So after so after reviewing so many albums from the year 2000... time to graduate, to 2001 (BUT JUST FOR ONE RELEASE, NOSTALGIA TRIP OVER). And what better album to review than Lateralus? While the nostalgia side of this album will always remind me of the class assignment where we made a video of Macbeth (at least half the soundtrack was this album) and the concert where they came up to Anchorage and I almost threw up moshing so hard to Schism, this album is pretty brilliant on its own merits. I honestly can't believe this album hit #1 on the Billboard Charts, given the average song length, proggy song structures, and general inaccessibility (this is a journey of an album!). But I'm glad it did, this is an incredible album. While there are fewer five star tracks than I remember, as a cohesive whole this album just works. Great to go back and listen to this one again.

4.5/5 - Just shy of a true classic, because it is a tad overwrought.