into it. Euphoria at the end because as he states, he fell back in
Tool songs are very rarely about 1 specific thing. The band has said this many times, they write about very foundational things and build from it. Like instead of the song being about a flower, it's about the seed and process to flowering.
The mastering of this album was not what it would become. You mentioned RATM, Maynard James Keenan featured vocals in 'Know Your Enemy'. They also had a EP called Opiate before Undertow.
Tool never misses. This one captures feelings of addiction so well, that love/hate for one’s drug of choice. Looking to religion for salvation from the tiger, the music switching up is like a backward look or slide.
Still an underappreciated song. I’d +1 that as Maynard tells the emotional story of wailing and drowning, the music delivers with on thrashing waves, swirling, floating calmness, getting sucked down and fighting the undertow. The water is euphoric (drugs) but its dark undertow (addiction) is deadly. Back when I used to understand Tool! 😆
![PERFECTION 💯 ~ TOOL - UNDERTOW ~ [REACTION!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Abl2PcinA-Y/mqdefault.jpg)
First song by Tool that I have heard! Will have to check them out. Powerful stuff.
Best Band!!
Congrats! Stick with the Undertow album. Hit Intolerance and work your way through!
Spiral out my friend
Aenima album is my favorite album of all time
You are about to go on an amazing journey, my friend!
Every song on this album kicks more ass than the one before it. Lateralus was their conceptual masterpiece but pound for pound this is their most solid album from start to end. All killer no filler.
There's a few forgotten bangers on that album, like "Bottom"
Flood is my go to. The drums in the intro get me every time.
Don’t forget the banger after that song Crawl Away!
That interlude where it gets all quiet and then Henry Rollins steps up to the mic...
Thanks for the reaction. You can apply your own meaning like any Tool song but to me this song is about addiction. Initially the first couple of times he tries it the feeling is "twice as clear as heaven" and "twice as loud as reason". The third time in the pay offs are greatly reduced "half as high as heaven" and "half as clear as reason" and he's caught in the "undertow".
Back to Tool! Love it. Great video
It's interesting. When you listen to the album Undertow and then Aenima after, you can really hear Justin Chancellor's influence when he joined the band. I love Opiate and Undertow, but I think he was a better fit for the the band creatively because it seems they got a lot more ambitious with Aenima and that only grew.
I agree. They went psychedelic, and I love it. That being said their stuff pre-Aenima is killer, too. I love the aggression.
Hey man, original bass player wrote most of Aenima too. Think 46 and 2 and Jimmy were only 2 tracks he didn't write.
Incredible song! Thanks for reacting!
There are quite a few mistakes in those lyrics.
"Speaks from deep beneath peerless water" should be "Speaks from deep beneath the endless water"
"I've been baptized by your voice" should be "by a voice"
"I'll die beneath the Undertow" should be "We die beneath the Undertow"
This might not seem like much but it does a make a difference to the meaning.
Undertow is one of my favorites, especially if I need to shed some anger, and undertow is a favorite one Undertow. Maynard uses water as a motif several times on this album. Undertow, flood, swamp song, bottom. When they slow and rachet is down, like a whirlpool pulling you down. The skill level to do that together is impressive and this early in their development even more so. Flood is tops for me two because of it puts you in the water, you feel the swelling wave, feel it slam up against the shore. The they come in that buildup just make it so much more powerful.
4:40 I’ve listened to this song, a lot like a lot, and the part that hits the strongest is the way he says the word me in the second verse take some time and listen to the words and the inflection and the meaning of the me that he says in the second verse it’s incredible
They also had a demo tape called Toolshed in 91 and an EP called Opiate in 92. Perhaps try Jerk-off (live at the Jello Loft).
This is the journey and struggle with addiction. You can't convince am addict to stop. You can't reason with them. Only the addict can get out of this cycle. Each verse is another fall into the addiction and then trying to get out only to keep falling back into it. Euphoria at the end because as he states, he fell back in
Tool songs are very rarely about 1 specific thing. The band has said this many times, they write about very foundational things and build from it. Like instead of the song being about a flower, it's about the seed and process to flowering.
I always thought he said shut up, shut up sense your enemy
1:55 absolutely…as loud as possible
The mastering of this album was not what it would become. You mentioned RATM, Maynard James Keenan featured vocals in 'Know Your Enemy'.
They also had a EP called Opiate before Undertow.
Please do all the Tool songs!
It's completely chocked full of greatness...Their discography is unlike any other!
Want grooves want Pantera
you gain a sub from me just from saying jungian correctly lmao
Tool never misses. This one captures feelings of addiction so well, that love/hate for one’s drug of choice. Looking to religion for salvation from the tiger, the music switching up is like a backward look or slide.
🤘🏻🌀
not their first album. it's their first LP.
Still an underappreciated song. I’d +1 that as Maynard tells the emotional story of wailing and drowning, the music delivers with on thrashing waves, swirling, floating calmness, getting sucked down and fighting the undertow. The water is euphoric (drugs) but its dark undertow (addiction) is deadly.
Back when I used to understand Tool! 😆
Any Slayer
first album? isnt opiate an album?
it was an EP, Undertow was their first studio album.
Pantera were the 90s
Check out their debut EP Opiate to hear how raw and powerful they were in the beginning.