Lateralus: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Lateralus
Album by Tool
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	2000-2001
Genre	Alternative, Heavy Metal
Length	79 min 3 sec
Record label	Zoo Records
Producer	David Bottrill, Tool
Professional reviews
Q	4 stars out of 5	December 2001
Allmusic.com	4 stars out of 5	link
Rolling Stone	4 stars out of 5	June 7, 2001 (pp. 109-110)
Spin	Favorable	January 2002 (p. 77)
Entertainment Weekly	Grade: B-	May 25, 2001 (pp. 76-77)
Alternative Press	7 out of 10	July 2001 (p. 57)
CMJ	Favorable	June 4, 2001 (p. 15)
NME	7 out of 10	June 2, 2001 (p. 38)
Tool Chronology
Ænima (1996)	Salival (2000)	Lateralus (2001)

In 2001 (see 2001 in music), Tool released their fourth studio album, Lateralus. The album was a commercial success, reaching the #1 position on the Billboard charts in its premiere week. Two music videos were released: "Schism" (the video had a short ambient track, "Mantra", at the beginning) and "Parabol/Parabola". Both videos were done in a visceral gothic rock style that Tool uses in all of their artwork.

The album reached the #1 spot on Billboard Music Chart's top Internet Albums chart, top Canadian Albums chart and the Billboard 200 chart (US).

As of August 5, 2003, Lateralus has been certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Stylistically, Lateralus is a defiantly progressive album, having emerged from a five year legal tussle with Tool's former label. In spite of its unusual and complex content, the album still became a commercial success in the United States quite apart from the mid- to late-1990s explosion of nu-metal bands like Linkin Park.

Track Listing

1. "The Grudge" - 8:36
2. "Eon Blue Apocalypse" - 1:04
3. "The Patient" - 7:13
4. "Mantra" - 1:12
5. "Schism" - 6:47
6. "Parabol" - 3:04
7. "Parabola" - 6:03
8. "Ticks & Leeches" - 8:10
9. "Lateralus" - 9:24
10. "Disposition" - 4:46
11. "Reflection" - 11:07
12. "Triad" - 8:46
13. "Faaip de Oiad" - 2:39

Some time after Lateralus was released a minor flurry of interpretive activity arose around the album. In particular, Carey told an interviewer about Keenan's remark that the time signatures of the main riff in "Lateralus" (9-8-7) also represented a step in the Fibonacci sequence (the sixteenth step, as it turns out). This led some Tool fans to suggest that the tracks on Lateralus can be listened to in spiral-like orders: 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13 ("The Lateralus Prophecy") or 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10 ("The Holy Gift"). Both arrangements produce different story-lines for the album.

The cover is translucent and flips open to reveal the different layers of the human body, including what appears to be some kind of spiritual layer.

• David Bottrill - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Danny Carey - Drums
• Justin Chancellor - Bass
• Vince DeFranco - Engineer
• Alex Grey - Illustrations
• Maynard James Keenan - Vocals
• Adam Jones - Art Direction, Guitar
• Mackie Osborne - Design

2001 Schism The Billboard Hot 100 No. 67 2001 Schism Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 2 2001 Schism Modern Rock Tracks No. 2 2002 Lateralus Modern Rock Tracks No. 18 2002 Lateralus Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 14 2002 Parabola Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 10 2002 Parabola Modern Rock Tracks No. 31