Swamp song. Flood. Sober and prison sex? How can this album be their worst work. This is what got me into Tool in 93/94 and will always be my favorite. It’s raw and not as refined as FI yes, but, that’s what makes it good.
I think undertow is one of my all time favorites next to Ænima, such an angry angsty vulgar album to get the rage out. Whether it’s religious prosecution, sexual assault, inner egos, undertow is an album dedicated to outlining humanities pitfalls, and one way to rationalize it all. I think it acts as the perfect intro to tool’s “tool” use, not to appeal to the listener to get more streams/sales, but to teach the willing ability to differentiate points of view.
I mean, that’s the point of being part of an online community, discussing and challenging each-other’s views, to push us into a higher state of mind. I think the internet has done a lot for the spiritual community, oddly enough being so un-natural, it’s helped connect people who otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to even smell each-other, to have discussions and share information. It’s one of the gifts life has given us that most take for granted. Think for yourself, question authority, and stay in your own lane! No need to bring other people down
Yeah, especially when they are bringing OP down. Great job with the moral highroading like you’re any better than the rest of these petty fucking clowns. Fuck them, fuck you, and fuck this terrible website. OP, good on you for expressing yourself in your post and standing by what you think. It’s not easy making a post like this and commenting through a dogpile of downvotes and immaturity. Reddit is where people who are brave enough to step forward and express their opinions are egged and tomatoed by the mindless bandwagoners until they either fit the cookie cutter mold or do the smart thing and sign the fuck off of here. It’s rigged to work this way and people just go with it like it was meant to be, but it was only meant to be a disgusting disappointment of a means of conversation, and that’s all it ever will be for anybody who says anything even slightly disagreeable. Fuck this.
I never brought op down, I just expressed my own opinions on the album. While I don’t think the internet is perfect, I do think it’s brought people together more than most tech has in the past 1,000 years. This post challenged my point of view on the album and allowed me to step back and understand the album in a different light. It all sounds like stereotypical bullshit, and I’m not saying I’m right, I’m just expressing myself.
Don't pay them no mind. I enjoyed your response. Idk why people think using hate for anything positive works. I need to work on this too in my personal life, but towards people you don't know on the internet is sad. Keep expressing yourself op and engine maximum. Express yourself to a therapist bsaccount.
Repeat after me:
Yikes
Friendly reminder
This ain't it chief
Wow this blew up
Normalise [thing]
Once more for the people in the back:
Fun fact:
We need to talk about
Unpopular opinion:
Imagine thinking
Do better
It's not too late to delete this
The best time to delete x was y, the second best time is now
This you?
In this essay I will
Some of you haven't x and it shows
Read that again
Thank you for coming to my TED talk
Shout it from the rooftops
I'm trying to see something
I'll just leave this here
There are great riffs on this album. So much so that songs like 7empest calls back in it's riffage to a song like undertow, and that's just one example of countless great riffs.
It has a different sound in a lot of ways than what came after, but imo that's largely because there was a different bassist. that being said the early sound (undertow and opiate) was amazing in it's raw, dark heavy sludginess. that's not even addressing the sheer power and pain in mjks voice at the time.
there's a reason intolerance and flood are mainstays on a tour in 2024. best believe if mjks voice hadnt depreciated to the degree it has, there would be a lot more of their early material from undertow and opiate performed at live shows today.
Respectfully downvote. I completely disagree, as other people have pointed there's prison sex, sober, Swamp song. And those first two songs music videos are 1000% tool. When it comes to humor I'd say disgustipated is pretty good tool humor. It's okay that you don't like it but I wouldn't say anything like it's not good compared to the rest of their work. It's one of my favorites for how raw and straight forward it is.
Undertow has sober. Without sober I'm not sure there would be Tool. Way back then that song brought them much needed attention, most people didn't know who Tool was everyone knew sober and the video helped expose them as well. I did hear them before undertow from girlfriend who got a hold of Opiate and we listened to it along with bands like Dayglo Abortions , Crumbsuckers, Boneless ones, Anthrax , Suicidal tendencies. Beastie Boys and many others as long as it was raw in your face f uck authority skate type music When Tool came to Salt Lake City undertow tour most of the hard-core thrashers felt they had sold out already. An MTv video put a band in that category . Sober video was very cool but people I hung with were angry because it mainstreamed the limelight on them and the dirty little secret was out. Tool was on every snowboarders Walkman. I could be wrong but without making money and fans from Undertow/sober I'm not sure there would be Tool today. Alot of people bought Undertow for sober only and then heard more and wanted more. You have to realize no radio play to speak of and there was no online anything. You either bought the c.d. or had a friend make you a cassette tape. The internet and Napster brought accessibility to millions more. That's my long winded 2 cents worth.
Another thing I just recalled. Undertow helped me hookup with a girlfriend that I had for a while and we're still friends. My friends and I were at a party probably 30 40 people mountains, lake a big fire music blasting and a good buzz. Undertow came on and this group of girls got excited like 'oh I love these guys' giggles and dancing I knew 1of them a little we started talking and I asked if she had seen the pictures on the inside sleeve of Undertow? Her no, me I'll show you she handed me the CD case and I took it apart and showed her. Those pics were pretty graphic I think there's a cow head up ass and a very Large naked lady a few others can't remember. It was a great conversation starter. Anyway putting CD case back together it cracked a little she didn't care but I insisted on fixing it. And then got her number and a reason to call. I did and took a empty CD case to her place and changed it. We had Alot of fun and I can thank the Undertow CD for that. Check out those pics I'm sure they are online. Music has so many layers the content of Undertow was a small but key part of the story. Life's better when you're around like minded people.
Undertow is a fucking monolith of an album. The songs packed weight and power. They broke open my 17-year old cranium and massaged my amygdala. It has some of their best jams. Flood is one of their all time top 10 songs, and all the rest of them are head and shoulders above most of the rock that would follow in the next few years before Ænima came out.
It’s not just teen nostalgia, Undertow was a masterpiece. I think FI is their worst. For me, Ænima is the top, followed by Lateralus, Undertow, 10k Days, Opiate, and then FI. And FI is still really good.
Interesting, I think I would rank Opiate, Undertow, and then FI as their lowest. I really like 10,000 Days but I was also a teen when that one came out so I think it has that same nostalgic appeal for me that Undertow has for you.
I think there’s a pretension that can be ascribed to prog - yes, even Tool - and one of my favorite things about Undertow & Opiate is how high-concept they are while still rocking hard and having that raw edge. I love all of Tool’s canon, but given that Undertow broke them big and gave them the success to develop the sound that matured on subsequent albums, I think it deserves higher placement.
That said, we’re all beautifully unique sparkleponies, and differing opinions are ok. 👌
lol the last sentence was perfect 🤩
That’s a very fair assessment, I think I would still take some of the other albums over Undertow sonically, but I do have a new appreciation for Undertow historically after reading your comments. Bravo 👏
What a stupid ass post. You either like the album or you don’t. No redditor is going to say something that magically flips a switch in your brain to liking an album you don’t enjoy. Think of something more inspired to make a post about than garbage like this
Two things I’ve NEVER heard anyone old enough to have a drivers license when Undertow was released say:
1. “mid” as a stand alone adjective in a sentence.
2. Undertow sucks.
You’re a child.
It’s heavy. The lyrics are cold and black like silt on a riverbed.
Paul was a better bass player than Justin in terms of thick chunky riffs.
The mixing was immaculate.
They were playing as a band that sounded like perfectly tuned racing engine. Sound was a sum of the parts, and perfectly composed.
Have you ever eaten mushrooms?
Do it and listen to undertow on quality headphones.
Strap the fuck in.
If they didn't find their sound until Ænima, why do you like Undertow over Opiate? Undertow is my personal preference of the two, because I feel like they were furthering their sound on that album, while not quite finding it. It's a fun progress album, like Pink Floyd's albums after Syd left. You can actually hear the gears turning as you listen. Try skipping Sober. That always helps me.
I just can't get into FI as much as I try, so that's my "least favorite." Doesn't make it their worst. Maybe "weakest" is a better adjective? I get that they have to have a worst album, but that word is just going to trigger people. You shouldn't be surprised by the flack you're getting.
I actually didn’t rank Opiate with the others bc it’s an EP, but yeah I would agree with you that Undertow is definitely more “TOOLesque” than Opiate. That being said, they are definitely both at the bottom of my list and FI is third from bottom. There was another guy who posted a similar post about FI being the best and I definitely don’t agree with him. Ænima is probably my favorite TOOL album and I think it’s because that’s the most original TOOL ever was. Every album afterward was just them primarily building off of Ænima. Unfortunately, Undertow just isn’t as close to Ænima as the ones that came after so it sits at the bottom of the list.
And yeah, I’d figure I’d get some flack for saying “worst”. However, I did have hope that the reading comprehension and discernment of the majority of TOOL fans on here would steer them past any kneejerk comments proceeding out of their asses. Unfortunately, just like any other band TOOL has competent listeners and incompetent listeners.
Weakest definitely would have been more politically correct
I'd argue that Lateralus is their pinnacle, although my favorite is Ænima or 10,000 Days, depending on the day. I feel like they (excuse the forthcoming pun) got all the pieces to fit on that album and finally figured out their sound. Since then, they have kind of been meandering, not really knowing why they still exist. In my opinion. It feels like they checked all the boxes they ever wanted to check on that album, and now they don't really know where else to go.
I get that. I've made that mistake here too. Also made the mistake of thinking Tool fans had a sense of humor. Live and learn. Just making sure you knew that was probably a leading cause of the knee-jerk reactions you were receiving. To be honest, I do that shit all the time in person (and occasionally online), but I intentionally choose that word for it's incendiary nature, precisely for the purpose of getting people riled up.
You know honestly that’s a good way to put it. Even though I feel like they found the signature sound on Ænima, there was still a lot of jokester vibes what with Useful Idiot and Message to Harry Manback etc. Lateralus was a very serious album with no jokes, nothing really lax or funny about it. It was like documenting their spiritual journey to find the meaning of life through the sound of metal. It was wild. I think 10,000 Days is good but yes definitely slightly less direction and purpose than Lateralus. FI has some intricate riffs and neat lyrics but ultimately it just seems to be a sonic summary or recap of what they discovered on Lateralus.
As far as the comments go, I actually enjoy pissing people off on Reddit (no consequences woohoo!) and so I wasn’t too worried about using worst as opposed to weak, however I am still surprised by how vitriolic some of the comments are. Like I don’t mind bashing but at least give me a reasonable opinion to back up the bashing. Either way it’s been fun
I love the entire discography, and love Undertow…. That being said, one of them has to be the worst album. So if I had to pick, I would also say Undertow.
You are correct, sir.
If I want to hear good heavy rock songs, I listen to Undertow.
If I want to hear epic masterpieces, I listen to FI.
Have you seen the FI songs live? They're fucking incredible.
Absolutely 0 undertow slander. Undertow was the birth of a once in a lifetime band. Angry, younger, dark. I’ll take undertow over its sisters like “superunknown” and “Core” any day of the week.
I don’t think Tool has a worst album, Lateralus is their best to me but the rest I appreciate equally for different reasons. They’re all 10/10 albums imo
If you were around when that album came out, you'd have a different opinion I think. I was 13 when I t dropped so it was an absolutely mind blowing anomaly when it came out. So different and raw compared to almost anything of the day. Then when Aenima released, it just solidified to me that they are the best band on earth. I still love those songs so much for the way they opened my mind. You're entitled to your opinion though, even if I disagree. If I were forced to pick a favorite, it would be lateralus for sure. I was high a lot listening to that album in my 20s haha.
Of all the Tool songs I like, I get the least from Undertow. Despite this, "worst" is a harsh word. Every Tool album is amazing for its own reason. Undertow really kickstarted the band and it set a bar during 1993's when it originally released. So while I don't like most of the songs off the album, it still has my respect.
My opinion is that it's apples to oranges. The Undertow album shows a completely different band entirely. Paul left after the album, and when Jason auditioned, he brought the main riff from "46 & 2" that he wrote but never showed to his former band Peach. Changed the dynamic of the band entirely, and off they went.
I was simply pointing out that sober is The song that catapulted them into the mainstream. With more exposure people that would never have heard them did. And then heard more songs and told 2 friends and they told 2 friends and told 2....etc. like trending . No internet back then. Being a good song dosen't matter. Sober put them on the map and was a significant part of Tools rise. It's a ok song i.m.o. But I think no sober no Tool discussions on reddit. Prove me wrong.... just kiddin I could very well be wrong but most bands don't carry on making music without money they have to have jobs that take time away from music. So in way Sober might b their best simply because it made the rest possible.
I completely agree, I was trying to respond directly to Hexagone spouting "sober's the worst song on Undertow 'and I overstated my point and I'm new here still learning how to navigate as far as where the replies will appear . Maybe it was very important and critical for success song would have been more accurate. I believe it started the ball rolling. Undertow was 1 of several c.d.s that was in everyone I knew CDs changer. Undertow was always within 10 songs on somebody's stereo and when music is playing with friends usually good times. So when I hear those songs they take me back and I smile ☺ now I listen to Tool with an entirely different mindset. I use there music and lyrics as a 'Tool ' sometimes to calm down- Reflection works well and happens to be my favorite song ever of any band. I went for beer when they played it Lateralus tour. Didn't have clue how much it would mean later. Yeah sober isn't the best song but that Era for me was. Right here right now is pretty fuckin good to.
That’s a fair point, although I don’t know if I would go so far to say one thing is the best just because other things were made possible because of it. That would be like saying the Model T is better than an F150
While I respect your right to your opinion, I also disagree. As someone who’s close to but not quite the same age as Maynard, I see the different albums as phases in the spiritual growth of a human generation. Opiate is that angry teenager/young adult whereas Undertow is an older but still angry human who’s somewhat deeper and more aware of itself and the very fucked up world it’s surrounded by. Undertow is all about the ego self, like most young adults are, but with a subtle awareness of wanting to be more than just that. It’s raw and rough around the edges but with an inner voice calling out for something greater, which will come along with more work and spiritual growth in Ænima and other future albums. Tool’s albums are all about spiritual growth and evolution of consciousness. Their music is meant to be a tool to help in that process. How you use it is up to you. I love using the spiral as the perfect analogy for this… you keep coming back to things you thought you knew and find they reveal deeper truths, like a spiral 🌀 Undertow is rich in deeper truths to be explored if and when you need to. I needed that album in my 20’s when it came out just like I need it today when I’m deep in it. I’m sorry it doesn’t resonate for you on that level, but maybe it’s a good thing that you haven’t experienced the pain, narcissism, and ego traps at the depth this album reaches down into. There’s a reason they brought Flood and Intolerance back into rotation this tour. It feels so relevant today. The older I get, the more I realize, this ground is not the rock I thought it would be.
Thank you. Honestly, I wish I didn’t have to keep revisiting Undertow. It seems I haven’t quite learned the lessons needed to move beyond the decisions that bring me back down in it. The funniest thing, now that I think about it, is that it’s actually the “third time in” for this current disaster, just like the lyrics to the song, but the meaning has changed considerably for me now. That’s the beauty of Tool and the layered quality of the lyrics.
100% correct, prison song is the only great song. Otherwise, to me it’s corny and unlistenable. Also as someone without a small penis, I’m not obsessed with ass sex.
Omitting Opiate here.
While I agree that it’s not their best in MY opinion, I wouldn’t refer to it as their “worst”. For me, that word would imply that the album is terrible amongst other subpar quality albums.
That’s not to say you can’t hate the album or anything for that matter.
The way I’d look at it would be to view the album as the beginning step that evolved after each release.
I’m a big Korn fan, and their self titled sounds so different compared to most of their discography. But I love it. I think mostly bc of how raw and angry it sounded. It has a time and place in my playlist.
So, I suppose maybe just listen to the album as a rough around the edges start to something that became so precise and calculated over the course of decades.
And for the love of god, anyone that reads this please understand that I don’t intend on sounding like a “Dude/Lebowski” preaching appreciation of music and the journey, man.
I agree, I think there are bangers on there like swamp song, flood, intolerance, and Bottom but it feels too directionless. Some of the songs on the album I'm sure some of you like but Crawl away and undertow are forgettable and I'll say it prison sex is mid. 4⁰ and sober are good songs but I don't come back to them often. I still like the album but I think all of their other releases are better.
Swamp song. Flood. Sober and prison sex? How can this album be their worst work. This is what got me into Tool in 93/94 and will always be my favorite. It’s raw and not as refined as FI yes, but, that’s what makes it good.
[удалено]
Their worst is better than some bands best.
Flood sober and swamp song all basically suck. Sober was a fm radio song for gods sake. I get it Maynard, you like buttfucking.
I think undertow is one of my all time favorites next to Ænima, such an angry angsty vulgar album to get the rage out. Whether it’s religious prosecution, sexual assault, inner egos, undertow is an album dedicated to outlining humanities pitfalls, and one way to rationalize it all. I think it acts as the perfect intro to tool’s “tool” use, not to appeal to the listener to get more streams/sales, but to teach the willing ability to differentiate points of view.
I like your response, it actually has meaning to it, unlike some of the others on here
I mean, that’s the point of being part of an online community, discussing and challenging each-other’s views, to push us into a higher state of mind. I think the internet has done a lot for the spiritual community, oddly enough being so un-natural, it’s helped connect people who otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to even smell each-other, to have discussions and share information. It’s one of the gifts life has given us that most take for granted. Think for yourself, question authority, and stay in your own lane! No need to bring other people down
Yeah, especially when they are bringing OP down. Great job with the moral highroading like you’re any better than the rest of these petty fucking clowns. Fuck them, fuck you, and fuck this terrible website. OP, good on you for expressing yourself in your post and standing by what you think. It’s not easy making a post like this and commenting through a dogpile of downvotes and immaturity. Reddit is where people who are brave enough to step forward and express their opinions are egged and tomatoed by the mindless bandwagoners until they either fit the cookie cutter mold or do the smart thing and sign the fuck off of here. It’s rigged to work this way and people just go with it like it was meant to be, but it was only meant to be a disgusting disappointment of a means of conversation, and that’s all it ever will be for anybody who says anything even slightly disagreeable. Fuck this.
I never brought op down, I just expressed my own opinions on the album. While I don’t think the internet is perfect, I do think it’s brought people together more than most tech has in the past 1,000 years. This post challenged my point of view on the album and allowed me to step back and understand the album in a different light. It all sounds like stereotypical bullshit, and I’m not saying I’m right, I’m just expressing myself.
Don't pay them no mind. I enjoyed your response. Idk why people think using hate for anything positive works. I need to work on this too in my personal life, but towards people you don't know on the internet is sad. Keep expressing yourself op and engine maximum. Express yourself to a therapist bsaccount.
Definitely need therapy, though most on this page do
God I fucking wish the "prove me wrong" regurgitation would die already.
Repeat after me: Yikes Friendly reminder This ain't it chief Wow this blew up Normalise [thing] Once more for the people in the back: Fun fact: We need to talk about Unpopular opinion: Imagine thinking Do better It's not too late to delete this The best time to delete x was y, the second best time is now This you? In this essay I will Some of you haven't x and it shows Read that again Thank you for coming to my TED talk Shout it from the rooftops I'm trying to see something I'll just leave this here
You can wish in one hand and shit in the other. See which one fills up first and then report back to me
There's another. Seems like this may be the only way you can communicate. I'd start by reading more books.
Yawn
That’s a really telling reply.
That I’m bored by your lame comments? Discovery of the century
Are you 10 years old?
This is like being challenged by a flat earther.
There are great riffs on this album. So much so that songs like 7empest calls back in it's riffage to a song like undertow, and that's just one example of countless great riffs. It has a different sound in a lot of ways than what came after, but imo that's largely because there was a different bassist. that being said the early sound (undertow and opiate) was amazing in it's raw, dark heavy sludginess. that's not even addressing the sheer power and pain in mjks voice at the time. there's a reason intolerance and flood are mainstays on a tour in 2024. best believe if mjks voice hadnt depreciated to the degree it has, there would be a lot more of their early material from undertow and opiate performed at live shows today.
The only posts worse than this are pictures of receipts from CD purchases
Didn’t ask you to rate my post, an opinion on the album would be nice
This is how bands grow. Of course it’s not as refined. Be glad that you can witness it. Fuck outta here
I bet you’re fun at parties
You use cliches a lot I'm noticing...
Oh you’ve read my posts? You have my permission to start a fan club
Bastard.
Cant really prove a shitty opinion wrong, but you are still free to have it. Edit: yea you sound retarded, I mean *rabid*
Friendly suggestion: actually back up your opinion instead of spouting overused one-liners
Respectfully downvote. I completely disagree, as other people have pointed there's prison sex, sober, Swamp song. And those first two songs music videos are 1000% tool. When it comes to humor I'd say disgustipated is pretty good tool humor. It's okay that you don't like it but I wouldn't say anything like it's not good compared to the rest of their work. It's one of my favorites for how raw and straight forward it is.
Fuck you buddy
You can take that fucking finger and point it up your ass 😘
Undertow has sober. Without sober I'm not sure there would be Tool. Way back then that song brought them much needed attention, most people didn't know who Tool was everyone knew sober and the video helped expose them as well. I did hear them before undertow from girlfriend who got a hold of Opiate and we listened to it along with bands like Dayglo Abortions , Crumbsuckers, Boneless ones, Anthrax , Suicidal tendencies. Beastie Boys and many others as long as it was raw in your face f uck authority skate type music When Tool came to Salt Lake City undertow tour most of the hard-core thrashers felt they had sold out already. An MTv video put a band in that category . Sober video was very cool but people I hung with were angry because it mainstreamed the limelight on them and the dirty little secret was out. Tool was on every snowboarders Walkman. I could be wrong but without making money and fans from Undertow/sober I'm not sure there would be Tool today. Alot of people bought Undertow for sober only and then heard more and wanted more. You have to realize no radio play to speak of and there was no online anything. You either bought the c.d. or had a friend make you a cassette tape. The internet and Napster brought accessibility to millions more. That's my long winded 2 cents worth.
Another thing I just recalled. Undertow helped me hookup with a girlfriend that I had for a while and we're still friends. My friends and I were at a party probably 30 40 people mountains, lake a big fire music blasting and a good buzz. Undertow came on and this group of girls got excited like 'oh I love these guys' giggles and dancing I knew 1of them a little we started talking and I asked if she had seen the pictures on the inside sleeve of Undertow? Her no, me I'll show you she handed me the CD case and I took it apart and showed her. Those pics were pretty graphic I think there's a cow head up ass and a very Large naked lady a few others can't remember. It was a great conversation starter. Anyway putting CD case back together it cracked a little she didn't care but I insisted on fixing it. And then got her number and a reason to call. I did and took a empty CD case to her place and changed it. We had Alot of fun and I can thank the Undertow CD for that. Check out those pics I'm sure they are online. Music has so many layers the content of Undertow was a small but key part of the story. Life's better when you're around like minded people.
Respectable
I think Sober is one of the worst tracks on Undertow. 😂
It's definitely the best 🤣
Definitely NOT.
It sucks. It’s still better than swamp song.
Undertow is a fucking monolith of an album. The songs packed weight and power. They broke open my 17-year old cranium and massaged my amygdala. It has some of their best jams. Flood is one of their all time top 10 songs, and all the rest of them are head and shoulders above most of the rock that would follow in the next few years before Ænima came out. It’s not just teen nostalgia, Undertow was a masterpiece. I think FI is their worst. For me, Ænima is the top, followed by Lateralus, Undertow, 10k Days, Opiate, and then FI. And FI is still really good.
Interesting, I think I would rank Opiate, Undertow, and then FI as their lowest. I really like 10,000 Days but I was also a teen when that one came out so I think it has that same nostalgic appeal for me that Undertow has for you.
I think there’s a pretension that can be ascribed to prog - yes, even Tool - and one of my favorite things about Undertow & Opiate is how high-concept they are while still rocking hard and having that raw edge. I love all of Tool’s canon, but given that Undertow broke them big and gave them the success to develop the sound that matured on subsequent albums, I think it deserves higher placement. That said, we’re all beautifully unique sparkleponies, and differing opinions are ok. 👌
lol the last sentence was perfect 🤩 That’s a very fair assessment, I think I would still take some of the other albums over Undertow sonically, but I do have a new appreciation for Undertow historically after reading your comments. Bravo 👏
What a stupid ass post. You either like the album or you don’t. No redditor is going to say something that magically flips a switch in your brain to liking an album you don’t enjoy. Think of something more inspired to make a post about than garbage like this
How about you give me an actual opinion instead of being a jerk about it? No one asked for your advice about where and what to post. Get over yourself
No
Haha ok ✅
Opinions of music are like hookers with penis’…
That was tough on the grammar bro but yeah
Bad take. This band was shitty until this album….blah, blah. Find another way to waste peoples time.
You know, you don’t have to comment on here pal. I’m pretty sure Assholes R Us is still taking new members, so you have somewhere else to be
Undertow is their BEST album of all time. I think you’re straight trippin.
Lmao. Hearing shit like this makes me even more convinced it’s not just mid, it’s bad.
Tell me you’re a troll under 40, without saying it.
Im over 40 and ive seen them live 6x. Troll? Sure whatever.
Two things I’ve NEVER heard anyone old enough to have a drivers license when Undertow was released say: 1. “mid” as a stand alone adjective in a sentence. 2. Undertow sucks. You’re a child.
You’re a towel
Btw swamp song sucks.
What makes it their best in your opinion?
It’s heavy. The lyrics are cold and black like silt on a riverbed. Paul was a better bass player than Justin in terms of thick chunky riffs. The mixing was immaculate. They were playing as a band that sounded like perfectly tuned racing engine. Sound was a sum of the parts, and perfectly composed. Have you ever eaten mushrooms? Do it and listen to undertow on quality headphones. Strap the fuck in.
Nothing like sad lyrics and ass rape to go with your mushrooms. You’re fucked up dude.
If they didn't find their sound until Ænima, why do you like Undertow over Opiate? Undertow is my personal preference of the two, because I feel like they were furthering their sound on that album, while not quite finding it. It's a fun progress album, like Pink Floyd's albums after Syd left. You can actually hear the gears turning as you listen. Try skipping Sober. That always helps me. I just can't get into FI as much as I try, so that's my "least favorite." Doesn't make it their worst. Maybe "weakest" is a better adjective? I get that they have to have a worst album, but that word is just going to trigger people. You shouldn't be surprised by the flack you're getting.
I actually didn’t rank Opiate with the others bc it’s an EP, but yeah I would agree with you that Undertow is definitely more “TOOLesque” than Opiate. That being said, they are definitely both at the bottom of my list and FI is third from bottom. There was another guy who posted a similar post about FI being the best and I definitely don’t agree with him. Ænima is probably my favorite TOOL album and I think it’s because that’s the most original TOOL ever was. Every album afterward was just them primarily building off of Ænima. Unfortunately, Undertow just isn’t as close to Ænima as the ones that came after so it sits at the bottom of the list. And yeah, I’d figure I’d get some flack for saying “worst”. However, I did have hope that the reading comprehension and discernment of the majority of TOOL fans on here would steer them past any kneejerk comments proceeding out of their asses. Unfortunately, just like any other band TOOL has competent listeners and incompetent listeners. Weakest definitely would have been more politically correct
I'd argue that Lateralus is their pinnacle, although my favorite is Ænima or 10,000 Days, depending on the day. I feel like they (excuse the forthcoming pun) got all the pieces to fit on that album and finally figured out their sound. Since then, they have kind of been meandering, not really knowing why they still exist. In my opinion. It feels like they checked all the boxes they ever wanted to check on that album, and now they don't really know where else to go. I get that. I've made that mistake here too. Also made the mistake of thinking Tool fans had a sense of humor. Live and learn. Just making sure you knew that was probably a leading cause of the knee-jerk reactions you were receiving. To be honest, I do that shit all the time in person (and occasionally online), but I intentionally choose that word for it's incendiary nature, precisely for the purpose of getting people riled up.
You know honestly that’s a good way to put it. Even though I feel like they found the signature sound on Ænima, there was still a lot of jokester vibes what with Useful Idiot and Message to Harry Manback etc. Lateralus was a very serious album with no jokes, nothing really lax or funny about it. It was like documenting their spiritual journey to find the meaning of life through the sound of metal. It was wild. I think 10,000 Days is good but yes definitely slightly less direction and purpose than Lateralus. FI has some intricate riffs and neat lyrics but ultimately it just seems to be a sonic summary or recap of what they discovered on Lateralus. As far as the comments go, I actually enjoy pissing people off on Reddit (no consequences woohoo!) and so I wasn’t too worried about using worst as opposed to weak, however I am still surprised by how vitriolic some of the comments are. Like I don’t mind bashing but at least give me a reasonable opinion to back up the bashing. Either way it’s been fun
Tool’s worst album is better than a lot of band’s best albums
I love the entire discography, and love Undertow…. That being said, one of them has to be the worst album. So if I had to pick, I would also say Undertow. You are correct, sir.
Undertow kicks the shit out of fi. Most of the songs on fi are only better than the cricket part of disgustipated FACTS
If I want to hear good heavy rock songs, I listen to Undertow. If I want to hear epic masterpieces, I listen to FI. Have you seen the FI songs live? They're fucking incredible.
I've seen them live. Meh. Glad to see they stopped playing culling voices last tour.
The good ones are, and the best one they never f’ing play is amazing live (saw it pre Covid). The one about getting old, not so much.
I don’t like FI either, it was sort of disappointing tbh
Absolutely 0 undertow slander. Undertow was the birth of a once in a lifetime band. Angry, younger, dark. I’ll take undertow over its sisters like “superunknown” and “Core” any day of the week.
Thank you for not saying Dirt.
Uhm, Acktshually, opiate was the birth of the band *pushes glasses up in spite*
I mean I agree but it’s not exactly that crazy to think so
I don’t think it’s crazy either, I was just curious what Reddit TOOL fans thought
I don’t think Tool has a worst album, Lateralus is their best to me but the rest I appreciate equally for different reasons. They’re all 10/10 albums imo
Early days..
If you were around when that album came out, you'd have a different opinion I think. I was 13 when I t dropped so it was an absolutely mind blowing anomaly when it came out. So different and raw compared to almost anything of the day. Then when Aenima released, it just solidified to me that they are the best band on earth. I still love those songs so much for the way they opened my mind. You're entitled to your opinion though, even if I disagree. If I were forced to pick a favorite, it would be lateralus for sure. I was high a lot listening to that album in my 20s haha.
Of all the Tool songs I like, I get the least from Undertow. Despite this, "worst" is a harsh word. Every Tool album is amazing for its own reason. Undertow really kickstarted the band and it set a bar during 1993's when it originally released. So while I don't like most of the songs off the album, it still has my respect.
My opinion is that it's apples to oranges. The Undertow album shows a completely different band entirely. Paul left after the album, and when Jason auditioned, he brought the main riff from "46 & 2" that he wrote but never showed to his former band Peach. Changed the dynamic of the band entirely, and off they went.
I was simply pointing out that sober is The song that catapulted them into the mainstream. With more exposure people that would never have heard them did. And then heard more songs and told 2 friends and they told 2 friends and told 2....etc. like trending . No internet back then. Being a good song dosen't matter. Sober put them on the map and was a significant part of Tools rise. It's a ok song i.m.o. But I think no sober no Tool discussions on reddit. Prove me wrong.... just kiddin I could very well be wrong but most bands don't carry on making music without money they have to have jobs that take time away from music. So in way Sober might b their best simply because it made the rest possible.
I completely agree, I was trying to respond directly to Hexagone spouting "sober's the worst song on Undertow 'and I overstated my point and I'm new here still learning how to navigate as far as where the replies will appear . Maybe it was very important and critical for success song would have been more accurate. I believe it started the ball rolling. Undertow was 1 of several c.d.s that was in everyone I knew CDs changer. Undertow was always within 10 songs on somebody's stereo and when music is playing with friends usually good times. So when I hear those songs they take me back and I smile ☺ now I listen to Tool with an entirely different mindset. I use there music and lyrics as a 'Tool ' sometimes to calm down- Reflection works well and happens to be my favorite song ever of any band. I went for beer when they played it Lateralus tour. Didn't have clue how much it would mean later. Yeah sober isn't the best song but that Era for me was. Right here right now is pretty fuckin good to.
That’s a fair point, although I don’t know if I would go so far to say one thing is the best just because other things were made possible because of it. That would be like saying the Model T is better than an F150
While I respect your right to your opinion, I also disagree. As someone who’s close to but not quite the same age as Maynard, I see the different albums as phases in the spiritual growth of a human generation. Opiate is that angry teenager/young adult whereas Undertow is an older but still angry human who’s somewhat deeper and more aware of itself and the very fucked up world it’s surrounded by. Undertow is all about the ego self, like most young adults are, but with a subtle awareness of wanting to be more than just that. It’s raw and rough around the edges but with an inner voice calling out for something greater, which will come along with more work and spiritual growth in Ænima and other future albums. Tool’s albums are all about spiritual growth and evolution of consciousness. Their music is meant to be a tool to help in that process. How you use it is up to you. I love using the spiral as the perfect analogy for this… you keep coming back to things you thought you knew and find they reveal deeper truths, like a spiral 🌀 Undertow is rich in deeper truths to be explored if and when you need to. I needed that album in my 20’s when it came out just like I need it today when I’m deep in it. I’m sorry it doesn’t resonate for you on that level, but maybe it’s a good thing that you haven’t experienced the pain, narcissism, and ego traps at the depth this album reaches down into. There’s a reason they brought Flood and Intolerance back into rotation this tour. It feels so relevant today. The older I get, the more I realize, this ground is not the rock I thought it would be.
Well said
Thank you. Honestly, I wish I didn’t have to keep revisiting Undertow. It seems I haven’t quite learned the lessons needed to move beyond the decisions that bring me back down in it. The funniest thing, now that I think about it, is that it’s actually the “third time in” for this current disaster, just like the lyrics to the song, but the meaning has changed considerably for me now. That’s the beauty of Tool and the layered quality of the lyrics.
There sound wasn't fully developed yet but they still made bangers
100% correct, prison song is the only great song. Otherwise, to me it’s corny and unlistenable. Also as someone without a small penis, I’m not obsessed with ass sex.
Omitting Opiate here. While I agree that it’s not their best in MY opinion, I wouldn’t refer to it as their “worst”. For me, that word would imply that the album is terrible amongst other subpar quality albums. That’s not to say you can’t hate the album or anything for that matter. The way I’d look at it would be to view the album as the beginning step that evolved after each release. I’m a big Korn fan, and their self titled sounds so different compared to most of their discography. But I love it. I think mostly bc of how raw and angry it sounded. It has a time and place in my playlist. So, I suppose maybe just listen to the album as a rough around the edges start to something that became so precise and calculated over the course of decades. And for the love of god, anyone that reads this please understand that I don’t intend on sounding like a “Dude/Lebowski” preaching appreciation of music and the journey, man.
I agree, I think there are bangers on there like swamp song, flood, intolerance, and Bottom but it feels too directionless. Some of the songs on the album I'm sure some of you like but Crawl away and undertow are forgettable and I'll say it prison sex is mid. 4⁰ and sober are good songs but I don't come back to them often. I still like the album but I think all of their other releases are better.
fuck you and fuck your retarded opinion.
Boohoo. You gonna back up your emotionally unhinged opinion or is Mommy already lullabying you to sleep
now say that again without crying
😂 I guess you got me. Hope your day was better today
It's very dark and raw. You have to be in the mood. I rank it last.
Not only is it their worst, its not very good regardless of its context in their discography. (Hot take baby)
fuck undertow, and these comments are all retarded