TOOL, Fear Inoculum | Track Review

After a 13-year hiatus, alt-metal collective TOOL returns with “Fear Inoculum,” the promo single from the highly-anticipated fifth LP of the same name.  

Nine words: “Exhale, expel / Recast my tale / Weave my allegorical elegy.” Hmm… very interesting. It has been 13 years since Grammy-winning metal collective TOOL released a new album (10,000 Days, 2006).  Maynard James Keenan has remained active in the group’s extended hiatus, dropping three projects as Puscifer and another with A Perfect Circle (Eat the Elephant, 2018).  That said, even Keenan’s album with A Perfect Circle arrived after an extended hiatus (Emotive, 2004).  Anyways, after much buzz and speculation, the band’s fifth studio album, Fear Inoculum, arrives August 30, 2019.  Leading the way is single and opening cut, “Fear Inoculum.”

“Immunity, long overdue / Contagion, I exhale you…” Sooo… what does Fear Inoculum encompass? According to Keenan via Revolver:

“I feel like this is [about] wisdom through age, through experience. Hopefully through aging you find wisdom in some of the things you’ve encountered. Learning from your mistakes, learning from your successes.”

Like many of the records on 10,000 Days, “Fear Inoculum” runs long, clocking in north of 10 minutes. Even with its long duration, there aren’t a ton of lyrics, and the form is relatively standard: verse, interlude, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro.  The extended instrumental introduction is enigmatic, constantly building with percussion, sound effects, and distorted guitars.  Keenan doesn’t begin singing the first verse until after the two-minute mark, showcasing the sheer beauty of his voice.  As he sings, he plays into the hypnotic and intense nature of the music, with its looped passages, pummeling drums, and of course, a minor key.

With the arrival of the aforementioned nine-word chorus (four minutes in), things grow heavier, including Keenan exhibiting more edge and grit vocally.  Post-chorus, the percussion and sound effects stand out, before Keenan drops another legato-style verse with unique lyrics:

“Enumerate all that I’m to do
Calculating steps away from you
My own mitosis
Growing through delusion from mania.”

Interesting, mind-boggling stuff, right? Following another edgy chorus, the listener is blessed with that signature TOOL experimentation with meter and rhythm.  It keeps things, specifically the bridge, interesting. Bridge buzz word: exorcise, and we’re not talking fitness.  Of course, other words that reappear throughout “Fear Inoculum” include venom, immunity, mania, exhale, and deceiver.

Final Thoughts

Even after 13 years, TOOL manages to create quite the captivating and compelling alt-metal/prog-metal/rock record.  One of the biggest selling points is the way that the band uses space on “Fear Inoculum.” Sure, it’s long and heady to an extent, but from the onset, “Fear Inoculum” draws the curious listener in, eager to see where Maynard James Keenan and company are going to land ultimately.  Ultimately, quite intriguing in my opinion.

TOOL • Fear Inoculum • Tool Dissectional, L.L.C. / Volcano Entertainment II, L.L.C.  • Release: 8.30.19

Photo Credits: Tool Dissectional, L.L.C. / Volcano Entertainment II, L.L.C.