This is one interpretation that makes sense to me, but I have others that are contrary to this one in some ways.... so whatever. Also, sorry about the formatting of the copy/pasted lyrics. It didn't look like that when typing.
"Control, your delusion
Insane and striking at random
Victim of your certainty, and therefore your doubt's not an option
Blameless, the 7empest must will be just that
So try as you may, feeble, your attempt to atone
Your words to erase all the damage cannot"
I think this song is about the one particularly common response to fear: self-defense that manifests through the judgement of others. The "7empest" is the vicious cycle created by the victim-perpetrator complex. Problems sometimes make people fearful. To resolve the fear, people logically look for a cause to the problems. But sometimes logic goes out the window. People may only look at the surface level when searching for the causes of problems. This leads them back to judging and blaming others, rather than finding the deeper root causes. The "delusion" is the incorrectly identified root cause (other people). This is essentially insanity that leads the delusional individual to "strike at random."
When you are a victim and you point the finger at your supposed perpetrator, you make a victim of the perpetrator as well. The new victim (the old perpetrator) now responds in kind by redirecting blame to someone, perhaps back to the original victim or someone else entirely. The cycle continues until the chaos of the 7empest reigns. If everyone is convinced (or certain) that someone else in the vicious cycle is to blame, then we become "victims of our certainty." In order to address the deeper root causes, we must learn to cooperate, and we can't cooperate if we're certain everyone else is to blame -- "therefore, your doubt is not an option."
In reality, "the universe is hostile, so impersonal." We are trying to consciously tame our little place in that universe (tame the 7empest) for our benefit, but if we keep blaming each other for problems largely created by the conditions of scarcity placed upon us by the universe, then the "7empest will be just that."
Given that explanation, the rest of the lyrics fall into place easier for me.
"Keep calm
Keeping it calm
Keep calm
Fuck, here we go again
Heat lighting flash, but don't blink. Misleading
Tranquility ruse
You're gonna happen again
That's what I think
Follow the evidence
Look it dead in the eye
Your darkness
Trying to lull us in, before the havoc begins, into a dubious state of serenity"
The person who constantly blames others is predictably chaotic, like a storm, but they can't see their own predictability or role in the storm itself.
"Acting all surprised when you're caught in the lie
We know better
It's not unlike you
It's not unlike you
We know your nature
Blame it all on the bastards when you're blowing out
Shame on you
Shame on you now
No amount of wind could begin to cover up your petulant stench and demeanor
Calm as cookies and cream, so it seems
We're not buying your dubious state of serenity"
When you "act all surprised when you're caught in the lie," it is merely another defense mechanism when your hypocrisy is made clear to you. And again, this behavior is predictable. You constantly blame the "bastards" as a fight response to your fears. Maybe the "shame on you, shame on you now" line is sang in a different tone to sort of mock the person who shames others. Mocking is a form of shaming in itself, as is the next line: "No amount of wind could begin to cover up your petulant stench and demeanor."
"Acting all surprised when you're caught in the lie
We know better
It's not unlike you
It's not unlike you
We know your nature
Calm before the torrent comes
Calm before the torrent comes
Calm before the 7empest comes to rain all over
Disputing intentions invites devastation
A 7empest must be
True to its nature
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that
A 7empest must be just that"
To "dispute intentions" means to question the purity of someone else's intentions. When the victim points the finger at the perpetrator, it may imply to the perpetrator that the victim assumes their intentions were bad. This is part of what makes the perpetrator into the new victim, "inviting the devastation" of the 7empest.
Overall, I think the song is calling for more humility, forgiveness, empathy, and cooperation for one's own sake. Many Tool songs have this theme. For example, Descending really harps on the need for cooperation, perhaps in a much more direct way.
This is one interpretation that makes sense to me, but I have others that are contrary to this one in some ways.... so whatever. Also, sorry about the formatting of the copy/pasted lyrics. It didn't look like that when typing.
"Control, your delusion Insane and striking at random Victim of your certainty, and therefore your doubt's not an option Blameless, the 7empest must will be just that So try as you may, feeble, your attempt to atone Your words to erase all the damage cannot"
I think this song is about the one particularly common response to fear: self-defense that manifests through the judgement of others. The "7empest" is the vicious cycle created by the victim-perpetrator complex. Problems sometimes make people fearful. To resolve the fear, people logically look for a cause to the problems. But sometimes logic goes out the window. People may only look at the surface level when searching for the causes of problems. This leads them back to judging and blaming others, rather than finding the deeper root causes. The "delusion" is the incorrectly identified root cause (other people). This is essentially insanity that leads the delusional individual to "strike at random."
When you are a victim and you point the finger at your supposed perpetrator, you make a victim of the perpetrator as well. The new victim (the old perpetrator) now responds in kind by redirecting blame to someone, perhaps back to the original victim or someone else entirely. The cycle continues until the chaos of the 7empest reigns. If everyone is convinced (or certain) that someone else in the vicious cycle is to blame, then we become "victims of our certainty." In order to address the deeper root causes, we must learn to cooperate, and we can't cooperate if we're certain everyone else is to blame -- "therefore, your doubt is not an option."
In reality, "the universe is hostile, so impersonal." We are trying to consciously tame our little place in that universe (tame the 7empest) for our benefit, but if we keep blaming each other for problems largely created by the conditions of scarcity placed upon us by the universe, then the "7empest will be just that."
Given that explanation, the rest of the lyrics fall into place easier for me.
"Keep calm Keeping it calm Keep calm Fuck, here we go again
Heat lighting flash, but don't blink. Misleading Tranquility ruse You're gonna happen again That's what I think Follow the evidence Look it dead in the eye Your darkness Trying to lull us in, before the havoc begins, into a dubious state of serenity"
The person who constantly blames others is predictably chaotic, like a storm, but they can't see their own predictability or role in the storm itself.
"Acting all surprised when you're caught in the lie We know better It's not unlike you It's not unlike you We know your nature
Blame it all on the bastards when you're blowing out Shame on you Shame on you now No amount of wind could begin to cover up your petulant stench and demeanor Calm as cookies and cream, so it seems We're not buying your dubious state of serenity"
When you "act all surprised when you're caught in the lie," it is merely another defense mechanism when your hypocrisy is made clear to you. And again, this behavior is predictable. You constantly blame the "bastards" as a fight response to your fears. Maybe the "shame on you, shame on you now" line is sang in a different tone to sort of mock the person who shames others. Mocking is a form of shaming in itself, as is the next line: "No amount of wind could begin to cover up your petulant stench and demeanor."
"Acting all surprised when you're caught in the lie We know better It's not unlike you It's not unlike you We know your nature
Calm before the torrent comes Calm before the torrent comes Calm before the 7empest comes to rain all over
Disputing intentions invites devastation A 7empest must be True to its nature A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that A 7empest must be just that"
To "dispute intentions" means to question the purity of someone else's intentions. When the victim points the finger at the perpetrator, it may imply to the perpetrator that the victim assumes their intentions were bad. This is part of what makes the perpetrator into the new victim, "inviting the devastation" of the 7empest.
Overall, I think the song is calling for more humility, forgiveness, empathy, and cooperation for one's own sake. Many Tool songs have this theme. For example, Descending really harps on the need for cooperation, perhaps in a much more direct way.
[Edit: formatting]