Schism (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Schism


Artist = Tool
from Album = Lateralus
Released = 2001
Format = Promo CD and DVD
Recorded = 2001
Genre = Progressive metal
Length = 6:46
Label = Volcano Records
Producer = David Bottrill
Last single = "Forty-Six & 2"
1998
This single = "Schism"
2001
Next single = "Parabola"
2002
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Promo cover
Type = Single


Lower caption =

"Schism" is a song by American progressive rock/metal band Tool. It was the first single and music video from their third full-length album, "Lateralus". In 2002, Tool won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song. [cite web
url = http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/
title = Grammy Award Winners
publisher = The Recording Academy
accessdate = 2007-04-28]

"Schism" was released as a DVD single on December 20, 2005. The DVD contains the music video, dual-commentary by David Yow, and a remix by Lustmord.

"Schism" is known as a prime example of Tool's use of complex rhythms and changing meters.An extended version of the song is performed live. [cite news
url = http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/tool/articles/story/5934876/tool_take_radio_city
title = Tool Take Radio City
author = Robin Rothman
work = Rolling Stone
date = 2002-08-14
accessdate = 2008-04-15

]

This song will be featured on the video game Guitar Hero World Tour.

ong meter

A possible analysis of the meter changes is found in the August 2001 issue of Guitar One magazine. As transcribed by Adam Perlmutter, the song starts in 5/4 for one measure followed by 21 measures of 6/4 (or 5/8 and 7/8 alternating), up to the first interlude, which is a bar of 3/8, three bars of 13/8, and a bar of 10/8. (This can be also interpreted as four 13/8 bars, but played with a 3/8 upbeat.) The next verse is eight bars of 6/4 followed by another interlude that fits the same pattern as the first. The next section is four bars of 6/4 followed by one bar of 11/8. Another eight-bar verse in 6/4 follows, with an interlude containing the same as before, except the final 10/8 bar is replaced with an 11/8 bar setting up the middle section, which is four bars of 7/4 before settling into a pattern of alternating 12/8 and 15/8, one bar each, twelve times. Following this, there are three bars of 4/4, a bar of 2/4, and four bars of 4/4 setting up another section, which is two bars of 9/8 followed by a bar of 10/8, that pattern again, a single bar of 9/8 followed by a 13/8 bar. This leads to an alternating set of 9/8 and 5/8, appearing four times before a bar of 9/8 and a bar of 6/8. Near the end, there is a 6/4 meter for eight bars, followed by eight bars of 4/4 to end the song. In all, the song changes meters 47 times. The band has comically said that the song is in "6.5/8".

Track listing

Promo CD

# Schism (6:46)

DVD

# Schism (Video) (7:29)
# Schism (Commentary) (7:29)
# Schism (Lustmord Remix) (20:13)

Personnel

*Danny Carey - drums
*Justin Chancellor - Bass
*Adam Jones - Art Direction, Guitar
*Maynard James Keenan - vocals

References

In the 2008 Video Game Silent Hill Homecoming, there is a monster called "schism". It is a monster that looks humanoid, but has apparently no head, but an axe type head split down the middle with its mouth.