This is likely why DiCrescenzo decided to make the majority of his review a parody from the perspective of a less-than-intelligent Tool fan who finds “Lateralus” to be an extremely complex and groundbreaking album. DiCrescenzo, in the perspective of his imaginary character, writes lines such as, “I feel like this record was made just for me by super-smart aliens or something,” and “It’s the best Tool album because it’s the longest… there is more emotion on that album than would be on 30 Weezer albums.”ĭiCrescenzo’s overly harsh and obscure review seems to have one goal in mind: to anger Tool fans, who, like Pitchfork, have a reputation of being pompous and overly pretentious.
Fubert sees the album as a masterpiece, as many Tool fans do. The writer then, for some reason, goes on to tell an anecdote from the perspective of a Tool fan, who he has named Crispin Fubert. The problem is, Tool defines "opus" as taking their "defining element" (wanking sludge) and stretching it out to the maximum digital capacity of a compact disc.” While fans and (most) critics alike see the 2001 album as Tool’s best, writer Brent DiCrescenzo gave the progressive metal LP a 1.9 out of 10.ĭiCrescenzo wrote of the album “Now, with the early new century demanding "opuses," Tool follows suit. Pitchfork’s review of Tool’s album “Lateralus” is perhaps the most infamous review in the publication’s history. These are the reviews that the CommRadio Arts & Entertainment team will be looking at, judging whether Pitchfork was fair in its harsh assessment, or correct in it. This has manifested itself in many negative album reviews that many in the music community see as overly critical. However, the publication has also made a name for itself as shameless contrarians and overly pretentious music reviewers. Pitchfork’s nearly perfect 9.7 review of Arcade Fire’s 2004 masterpiece “Funeral” is a big reason why the album gained so much notoriety, which in turn propelled the band’s career to the top of the charts. In its history, Pitchfork has aided the rise of several indie bands, most notably Arcade Fire. The Worst of Pitchfork: Tool – “Lateralus” Re-Reviewįor the past 25 years, Pitchfork Magazine garnered a reputation for being musical outsiders.