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Rating: THE DAY AFTER
Throbbing timpani, bruised arms, burning throat, limping ankle once again: this is the medical bulletin after floating for 90 minutes among the front rows. But the suffering doesn't come so much from the body, earthly flesh destined for decay, but from the spirit, or better yet from the a(e)nima, tortured by the melancholic and continuous flashbacks that fragment everyday life, tormented by the awareness of not having been able to live, distill, and contemplate the succession of moments, decibels, and emotions of an evening, if not unique, certainly rare.
Ok, after indulging the ailment that affects every Tool reviewer who seems obliged to flaunt high-minded dialectics, I return to speak as I usually do. We were talking about the show, an electrifying, claustrophobic, psychotic, hyper-technical live act but also and above all damn metal. I would have bet my meager bank capital on the opening track, wagering everything on the adrenaline-pumping "Vicarious," perfect for the purpose as much as any "Imperium"... and I would have ended up miserably in my underwear. On the other hand, there was little to warm up: the wait had become excruciating, and all of us down there were as fired up as a pimply teenager handling the first grope... if "Vicarious" had arrived, it would have been a massacre.
There they were appearing on stage calmly, one at a time, like any four passing by, dressed like it was a lazy Sunday, taking positions, grabbing their respective instruments, making them squeal, whistle, scream in the intro "Lost Keys" and transitioning into the ensuing "Rosetta Stoned." The good Keenan, swaggering like never before in his movements, covers his mohawk with a cowboy hat that's very Ministry-style and stands still for a couple of tracks, offering himself calmly to the audience.
Then the usual spiel about camera flashes, his eye problem, and the usual solution: turned with his back to the audience until the end... too bad there's a multiple-thousand-watt spotlight right behind him, but that doesn't bother him at all. Then again, I couldn't care less, considering that throughout the evening he shows not the slightest drop in performance and manages to come out fantastic even in the humanly impossible parts. A great one, and as such, everything is forgiven. The long interlude played makes me start to appreciate the entire band, most of the time undeservedly overshadowed, put in the background by the vocal and other feats of the already mythic Keenan.
Danny Carey was perhaps the one I was most curious about, and he does not disappoint: for the entire live set I don't see/hear him hold a trivial 4/4, it's a continuous solo, exploiting and consuming every small component of the drums. Justin Chancellor is no less, a worthy counterpart: very particular technique, imaginative and wide sound choices. Adam Jones, very serious and calm, alone manages to fill spaces that in "normal" bands would host three guitarists. The apparent ease with which he manages to navigate the most complex parts is incredible, and there are certainly plenty of them.
The three giant screens behind them offer a sinuous and velvety wave effect, enriching an already dreamy atmosphere on its own, screens that in the continuation of the show will display old and new videos, as well as various lighting effects, flashes, flames, and more. Enough talk because the second offering comes from none other than "Undertow," ready to move the hottest, to make them sway, start sweating, to get to know and fear each other... what better than "Sober" could achieve that? If I remember correctly, the next one is "Jambi": the walls shake and the forum structure is put to the test... the immediacy of "10,000 Days" that made many frown turns into a winning card in the live session and "Jambi" is proof: the tribal crescendo leading into that guitar solo halfway between Morello and Frampton hypnotizes us, goads us, energizes us... I don't know how to define Tool's music, but from the horns and arms outstretched at those moments, I would say it's full-blown metal!
I don't want to go on any longer, I don't want to tell you that those who weren't there can eat their family jewels, what sense does it make? I try to jot down the setlist, I think that might be enough. One last note on the encore: it's the first band I've seen stop playing and... stay on stage: these four crazy guys drop their instruments and sit on the ground and start chatting as if they were in a bar... and there we were, stunned.... when Jones looks at us with a questioning look as if to say "are you still there?" the chaos erupts.... even more so when a very relaxed Keenan, hiding behind big sunglasses and a western hat, demands his share of ovations.
A few minutes of rest and we're ready for the finale... oh God, ready... an hour and a half has passed, and around me, I see exhausted, sweaty, and smelly bodies... my legs have gone ages ago and are doing giacomogiacomo as well as aldoaldo and giovannigiovanni..... no guys, I pass, I can't do it.... then I see Jones lock eyes with Chancellor, he gives a nod and "Vicarious" starts.... nnnnaaaaa, if there ever was a predefined blueprint to create a Tool song, this has all the right ingredients: from the even/odd/bimbumbam time, to the tribal and percussive drumming, the voice now warm now filtered, stop & go full on, chords that open horizons only to close them in a vortex that sucks everything into a black hole..... "The Grudge" follows shortly and concludes the concert (or so I think).... who said rock is the devil's music?
'f*ck it, nothing more true!!! How to explain my, our resurrection?? The legs find vital sap, the adrenaline pulses again in the brain, the torn vocal cords find some residue to emit the last vibrations, the last screams... "TOOLTOOLTOOLTOOLTOOLTOOLTOOOOOOOL........." but thinking about it, I believe we were all unconsciously saying "voodoo... voodoo... voodoo..... Knife and fork, a little salt, and are you at least ready to shave los gingillos???
from "10,000 Days"-Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned-Sober-Jambi-The Pot-Right In Two Very serious flaw: they did not play 10,000 Days!!! from "Lateralus"-The Grudge-The Patient-Schism-Parabola-Lateralus from "Aenima"-Stinkfist-Eulogy... I think-Aenema.... maybe the last of the live ????????? from "Undertow"-Sober
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