Schism

Band: Tool

Members: Danny Carey, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan, Justin Chancellor

Album: Lateralus

Length: 6m 47s

Genre: Progressive metal

Year: 2001

Our rating

4 / 5

Really good

Bizarrometer Slider

4.5 / 5

Extremely Bizarre

Good Points ✔

Unusual time signatures and instrumentation make it unique
Poetic lyrics complement the complex musical structure
Flows naturally despite the unconventional elements
Music video is primeval and thought-provoking

Bad Points ❌

Uneven variety and technical complexity in the instrumentation, with some parts lacking dynamism

Your rating

.0

.0

By

mindbent21st July, 2021

Introduction

When evaluating a particular musical composition, there is normally several aspects to take into consideration: lyrics (if any), originality, compositional complexity and importantly, how the different musical elements fit together.

Within the genre of progressive metal, one of the bands that immediately pops into my mind which is capable of delivering all that is Tool.

Even though I enjoyed all of Tool’s albums, Lateralus stands, in my opinion, head and shoulders above all others. The phenomenal and complex instrumentation coupled with expressive lyrics is unprecedented.

I cannot count how many futile attempts I made at finding another band that could trigger a similar climax in me; in the end I resigned to the obvious – no band is quite like Tool!

In this article, I will go to great lengths to try to interpret Schism, the first single of the album Lateralus, which, arguably, epitomizes Lateralus’ mysterious realm.

Review

If you know your way around music theory, you will immediately appreciate that this song is something of sui generis (see this excellent musical analysis video on Schism, which breaks this piece down for you).

I have been learning music theory for over 20 years now, and I still cannot get my head around some of the nuances in Tool’s compositions.

The instrumentation is undeniably challenging (particularly Danny Carey’s excellent drumming), and the ever-changing and unusual time signatures are mind-blowing, which brilliantly match the poetic expression of the lyrics.

Despite the unusual combination of musical elements, the song flows naturally, and there is not a moment in which we feel it is “out of place” – the pieces really just fit!

I must say that Schism completely altered the way I perceived music, in that it awakened me from the stupor of a naive and downright tasteless appreciation of music – you would drown in your own tears if you knew what my music preferences were prior to Schism.

The memory of listening to “Schism” for the first time is as clear as that when I lost virginity – I’m not joking!

It was sometime in 2001 and I was watching some MTV top music charts hosted by the intelligent, funny and beautiful VJ Joanne Colan (yes, yes, I might have had a little crush).

I still vividly remember how she described the song, emphasizing the originality of the bass playing the main motif, which is so preponderant throughout the entire song.

Honestly, I knew little about Tool back then – I was really just watching the show because of the VJ – but, my oh my, was I in for a treat.

The next day, I rushed to the nearest CD shop and purchased a copy of the album – a physical album, can you imagine that! – and on that same day I listened to the album from beginning to end a few hundred times. I was in awe…

The music video of “Schism” is disturbingly engaging. Two alien but rather human-like figures of seemingly opposing sexes appear to be trying to communicate with each other.

One of them is relatively passive, and is the subject of inspection of the more active figure of the two. After a series of bizarre interactions with goblins, the two figures fuse, and form a rather creepy version of Gogeta.

Like most of Tool’s videos, you won’t see band members (or any humans for that matter) playing or posing in the background with a fake absent-minded look.

No. This video has something primeval in it, perhaps showing you the importance of one of the most fundamental human needs: communication.

Whether you prefer to listen to classical, pop, rock or folklore music, it would be foolish to disparage the contribution of the album “Lateralus” to the music industry.

Our rating

Schism is deservedly the embodiment of the album, and, in my opinion, ranks among some of the best metal songs made in this century. For that reason, I am giving it a rating of 4.

Bizarrometer

As with most of Tool’s lyrics, the text of the song is very cryptic, and few would disagree if I called the music video outright bizarre. Given its obvious surrealistic nature, I am giving Schism a Bizarrometer score of 4.5.

Schism (brielfly) Explained!

If you haven’t yet done so, check out the music video. Also check out the lyrics below.

Schism lyrics

I know the pieces fit ’cause I watched them fall away

Mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing

Pure intention juxtaposed will set two lover’s souls in motion

Disintegrating as it goes testing our communication

The light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so

We cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication

I know the pieces fit ’cause I watched them tumble down

No fault, none to blame, it doesn’t mean I don’t desire

To point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over

To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication

The poetry that comes from the squaring off between

And the circling is worth it

Finding beauty in the dissonance

There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away

Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting

I’ve done the math enough to know the dangers of our second guessing

Doomed to crumble unless we grow and strengthen our communication

Cold silence has

A tendency to

Atrophy any

Sense of compassion

Between supposed lovers

Between supposed lovers

I know the pieces fit

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary “Schism” is defined as “a strong disagreement within an organization, especially a religious one, that makes its members divide into separate groups“.

Given the emphasis on “religious”, it would make sense that this song was about some religious happening.

In fact, there has been some suggestions that the song refers to the events of the Great Schism of 1054, a significant historical episode that culminated with the separation between what is now the Catholic and the Orthodox churches.

Notwithstanding the definition emphasis on “religious”, I am not certain that the song is actually about a religious divide at all.

Indeed, many secular interpretations of the song abound. For example, one interpretation revolve around the idea of communication. Tool make several references to pieces not communicating, which, to some, is suggestive of some kind of miscommunication between two people, perhaps a couple.

More relevant to the present article, Tool members are also known for their interest in occult symbols and sacred geometry.

In particular, Musicologists and Tool fans have identified references to alchemical concepts in some songs in Lateralus. In fact, there is even the distinct possibility that the whole Lateralus album could actually describe a sort of alchemical journey.

But I’m jumping the gun here – I’ll review and explain the other songs in future posts, so you will see what I mean.

I interpret Schism as a metaphor for the psychic barrier that exists in our minds which is a deterrent to reach a stable personality. According to this view, the song describes certain necessary steps which are needed to bring together the two separate halves of our nature.

In Alchemy, these steps are metaphorically represented by the “squaring the circle”.

Okay, so let’s start the analysis of the song. I’ll interpret the song line by line, and, when relevant, I’ll point you to specific moments in the music video.

I know the pieces fit ’cause I watched them fall away

I know the pieces fit could relate to the idea that all matter, including a human mind, consists of the three Essentials (Body, Spirit and Soul), which are initially split for the purpose of purification, but can be re-united again.

I watched them fall away might refer to the process of Calcination and Dissolution, in which the original corrupted matter is desintigrated to release its essence, so that it can be purified and reconstituted into the perfect new Body at the end of the experiment.

Naturally, we are witnesses of this whole process (as it happens in our minds), hence the emphasis on “I watched”.

Mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing

Mildew is a kind of fungus that could make you sick. So I believe that “mildew” here represents the impurities of the First Matter. Smoldering means to burn slowly without a flame.

An influential alchemist, Paracelsus, said that fire is the agent of transformation and, as such, it possesses the power to make the impure pure.

So perhaps this line means that matter is initially corrupted and that the energy that is necessary for transformation remains blocked (it burns without a flame).

Differing means dissimilar (i.e., not the same as each other ). Fundamental differing therefore could refer to the idea that the fundamental elements that make all matter are always opposites (e.g., masculine/feminine; passive/active; etc.).

Note how there appears to be two figures of seemingly opposing sexes. These figures could present the masculine and feminine aspects of our psyche.

Pure intention juxtaposed will set two lover’s souls in motion

Juxtaposed means to put things or people together, in order to show a new relationship between them. I believe this is a clear reference to the idea of joining Soul and Spirit to create a new Body.

Two lovers’s souls in motion might refer to the dance of Sulphur and Mercury which represents the feminine and masculine parts of your personality.

In Alchemy, Sulfur and Mercury are often depicted as the King and Queen, respectively, who are indeed lovers.

Disintegrating as it goes testing our communication

The Great Work of Alchemy is a cyclic and continuous process. It doesn’t happen all at once, and often requires many purification attempts.

My interpretation is that “testing our communication” could reflect the idea that purification requires finding new ways of the Soul and Spirit communicating by continuous disintegration and unification.

With material substances this is clear: you try out a unique combination of the existing elements and/or their proportions. If that does not produce the desired result you try again using a different combination of the constituent elements and/or their proportions.

The same applies to the psyche: perhaps you have failed to accept your darkest secrets and chose to repress them and try to move on with your life. If so, the conjunction process will not result in a purified Body, and it will fail.

To succeed, your self needs to be broken down again and again, until it is sufficiently purified for the merging of opposites to occur.

The light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so
We cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication

Note the shape the female figure is drawing with the head of the male figure: it’s a spiral.

Spirals are a significant form in many religions and traditions including Alchemy. It’s a symbol of change and development.

The path to individuation is a turbulent one, but necessary. I equate this scene as a spiral journey around a centre which we cannot yet see, because the different aspects of ourselves are not yet fully integrated (they are not communicating).

Crippling means to damage or harm somebody/something really badly. So we need to overcome this crippled communication, and that is done by purifying and integrating our opposing forces.

I know the pieces fit ’cause I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame, it doesn’t mean I don’t desire
To point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over

This could refer to the idea that after dissolution, you realise your projections like blaming the other.

Remember that a projection is simply an innate defense mechanism that allows you to cope with your own feelings.

You might be blaming someone for being selfish, when you are the one that is actually selfish. However, this thought is so unacceptable to you that you unconsciously project it onto someone else.

One of the main reasons Conjunction often fails, is because we neglect our own projections. Every person will eventually need to come to terms with his/her own projections, and that means acknowledging those aspects of ourselves that we dislike.

Remember, to continue the path to individuation we need to purify our essences (Spirit and Soul) before we can proceed with the Conjunction (or union of opposites).

To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication

As already mentioned, all matter consists of the same building blocks (Sulfur, Mercury and Salt) which are broken down and reunited (bringing the pieces back together) after purification.

Rediscover communication is the new understanding of the different aspects of yourself. This process of rediscovery can only happen if you become aware of your own projections.

Bringing the pieces back together could be an allusion to the idea that the constituents of matter need to be recombined into a new, better composition.

The poetry that comes from the squaring off between
And the circling is worth it
Finding beauty in the dissonance

As with Jim’s interpretation, I also think this could be an allusion to the squaring the circle problem.

In the alchemical context, squaring the circle is a metaphor for the journey towards attaining the Philosopher’s Stone, which in mental or spiritual alchemy represents a perfected personality.

So, of course, it is worth to square the circle, as this will makes us better human beings.

Dissonance means a lack of agreement between things. Squaring the circle allows you to find that agreement, in the sense that opposite and dissonant qualities (e.g., positive and negative, feminine and masculine, etc) are united.

Once this unification is successful you will find beauty in those opposites, as you realise that their union culminates in a transcendent higher form – the Philosopher’s Stone.

There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away
Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting

Coveting means to want something really bad but which belong to someone else.

To me, strangled by our coveting suggests jealousy of others’ possessions, which is, of course, a negative emotion, an impurity.

So, this could reflect the idea that you need to purge these negative aspects of yourself (impurities), in order to be able to continue the path to individuation.

I’ve done the math enough to know the dangers of our second guessing

I believe second guessing here means this sense of insecurity people feel when they ruminate over whether a decision they have just made was really the best one.

Second-guessing is dangerous as it could lead to long-term anxiety, lack of confidence and assertiveness.

For example, let’s say you have a tendency to second-guess yourself regarding every single romantic relationship you have or have had.

You might end up being constantly concerned about the future of your relationship and test your partner every chance you got. Surely you agree this is not the healthiest mindset to be in.

Instead of second-guessing, you should base your decisions on the basis of self-reflection and introspection – not on the concern of success vs failure.

To stress the point: there should be communication with the polarities in your mind – the conscious and the unconscious, the feminine and the masculine, the passive and the active, and so on.

Doomed to crumble unless we grow and strengthen our communication

Conjunction often crumbles if contaminants are still present or if the dance of Soul and Spirit fails. This requires strengthening the communication between Spirit and Soul so that your emotions are well aligned with your thoughts.

Communication is key here. This applies to polarities within ourselves: the feminine (Spirit) and masculine (Soul) aspects within yourself. Spiritual Alchemy is all about integrating the opposing forces that inhabit your psyche.

Remember that in terms of personal development, Soul represents our emotions, whereas Spirit our thoughts.

Also, remember when I mentioned that in Alchemy, Spirit tends to be associated with the feminine principle, and alchemists believed it acted like kind of a mediator between Soul and Body.

Well, it seems that fits quite well here. In the music video, we see the female figure (Spirit) attempting to galvanise a very passive male figure (Soul) into action.

When the female figure finally succeeds in animating her male counterpart, the two begin moving in all fours and balancing their heads in synchrony. I interpret this ritual as the dance of Soul and Spirit that leads to the Sacred Marriage.

Moreover, shortly after the synchronous dance, we see the female figure retrieving a block from the male figure, containing little goblin-like beings.

These goblins might reflect existing impurities – bad thoughts that limit our personal growth.

The female figure actively helps to excommunicate those impurities from the male figure.

This is another possible hint that it is the Spirit (the feminine) – the life force – that moves through the Soul (the masculine) and gives it life.

cold silence has
A tendency to
Atrophy any
Sense of compassion

These lines could be related to the idea that, in alchemy, fire is a determinant agent of transformation.

Fire produces heat which is the opposite of cold. Cold silence could refer to the lack of initiative which stagnates transformation. There needs to be fire to set off transformation.

If you don’t adopt an active mindset to begin the process of transformation, it will be impossible to reach a new spiritual self, in which your feelings of compassion towards yourself and others are fully developed.

Between supposed lovers
Between supposed lovers

Between supposed lovers could relate to the idea of the Sacred Marriage, which is not a physical marriage but rather a marriage between opposing aspects of ourselves (feminine and masculine).

So they are “supposed” lovers because they are not lovers in the real sense of the word, but opposing forces inhabiting your psyche.

Also, remember, that Conjunction is not the final stage of the Great Work. If Conjunction is successful, it will create a proto-version of the Philosopher’s Stone, but it is not yet a Philosopher’s Stone.

In the music video, we see the goblins attempting to attack the female figure. However, she remains impenetrable, perhaps signifying that Spirit has reached the level of purity necessary for Conjunction.

Indeed, the female character is herself transformed into a figure that looks very much like the male figure. This could indicate a successful integration of the feminine and masculine sides of our psyche.

Another way of interpreting this is that the Spirit is just the feminine counterpart of the Soul, and vice-versa (i.e., Soul and Spirit are two sides of the same coin), an idea often represented in alchemical drawings by an ouroboros eating its own tail.

Another interesting occurrence in the music video are the vapours coming off the male figure – the Soul.

In Alchemy, during the White Phase, the material that has gone through the previous steps of Separation and Dissolution, ultimately releases a cloud of white vapour as part of the purification process.

This scene might symbolise this process – purification has taken place and Soul and Spirit are ready to unite. What follows next is the Sacred Marriage.

I know the pieces fit

After we unite Soul and Spirit, we will have created a new Body.

In the music video, this is symbolised by the merging of the two figures, which culminates in the creation of an hermaphroditic being.

Interestingly, the two-headed hermaphrodite is often the symbol of Salt/Body which is the result of the union of Sulfur/Spirit and Mercury/Soul – the Sacred Marriage.

Also, note the fire that is produced as the result of the fusion, and which appears when the two-headed figure is created. As mentioned above, the element of fire is the most important element of transformation in the alchemical context.

In this final scene, the association between transformation and fire couldn’t be more obvious. I believe this to be one of the most telltale clues that a milestone has been reached in the alchemical journey towards the Philosopher’s Stone.

Conclusion

I like to think that Schism is all about intrapersonal communication.

Regardless of what your approach is to understand yourself and your place in this world (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, psychoanalysis, spiritual or religious), we should aim to understand and integrate discordant aspects of our psyche that are in the way of personal growth.

Only when we learn to identify and accept our true feelings, can we achieve that much needed psychic balance. Hence, the predominance of the word “communication” in the song.

Very few people would disagree that they are not in full control of their feelings. We might feel lost in life, we regret certain decisions we have made, we are angry at unsuccessful ventures, and/or dissatisfied with our emotional lives.

Some schools of psychology are firm advocates we need to introspect and listen to our inner self.

This simply means to be attentive to our feelings, work them out (e.g., by practising meditation, with the help of a therapist, by simply introspection), and learn to live with them, even if it starts to get outside our comfort zone.

Unfortunately, more often than not, we deliberately choose not to listen, and simply ignore or repress messages from our inner world – we form a psychological barrier.

If this “schism” is maintained, we experience a disrupted self, which could be quite detrimental to our health and relationships with others.

If, on the other hand, we choose to listen and communicate with our unconscious mind, we persevere, and will be closer in our long journey to secure that much-sought Philosopher’s Stone.

Final thoughts

It’s perhaps interesting that Schism was chosen to be song number 5, which, in alchemy (and in many other traditions), represents perfection.

Even more interesting is the alchemical idea that it is through the Philosopher’s Stone that the Quintessense (the active essence present in all substances) is extracted.

The Quintessence is the fifth element that is created from the operation of Conjunction (quint comes from the Latin word quīntus, which means “fifth”), and, for some, it is simply another name for the Philosopher’s Stone.

Perhaps it is just a coincidence.

However, given the preponderance of numerical curiosities fans have been finding in Tool’s songs, I thought I would add another to the list :).

See you in the next article!

Sources

Books:

Hauck, D. W. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy.

Websites:

Spirit in Transition (search for the Alchemy posts)

Learn Religions (search for the Alchemy posts)

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2 comments

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Ellis says:

16th August, 2022 at 4:49 am

Excellent research and concise explanations, your analysis is very accurate given I was able to discern the allegories and symbolism to the same conclusions. There are many facets to the genius of this song and music video that were clearly designed to be played together as inseparable as the constituents of successful synthesis alchemy describes. The fact Maynard’s history reads like a tailored spook (he is one), he declares himself for the legion by signaling the hidden hand, plays from behind a curtain during some shows, the man does a service visualizing these hermetic principles and deep esoteric concepts though at what cost to divulge so clearly I can’t and would rather not imagine.

Reply
1. mindbent says:
  
  28th August, 2022 at 3:14 am
  
  Hi Ellis! Great comment, thanks for sharing! Indeed, I’ve always felt that the album Lateralus is in itself a description of an entire alchemical journey. However, I also believe that the concepts present in Tool’s songs (including Schism) probably extend beyond Hermeticism and other esoteric teachings. I once watched an interview with Maynard in which he explained quite articulately the nuances of – if my memory doesn’t fail me – Saturn’s orbit, and how it related to “The Grudge”. Tool’s exceptional ability to combine these different pieces of knowledge, and create such harmonious music is truly unique in my view. Entire PhDs could be written about this 🙂
  
  Reply