STACK #179 Sept 2019

MUSIC FEATURE

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T he tremendously anticipated fifth its title track; last month fans were delighted by the dynamic and transcendent first single, which included many classic Tool touches courtesy of highly sophisticated drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor, and guitarist Adam Jones, as well as some modern electronic accents. Singer Maynard James Keenan’s vocals are uniquely set amongst his bandmates' soundscape, making his voice more of an instrument than a separate attraction, but ensuring a united sound. Tool have never half-assed anything, so after the thirteen-year wait since previous album 10,000 Days (2006) Tool devotees had high expectations. These have not only been met but totally smashed with a collector’s edition for the history books. The physical album’s TOOL Praying for rain, praying for tidal waves, praying for new material from the inimitableTool – fans of the LA art-metal group are finally rewarded this month for their not- so-patient wait. Words Elise Faul Tool album, Fear Inoculum , has finally arrived on the back of the promise of

Fear Inoculum by Tool is out now via Sony.

release includes a 4"HD rechargeable screen with exclusive video footage, a two-watt speaker, a 36-page booklet and a digital download card. As if that wasn’t enough, a charging cable is also included – we can thank Adam Jones for this revolutionary CD experience, as the axe-man conceived and directed its production.

The creators of hits such as Forty Six & 2 , Schism and Lateralus (the latter’s lyrical rhythm famously following the Fibonacci Sequence), Tool are ongoing purveyors of high quality music; the

consensus is that Fear Inoculum does not disappoint, offering a musically intricate, beautifully sonorous piece of art. EF

T he little broken-heart-eyes on the face of JeReMo – the digitally- animated bass skin on G Flip’s drumkit, named for her beloved, passed percussion teacher – indicate the romantic chronicle that's the polestar for this gorgeously dreamy but full-bodied debut. Several promises Georgia Flipo made to herself over the last three years have come true via the young musician’s insanely robust work ethic (a skim through her insta account proves her clairvoyancy), but you can’t force love – and yet, the woman for whom Flipo wrote these dynamic tales returned to her life just as the music industry started to open up to her. For someone as obsessed with rhythm as G Flip, she also has a falcon’s grip on melodic pop hooks which are both meaty and fluid as rain, while her vocals can belt boldly or come in ultra-close, as in the exhilarating single Bring Me Home (the video for which is a total must- see, documenting a marathon drumming session: " I wrote an emotional song so I wanted to pair it with a just as emotional film clip," she's said. "I drummed until I physically couldn’t anymore – six hours straight – until my hands shed their skin and my body was in physical pain."). About Us is as deep a stamp into the red wax of 2019 as we’re likely to hear; it’s also, without question, only the beginning for G Flip. ZKR G FLIP

TOURING 14/9 - 30/11

About Us by G Flip is out now via Future Classic.

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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