Trip albums - what a long strange trip...

[slag_10]

the Foundations EP by Trial.. track four kinda breaks from the the rest of the disk, its more of a side note to the other 4 songs. Its only 10-15 min. long, but well worth the listen. also in a similar vein musicly and thematicly, Path of Resistance and Earth Crisis albums all play out in much the same way(e.g. Firestorm by Earth Crisis)

[haunted_i]

Tool - Lateralus

Some hard rock albums, like most of what's on the radio, make the brain's aural processing turn them into white noise after a while, because the music is mastered loudly and squashes any dynamic range. Tool's non-intrusive vocals (an instrument unto themselves) and almost tribal-inspired rhythms on Lateralus may take you on a trip, but not for lack of dynamic range. Part of this music's draw is its excellent, if subtle, mastering. There are no (or very few) stereo widening effects or other expensive post-processing wizardry; just Tool taking your mind down paths rarely traveled. Basically, the music sounds more natural, with distortion being applied at the instrument or pedal level, not afterwards in the recording booth.

Most importantly, Lateralus sounds great at either quiet, contemplative volumes or at house-shaking heights.
(Music with dynamic range won't destroy your speakers at loud volumes, since it's not trying to simultaneously push every frequency to the max.)

[Darkshine]

Tool - Lateralus

Some hard rock albums, like most of what's on the radio, make the brain's aural processing turn them into white noise after a while, because the music is mastered loudly and squashes any dynamic range. Tool's non-intrusive vocals (an instrument unto themselves) and almost tribal-inspired rhythms on Lateralus may take you on a trip, but not for lack of dynamic range. Part of this music's draw is its excellent, if subtle, mastering. There are no (or very few) stereo widening effects or other expensive post-processing wizardry; just Tool taking your mind down paths rarely traveled. Basically, the music sounds more natural, with distortion being applied at the instrument or pedal level, not afterwards in the recording booth.

Most importantly, Lateralus sounds great at either quiet, contemplative volumes or at house-shaking heights.
(Music with dynamic range won't destroy your speakers at loud volumes, since it's not trying to simultaneously push every frequency to the max.)

I totally agree. Its not just an auditory trip either. Its a spiritual trip that makes you reflect on your life and your being. It is truly amazing. Plus, the lyrics in Lateralus (the song) and Reflection are some of the best I've heard

[haunted_i]

Those are some deep lyrics, my friend.

One very helpful ingredient in making a successful trip album is genrebending, or as most people call it, "That thing Beck always does." That having been said, a more post-modern genrebending group is Death in Vegas, whose third album, Scorpio Rising, was inspired by a cult film of the same name which featured an aesthetic style, rebellious use of pop music, and a theme of gay Nazi bike-riders.
How unique is each track? To give you an idea, Death in Vegas only has two permanent band members. The rest pretty much come and go as creative needs dictate. Needless to say, this album definetely evokes LSD vibes. It wouldn't be my first choice to play on the way to church.