Anagram websites and places with information on mysticism and bizarre pop psychology don't see so many hits as the day after Tool's latest lands on store shelves. One'll never know what shit they're going to throw at you, and whether or not they're fucking with you, so it keeps you on your toes. I don't think we'll ever know, and honestly, that's a great part of the beauty of Tool. Or perhaps it's some permutation of the previous three. Or perhaps they are the most intellectually, musically, and philosophically-gifted quartet ever to see the face of this earth. They may be Rainman-esque, not comprehending the depth of their own work. They are perhaps the greatest merry pranksters ever, dangling some pseudo intellectual nuggets in front of our faces and delighting as we pore over them for a deeper meaning which isn't there. There are four distinct possibilities to look at when attempting to analyze what Tool is and represents as artists and musicians. The true track list has now been posted to Tool's website - see Uberfetus's post for the complete list. Shortly before the title was announced, the band also declared that the final mixing and mastering of the album was complete, and other details were being worked on - including liner artwork and tour plans.
As previously stated, an amount of sceptisicm is still recomended, however evidence seems to suggest that the new announcement is in fact legitimate. On Januthe band revised the website again, this time removing any mention of the old track listings and announcing that the new CD will be titled " Lateralus". Another, equally likely explanation is the band's simple desire to piss people off. Barring a radical departure from past works, it is unexpected that Tool will be covering the Osmond Brothers in the near future. Already, what purports to be Tool's "Riverchrist" from "Systema Encéphale" can be downloaded, though the actual song contained in the file seems to be " Down By The Lazy River" by the " Osmond Brothers". It is generally belived that the band posted fabricated titles to expose the abundance of bogus tracks on Napster.
Then the band replaced " Poopy the Clown" with " 48/14." After these changes, ALLSTAR/ CDNOW ran a new story declaring Tool to be likely winners of the Prick Band of the Year Award. The site then completely changed the list to " Evasion", with the tracks " Prescipissed", " Bindlecup", " Alcawhorlick", " Alcaharlot", " Bushwhacker", " Munge", " Poopy the Clown", " Gullabored", " Smell Me", and " Buzz's Revenge". This listing was picked up by several news sites, including ALLSTAR/ CDNOW, Rolling Stone, and Kerrang, who ran stories announcing the track list. The site then quickly revised the listing, replacing " Musick" with " Mummery". Specifically, the band's site previously stated that the album would be titled " Systema Encéphale" and contain the tracks " Malfeasance", " U.V.R.", " Numbereft", " Encephatalis", " Musick", " Coeliacus", " Pain Canal", " Lactation", " Smyrma", and " Riverchrist". This was just anounced on the official Tool website ( Of course, as with all things Tool, a little scepticism is still warranted. " Lateralus" is apparently the title of Tool's next album, to be released May 15, 2001.