APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Discuss Maynard and Billy's side project
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Bill Hilly
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Bill Hilly »

I agree Kittaan. Maynard's voice sounds incredible on this record. And for a guy in his mid 50's, bravo. But his lyrical output on some of this effort is not very good. I don't even want to get started on Billy's writing....

I said it once already in this thread, and I see others with the same sentiment. - It is evident how important Josh Freese was to the sound of APC.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by tys0n »

This album gives me chills, hell yeah 9/10

Reminds me being a spotty faced 18yr old listening to Mer De Noms on the cd listening station at the record store
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by children »

Yeah I am liking it more and more each listen. Certain aspects just take some getting used to.

We all agree Josh Freese's drumming is great, and he was perfect for the early albums because there was a lot more energy. This album is a lot more textural and atmospheric so Jeff's drumming works well.

I would be curious to hear Josh play these songs, and maybe at some point Josh will tour with them again and they will record some live versions. Seeing Jeff perform the old songs live was interesting. You get so used to hearing the drums parts to those songs over and over and when somebody steps in plays a fill differently or something it can make you feel that it isn't right but it really just takes some adjusting. I would like a live recording of the old songs with Jeff drumming from this current tour so I can analyze and compare the way he plays it to Josh's drumming.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

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So Long, and Thanks for All the Tool.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by M0G »

I agree with this review in many areas, although it is a bit too harsh at times. That said after another couple of listens to the album, it isn't worth a 7/10. Like Kittaan I find myself skipping too many songs every listen. My final verdict on this album is 6/10. There is a silver lining here though. Maynard sounds great and that gives me a lot of hope looking towards the new Tool album.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by tys0n »

Adult alternative, ffs :?
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Busty McCracken »

At the massive risk of sounding like a cliche philosophical tool fan I'm finding its biggest strength and greatest flaw at the same time is it absolutely demands your full attention. If you focus on the themes of the lyrics its music is kind of a perfect symbol of that. It's very melancholy and deep so if you play it in the car while you drive and partially pay attention to it like it I did yesterday it can come across as a bit flat and boring where as if you embrace the themes and give it your full attention it works as a really solid piece of art.

Not sure if that makes any sense, just my take on it.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by tys0n »

I've only listened to it through headphones, so you may be right, Billy's guitar is always there subtly in the background being APC
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by hellboy »

Just back from the wild Aussie Outback. Had a couple of listens, and while there are several tracks I think that are quite good, there are a few real WTF moments as well. I'll write a full review for Fourtheye over the next day or so
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Bill Hilly »

eMotive is better than Eat the Elephant.

I don't understand how this album could ever be described as deep or a solid piece of art. Can you actually take a man that is constantly on social media - posting pics, marketing his brand, responding to trolls - seriously when he tells you about your silicone obsession?
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by brewdog123 »

billy, you dont have to understand. you dont have to know why someone else likes or dislikes something. you are wasting your brain power.

on that note, i do disagree with you. i give it 8 out of 10. If some of the lyrics didnt hit the cheese factor i may have gone higher. its a great rock album, and refreshing when there is not a whole lot of new rock to enjoy.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Ettan »

I see people across the reviewing-business comparing this new album to other things. I'm glad I dove in with the intention of just listening to the music, take it all in and just get a genuine reaction. Instead of thinking "this doesn't sound like Judith or The Outsider" I just took the songs and the flow of the album for what it was at that moment. I'm not saying the review people did not do their job correctly, I'm saying that I think twice reading comparisons not necessarily needed in its context.

I won't tell you how to get more enjoyment from this album, if it isn't for you it isn't, but the majority of (review) people who gave this album a bad rating seems to be locked in a thought pattern that circles around the fact that this album doesn't sound like the old APC; instead of focusing on whatever it is they're reacting to at the moment they listen to the album.

I do not like Pitchfork, I mean..
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8104-lateralus/
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8105-10000-days/

"Rather than delving further into experimentation or exploring their strengths, the world's most well-loved prog-metal band has made an...A Perfect Circle record."

I'm a bit biased here simply because I love this album, just my subjective two cents.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by nxrm »

“Sites like Yelp have fostered this generation of novice experts who have the power to open their mouths but haven’t actually put the work into knowing what they’re talking about. I’ve had bad Yelp reviews of my tasting room, but it had nothing to do with the wine. The reviews were bad merely because I wasn’t there! That’s like giving my record a bad review because I wasn’t in the record store when they bought it! I can only say to those people: shut the fuck up!”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/1 ... -at-a-time

*edit: I'm not trying to imply anything with the above quote, I just found it amusing.

I still haven't even heard the album yet (I need to get on that), but the comments and reviews here have been...interesting.

Looking forward to giving the album a listen in the near future.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by M0G »

nxrm wrote:“Sites like Yelp have fostered this generation of novice experts who have the power to open their mouths but haven’t actually put the work into knowing what they’re talking about. I’ve had bad Yelp reviews of my tasting room, but it had nothing to do with the wine. The reviews were bad merely because I wasn’t there! That’s like giving my record a bad review because I wasn’t in the record store when they bought it! I can only say to those people: shut the fuck up!”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/1 ... -at-a-time
What a garbage article. This idiot calls Tool doom-rock? Some people really shouldn't be reviewing music, ever, under any circumstance. I don't give two hairy shits about the APC wank fest he has going on, but at least when it comes to Tool, get your shit together. There are lots of bands whose style of music doesn't work for me, but I can recognize talent for talent.

This part caught my eye...yet another example of why I dislike Maynard. He thinks Puscifer fans tend to think more outside the box? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Jimmy the Dick wrote:Yeah, there are people who like all three, but the percentage of insanity in those people is far lower than people who just love Tool. The people who think more outside the box tend to be Puscifer fans, because there's a real blend of comedy and tragedy there. That band has a sort of feminine, motherly energy, whereas Tool is more masculine and cerebral. A Perfect Circle is somewhere in the middle."
:roll: :roll: :roll:

Sorry Jimbo, more people like Tool because they are the superior band, by a very large margin. A lot of Tool fans don't like Puscifer because at least 50% of the Puscifer stuff is pure shit.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Busty McCracken »

tys0n wrote:I've only listened to it through headphones, so you may be right, Billy's guitar is always there subtly in the background being APC
After the car trip and the other half called it boring i decided to give it a spin on headphones and that's when i came up with that thought so maybe has some merit.
Doesn't make for a great party album but cant dispute it as a solid piece of work from an artistic point of view.

Mog id say Pre conditions of my parole about 85% of their output was fairly mediocre but COMP and Money Shot are both just about flawless albums to me. Seriously go see them live at their own show and I can almost guarantee youd enjoy them.

EDIT: saying that I took my Maynard hating brother along to COMP show and he spent the whole time bitching about it not being Tool so maybe not...
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Bill Hilly »

Busty McCracken wrote:
Pre conditions of my parole about 85% of their output was fairly mediocre but COMP and Money Shot are both just about flawless albums to me. Seriously go see them live at their own show and I can almost guarantee youd enjoy them.

EDIT: saying that I took my Maynard hating brother along to COMP show and he spent the whole time bitching about it not being Tool so maybe not...
Those are both great albums. Well, COMP is great. Money Shot is good. Also, Puscifer is an excellent live act.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by M0G »

Busty McCracken wrote:
tys0n wrote:I've only listened to it through headphones, so you may be right, Billy's guitar is always there subtly in the background being APC
After the car trip and the other half called it boring i decided to give it a spin on headphones and that's when i came up with that thought so maybe has some merit.
Doesn't make for a great party album but cant dispute it as a solid piece of work from an artistic point of view.

Mog id say Pre conditions of my parole about 85% of their output was fairly mediocre but COMP and Money Shot are both just about flawless albums to me. Seriously go see them live at their own show and I can almost guarantee youd enjoy them.

EDIT: saying that I took my Maynard hating brother along to COMP show and he spent the whole time bitching about it not being Tool so maybe not...
It's all 50/50 for me with Puscifer. Diamonds sprinkled in a field of dog shit. Some really good tracks, and some god awful ones. That really isn't the point though, I am not knocking anyone for liking Puscifer. I am shitting on Maynard for assuming that Pusicfer fans are somehow more enlightened than Tool fans. Maynard's opinion of himself is comical at times. Most people prefer Tool because they are the superior band. That is a fact.

I do have to be fair though and say I can understand it being frustrating having to talk about another band when you are trying to promote a new album for your current band. That is about the only slack I will cut Maynard.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Bill Hilly »

M0G wrote:
It's all 50/50 for me with Puscifer. Diamonds sprinkled in a field of dog shit.

I do have to be fair though and say I can understand it being frustrating having to talk about another band when you are trying to promote a new album for your current band. That is about the only slack I will cut Maynard.
Diamonds in dog shit? :lol: I agree about Maynard's comments. That's a lame way of deciphering the difference between a Tool fan vs a Tool fan that also likes his other projects.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by gamebounty »

Eat The Elephant doesn't really do anything for me. I like The Doomed, but that's about it. In a lot of ways, this album sounds like it is heavily influenced by Puscifer, which is kind of funny because Money Shot (which I also didn't care much for) seems like it's influenced by A Perfect Circle. It's like the two projects are meeting in the middle, whereas I like both better when they are at their extremes. V is for Vagina, Conditions of my Parole, Mer De Noms and Thirteenth Step are all great albums to me.

But oh well. Bring on that new Tool album! There, Maynard can do no wrong. ;)
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Busty McCracken »

Billy: Money Shot ended up overtaking COMP for me as favourite but either or ya cant go wrong. And yep amazing live act. Saw them on both albums tours in a theatre and loved them both equally.

Mog: I do agree he should keep his opinion to himself on what makes certain fans tick for each band. he flat out shouldn't be comparing them at all. It took me until COMP to get into them so for me I like them coz they've turned into a good band, not because they have Maynard singing for them so why compare them. They're seperate entities.

And Bounty. Be careful what you say. Imagine he ends up being the weak link on a killer album musically.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by xZ1mM3r »

Busty McCracken wrote:Billy: Money Shot ended up overtaking COMP for me as favourite but either or ya cant go wrong. And yep amazing live act. Saw them on both albums tours in a theatre and loved them both equally.

Mog: I do agree he should keep his opinion to himself on what makes certain fans tick for each band. he flat out shouldn't be comparing them at all. It took me until COMP to get into them so for me I like them coz they've turned into a good band, not because they have Maynard singing for them so why compare them. They're seperate entities.

And Bounty. Be careful what you say. Imagine he ends up being the weak link on a killer album musically.
Saw Puscifer live in Denver for the Money Shot tour... It was absolutely amazing. Fantastic live band. Super fun from start to finish. Different atmosphere from a live Tool show, but honestly it was really as entertaining.

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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Busty McCracken »

^ yeah I especially enjoyed the Money Shot gig and the venue we saw them at had some of the best acoustics I've ever heard.

I stupidly missed APC on both Mer De Noms and 13th Step so didnt get to finally see them until 5 years ago in the middle of the day at a festival slot so am really hoping they get down here for some shows. Be good to see them in their own setting and I've said a few times in this thread i reckon the new material will sound great
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by M0G »

Busty McCracken wrote: And Bounty. Be careful what you say. Imagine he ends up being the weak link on a killer album musically.
That is possible but I am feeling fairly positive about Maynard when it comes to new Tool. He actually sounds better imo right now than he did on 10,000 Days. I give him credit in working on getting his voice back in shape. Plus I am kinda glad he got his vocal experimentation out of the way on this APC album. I would rather he be focused on new Tool and take a bit of a back seat and let the music shine.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Busty McCracken »

Hope so... I like to think that seeing as he is the one that's publicly made a point of saying that the pressures on hes got some goods in the pipeline , just like to aim low with expectations I guess.
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Re: APC - Eat the Elephant Reviews & Discussion

Post by Bill Hilly »

So my girlfriend, whom I've spent many years with, has really enjoyed this new record. She's pretty much had it on repeat for the last few days, which means I've had more time to take in the music. There are a few more songs that have grown on me - one being The Contrarian. Eat the Elephant is a really nice opener, and I bet it's going to be an awesome live opener for the tour. I still really enjoy TalkTalk and Delicious.
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