Tool
Undertow

THE REVIEW

When Tool were not yet the Tool we know today, starting from a musical genre that was much less prog-alternative and much more heavy, all the way to the band's lineup which included bassist Paul d'Amour, UNDERTOW was released.

The CD begins in full Tool style, with a sound that gives the impression of a diver who has run out of oxygen or has had their air hose cut, a perfect premise for instilling that sense of suffocation and unease that Tool convey.
We move on to "Prison Sex" and it reminds us that Paul was indeed an excellent bassist, with the initial sound being that of an out-of-tune 'E' being strummed with a pick scraping the string. The rest is just excellent music, perhaps best enjoyed while watching the video and having some understanding of English, as it's a raw denunciation of child abuse. And then comes "Sober". "Sober" is a Tool classic, almost a precursor of the sound that would later characterize AENIMA and Tool in general. A special note goes to the peculiarity of the lyrics, which seem to speak about a guy who gives his best when he's not sober (reminds me of someone).
"Bottom" brings us back for a while to less gloomy settings, with a fast-paced yet always angry rhythm, noteworthy is the special guest Henry Rollins, who lent himself to reading some lyrics written by Maynard.
"Crawl away..." starts with a few seconds of delay to remind us that fundamentally Tool are a fun bunch and invites us to return to the beginning of the song and crank the volume up so as not to miss a funny piece of an Andean song, the rest of the song is in full UNDERTOW style, traveling between moments of unstable calm and culminating in pure rage.
"Swamp Song" brings us back to a state of tranquility; from the title, it doesn't hold great promises, let's consider it as an intro to "Undertow".
"Undertow" is a remarkable piece, never repetitive, that talks about the continuous use of drugs. Maynard rather defines it as a voice he hears that shows him beautiful things and lures him to it.
"4 Degrees"... on what scale? Fahrenheit? Celsius? an angle? The theories multiplied impressively. Someone asked Maynard and he replied: "The anal cavity has eight muscles more than the vaginal cavity and for this reason, it is 4 degrees warmer. However, this is not a song about 'violation,' but a song about opening oneself up completely, with no reservations."

Flood brings us back to Toolandia, a land that is dark and desolate. "Disgustipated" is Tool's first experimental case, which would later have free rein in AENIMA. The message heard seems to be Maynard's landlord leaving a message. Hence the notes inside the booklet "Phone message: Bill the Landlord".
To explain the sheep sounds, there's an anecdote to be told. In May 1993, Tool performed at Scientology's Celebrity Centre, apparently without knowing it was a place of worship. Once they realized this, they did not take it well. Between songs, Maynard first criticized the excessive expenses paid by Ron Hubbard's followers to be devoted to his Church. Then, he began making strange noises into the microphone, imitating a sheep's bleat (as if accusing the audience of behaving like a flock of sheep).