Tool (band)
Template:Short description Template:Pp-semi-indef Template:Pp-move Template:Featured article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Tool is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. It consists of vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced founding member Paul D'Amour in 1995. Tool has won four Grammy Awards,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> performed worldwide tours, and produced albums topping charts in several countries.
The band has released five studio albums, one EP and one box set. They emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up album Ænima in 1996. The group's efforts to combine musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006), gaining critical acclaim and international commercial success. Their fifth studio album Fear Inoculum was released on August 30, 2019, to widespread critical acclaim. Prior to its release, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Due to Tool's incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band has been described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock. The relationship between the band and the music industry is ambivalent, at times marked by censorship, and the band's insistence on privacy.
HistoryEdit
Formation and Opiate (1989–1992)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
During the 1980s, each of the future members of Tool moved to Los Angeles. Both Paul D'Amour and Adam Jones wanted to enter the film industry, while Maynard James Keenan, who had studied visual arts in Michigan, worked as a pet store remodeler.<ref name="livewire" /> Danny Carey and Keenan performed for Green Jellÿ,<ref name="livewire" /> and Carey played with Carole King and Pigmy Love Circus.<ref name="Tepedelen 2004" />
Keenan and Jones met through a mutual friend in 1989.Template:Sfn After Keenan played Jones a tape recording of his previous band project, Jones was so impressed by his voice that he eventually talked his friend into forming a new band.Template:Sfn They started jamming together while searching for a drummer and a bass player. Carey happened to live above Keenan and was introduced to Jones by Tom Morello, an old high school friend of Jones and former member of Electric Sheep.Template:Sfn Carey began playing in their sessions because he "felt kinda sorry for them", as other invited musicians were not showing up.Template:Sfn Tool's lineup was completed when a friend of Jones introduced the members to bassist D'Amour.<ref name="circusmagazine" /> Early on, the band fabricated the story that it formed because of the pseudophilosophy "lachrymology".<ref name="MacKenzie Blake" /> Although "lachrymology" was also cited as an inspiration for the band's name, Keenan later explained the members' intentions differently: "Tool is exactly what it sounds like: It's a big dick. It's a wrench. ... we are ... your tool; use us as a catalyst in your process of finding out whatever it is you need to find out, or whatever it is you're trying to achieve."<ref name="Zappa 1994" />
After almost two years of practicing and performing locally in the Los Angeles area, the band was approached by record companies,Template:Sfn and eventually signed a record deal with Zoo Entertainment.<ref name="circusmagazine" /> In March 1992, Zoo released the band's first effort, Opiate. Described by the band as "slam and bang" heavy musicTemplate:Sfn and the "hardest sounding" six songs they had written to that point,<ref name="Jones a Master of Many Trades" /> the EP included the singles "Hush" and "Opiate". The band's first music video, "Hush", promoted their dissenting views about the then-prominent Parents Music Resource Center and its advocacy of the censorship of music. The video featured the band members naked with their genitalia covered by Parental Advisory stickers and their mouths covered by duct tape.<ref name="much" /> The band began touring with Rollins Band, Fishbone, Rage Against the Machine, White Zombie, and Corrosion of Conformity,<ref name="Stepping Out From the Shadows" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to positive responses, which Janiss Garza of RIP Magazine summarized in September 1992 as a "buzz" and "a strong start".<ref name="Garza 1992" />
Undertow (1993–1994)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} {{#invoke:Listen|main}}
The following year, at a time when alternative rock and grunge were at their height, Tool released their first full-length album, Undertow (1993). It expressed more diverse dynamics than Opiate and included songs the band had chosen not to publish on their previous release, when they had opted for a heavier sound.<ref name="Jones a Master of Many Trades" /> The band began touring again as planned, with an exception in May 1993. Tool was scheduled to play at the Garden Pavilion in Hollywood but learned at the last minute that the venue belonged to the Church of Scientology, which was perceived as a clash with "the band's ethics about how a person should not follow a belief system that constricts their development as a human being."<ref name="Stepping Out From the Shadows" /> Keenan "spent most of the show baa-ing like a sheep at the audience."<ref name="33 things" />
Tool later played several concerts during the Lollapalooza festival tour, and was moved from the second stage to the main stage by the group's manager and the festival co-founder Ted Gardner.<ref name="pettigrew1997" /> At the last concert of Lollapalooza in Tool's hometown Los Angeles, comedian Bill Hicks introduced the band. Hicks had become a friend of the band members and an influence on them after being mentioned in Undertow's liner notes.<ref name="Garza 1997" /> He jokingly asked the audience of 10,000 people to stand still and help him look for a lost contact lens.<ref name="Kevin Booth" /> The boost in popularity gained from these concerts helped Undertow to be certified gold by the RIAA in September 1993 and to achieve platinum status in 1995,<ref name="Circus 1997" /> despite being sold with censored album artwork by distributors such as Wal-Mart.<ref name="Axcess" />Template:Sfn The single "Sober" became a hit single by March 1994 and won the band BillboardTemplate:'s "Best Video by a New Artist" award for the accompanying stop motion music video.<ref name="Jones a Master of Many Trades" />
With the release of Tool's follow-up single "Prison Sex", the band again became the target of censorship. The song's lyrics and video dealt with child abuse, which sparked controversial reactions; Keenan's lyrics begin with: "It took so long to remember just what happened. I was so young and vestal then, you know it hurt me, but I'm breathing so I guess I'm still alive ... I've got my hands bound and my head down and my eyes closed and my throat wide open." The video was created primarily by guitarist Adam Jones, who saw it as his "surrealistic interpretation" of the subject matter.<ref name="hypno" /> While some contemporary journalists praised the video and described the lyrics as "metaphoric",<ref name="much" /><ref name="sfc94" /> the American branch of MuchMusic (which asked Keenan to represent the band in a hearing) deemed the music video too graphic and obscene,<ref name="Stepping Out From the Shadows" /> and MTV stopped airing it after a few showings.<ref name="sfc94" />
Ænima and Salival (1995–2000)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In September 1995, the band began writing and recording its second studio album. At that time Tool experienced its only lineup change to date, with bassist D'Amour leaving the band amicably to pursue other projects. According to Carey, D'Amour left the band because he wanted to play guitar rather than bass.<ref name=rs /> Justin Chancellor, a member of former tourmate band Peach, eventually replaced D'Amour during the recording of the album, having been chosen over competitors such as Kyuss's Scott Reeder, Filter's Frank Cavanaugh, Pigmy Love Circus's E. Shepherd Stevenson, Jane's Addiction's Eric Avery, and ZAUM's Marco Fox.<ref name="Fiend 1996" />
On September 17, 1996, Tool released its second full-length album, Ænima ("ON-ima").Template:Sfn The band enlisted the help of producer David Bottrill, who had produced some of King Crimson's albums, while Jones collaborated with Cam de Leon to create ÆnimaTemplate:'s Grammy-nominated artwork.<ref name="Aenima liner notes" />Template:Sfn The album was dedicated to stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, who had died two-and-a-half years earlier.<ref name="Stepping Out From the Shadows" /> The band intended to raise awareness about Hicks's material and ideas, because they felt that Tool and Hicks "were resonating similar concepts".<ref name="austinkeenanhicks" /> In particular, ÆnimaTemplate:'s final track "Third Eye" is preceded by a clip of Hicks' performances, and the lenticular casing of the Ænima album packaging as well as the chorus of the title track "Ænema" make reference to a sketch from Hicks's Arizona Bay (the title track of the Arizona Bay Extended version of the album), in which he contemplates the idea of Los Angeles falling into the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="austinkeenanhicks" /><ref name="Zwick 2004" />
The first single, "Stinkfist", garnered limited airplay. It was shortened by radio programmers, MTV (U.S.) renamed the music video of "Stinkfist" to "Track No. 1" due to offensive connotations,<ref name="stinkfist" /> and the lyrics of the song were altered.Template:Sfn Responding to fan complaints about censorship, Matt Pinfield of MTV's 120 Minutes expressed regret on air by waving his fist in front of his face while introducing the video and explaining the name change.<ref name="stinkfist" />
{{#invoke:Listen|main}}
A tour began in October 1996, two weeks after ÆnimaTemplate:'s release. Following numerous appearances in the United States and Europe, Tool headed for Australia and New Zealand in late March 1997. Eventually returning to the United States, Tool appeared at Lollapalooza '97 in July, this time as a headliner, where they gained critical praise from The New York Times.<ref name="nytimeslollapalooza" /> Ænima eventually matched Tool's successful debut album in sales,<ref name="Fruchtman 2006" /> and the progressive-influenced album landed the band at the head of the alternative metal genre. It featured the Grammy Award-winning "Ænema"<ref name="Rock on the Net 1998" /> and appeared on "Best Albums of 1996" lists in Kerrang!<ref name="Kerrang" /> and Terrorizer.<ref name="Terrorizer" /> It was eventually certified triple platinum by the RIAA on March 4, 2003.<ref name="Post Gazette 2006" /> In 1998, Tool joined the Ozzfest tour in the United States as the co-headliner act before Ozzy Osbourne.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band accepted on the condition that Melvins had to join it as well because, as stated by its frontman Buzz Osborne, they "wanted at least one band on the tour that they liked", despite the dissuasions from the tour organizers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Two legal battles then began that interfered with the band's working on another release. Volcano Entertainment—the successor of Tool's by-then defunct label Zoo Entertainment—alleged contract violations by Tool and filed a lawsuit. According to Volcano, Tool had violated their contract when the band looked at offers from other record labels. After Tool filed a counter-suit stating that Volcano had failed to use a renewal option in their contract, the parties settled out of court. In December 1998 Tool agreed to a new contract, a three-record joint venture deal.Template:Sfn<ref name="MTV December 1998" /> Then in 2000, the band dismissed their long-time manager Ted Gardner, who then sued the band over his commission.<ref name="Borzillo-Vrenna 2000" /> During this time, Keenan joined the band A Perfect Circle, which was founded by long-time Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel, while Jones joined The Melvins' Buzz Osborne and Carey drummed with Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra on side projects.<ref name="Slater 2001" /> Although there were rumors that Tool was breaking up,<ref name="Kline 2002" /><ref name="Beaumont Enterprise 2002" /> Chancellor, Jones, and Carey were working on new material while waiting for Keenan to return.<ref name="Stout 2001" /> In 2000, the Salival box set (CD/VHS or CD/DVD) was released, effectively putting an end to the rumors.<ref name="AllMusic Biography" /> The CD contained one new original track, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter", a live version of Peach's "You Lied", and revised versions of old songs. The VHS and the DVD each contained four music videos, plus a bonus music video for "Hush" on the DVD. Although Salival did not yield any singles, the hidden track "Maynard's Dick" (which dates back to the Opiate era) briefly found its way to FM radio when several DJs chose to play it on air under the title "Maynard's Dead".Template:Sfn
Lateralus (2001–2005)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In January 2001, Tool announced a new album, Systema Encéphale, along with a 12-song track list containing titles such as "Riverchrist", "Numbereft", "Encephatalis", "Musick", and "Coeliacus".<ref name="tdnsystematracks" /> File-sharing networks such as Napster were flooded with bogus files bearing the titles' names.<ref name="tdnsystematracks" /> A month later, the band revealed that the new album was actually titled Lateralus; the name Systema Encéphale and the track list had been a ruse.<ref name="mtvnewssystema" /> Lateralus and the corresponding tours would take Tool a step further toward art rock<ref name="e!onlinelateralus" /><ref name="kingcrimsonminitour" /><ref name="munge" /> and progressive rock<ref name="AMG Lateralus review" /><ref name="rollingstonelateralus" />Template:Sfn territory. Rolling Stone wrote in an attempt to summarize the album that "Drums, bass and guitars move in jarring cycles of hyperhowl and near-silent death march ... The prolonged running times of most of LateralusTemplate:' thirteen tracks are misleading; the entire album rolls and stomps with suitelike purpose."<ref name="rollingstonelateralus" /> Joshua Klein of The A.V. Club expressed his opinion that Lateralus, with its 79 minutes and relatively complex and long songs—topped by the ten-and-a-half-minute music video for "Parabola"—posed a challenge to fans and music programming alike.<ref name="Klein 2002" />
{{#invoke:Listen|main}}
The album became a worldwide success, reaching No.1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart in its debut week.<ref name="Cohen, Martens 2001" /> Tool received their second Grammy Award for the best metal performance of 2001 for the song "Schism".<ref name="Grammy Awards" /> During the band's acceptance speech, Carey stated that he would like to thank his parents (for putting up with him) and Satan, and bassist Chancellor concluded: "I want to thank my dad for doing my mom."<ref name="D'Angelo 2002" />
Extensive touring throughout 2001 and 2002 supported Lateralus and included a personal highlight for the band: a 10-show joint mini-tour with King Crimson in August 2001. Comparisons between the two were made, MTV describing the bands as "the once and future kings of progressive rock". Keenan stated of the minitour: "For me, being on stage with King Crimson is like Lenny Kravitz playing with Led Zeppelin, or Britney Spears onstage with Debbie Gibson."<ref name="kingcrimsonminitour" /> Although the end of the tour in November 2002 seemed to signal the start of another hiatus for the band, they did not become completely inactive. While Keenan recorded and toured with A Perfect Circle, the other band members released an interview and a recording of new material, both exclusive to the fan club. The "double vinyl four-picture disc" edition of Lateralus was first released as a limited autographed edition exclusively available to fan club members and publicly released on August 23, 2005. On December 20 the two DVDs were released, one containing the single "Schism" and the other "Parabola", a remix by Lustmord, and a music video with commentary by David Yow and Jello Biafra.
10,000 Days (2006–2009)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
Fifteen years into the band's career, Tool had acquired what Dan Epstein of Revolver described as a devoted "cult" following,<ref name="Epstein 2006" /> and as details about the band's next album emerged, such as the influence of Lateralus tourmates Fantômas and Meshuggah,<ref name="mtvhammer" /> controversy surrounding the new Tool album surfaced with speculation over song titles and pre-release rumors of leaked songs.<ref name="theage10kdays" /> Speculation over possible album titles was dismissed with a news item on the official Tool website, announcing that the new album's name was 10,000 Days. Nevertheless, speculation continued, with allegations that 10,000 Days was merely a "decoy" album to fool audiences.<ref name="theage10kdays" /> The rumor was proven false when a leaked copy of the album was distributed via filesharing networks a week prior to its official release.<ref name="Harris May 11, 2006" />
The album opener, "Vicarious", premiered on U.S. radio stations on April 17, 2006. The album premiered on May 2 in the U.S. and debuted at the top spots of various international charts. 10,000 Days sold 564,000 copies in its opening week in the U.S. and was number one on the Billboard 200 charts, doubling the sales of Pearl Jam's self-titled album, its closest competitor.<ref name="Harris May 10, 2006" /> However, 10,000 Days was received less favorably by critics than its predecessor Lateralus.<ref name="Metacritic 2006" /><ref name="Metacritic 2001" />
Prior to the release of 10,000 Days, a tour kicked off at Coachella on April 30. The touring schedule was similar to the Lateralus tour of 2001; supporting acts were Isis and Mastodon. During a short break early the next year, after touring Australia and New Zealand, drummer Carey suffered a biceps tear during a skirmish with his girlfriend's dog, casting uncertainty on the band's upcoming concerts in North America.<ref name="Toolband 2007" /> Carey underwent surgery on February 21 and several performances had to be postponed. Back on tour by April, Tool appeared on June 15 as a headliner at the Bonnaroo Music Festival with a guest appearance from Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello on "Lateralus".<ref name="Cohen 2007" /> Meanwhile, "Vicarious" was a nominee for Best Hard Rock Performance and 10,000 Days won Best Recording Package at the 49th Grammy Awards.<ref name="49thgrammyawards" /> The music video for "Vicarious" was released on DVD on December 18. The band's 2009 summer tour began on July 18 in Commerce City, Colorado, at the Mile High Music Festival. They headlined Lollapalooza 2009 and a show on August 22 for the Epicenter Festival in Pomona, California.<ref name="Blabbermouth 2009" /><ref name="Mile High press release 2009" /><ref name="Lollapalooza press release 2009" />
Fear Inoculum (2012–2022)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Their Tool Winter Tour played dates across the U.S. and Canada in January and February 2012.<ref name="Fourtheye 2012" /><ref name="Audio Ink 2012" /> The band played at Ozzfest Japan on May 12, 2013.<ref name="Blabbermouth 2012" /> On July 15, 2014, Carey and Jones informed Rolling Stone that family commitments and an ongoing lawsuit are the key reasons for the delayed fifth album.<ref name="Grow 2014">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Carey said to the music publication that one untitled track is "pretty much done".<ref name="Grow 2014" /> In March 2015, Jones revealed that the lawsuit had been settled in the band's favor, and as such, the band was turning their focus towards recording the album.<ref name="exclusive-with-legal-obstacles-out-of-the-way">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He said that he hoped the album would be finished before the end of 2015 but emphasized that the band would not rush their work to meet an arbitrary deadline.<ref name="exclusive-with-legal-obstacles-out-of-the-way"/> In January 2016, Tool undertook a tour of the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While it was reported in February 2017 that Keenan had entered the studio to work on vocals for the fifth Tool album,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it was later reported that the album was not scheduled for release in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Still, the band announced a North American tour starting in May.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A month later, Chancellor revealed that the new Tool album was "about 90-percent there",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while Carey claimed in separate interviews that it would "definitely" be released in 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2018, Jones revealed that Keenan was working on lyrics for the album, and that the band would begin recording in March.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In June 2018, during his acceptance speech for the Icon Award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, Keenan stated "I'll go on record now saying you're gonna see some new music next year."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On September 11, 2018, Keenan announced via Twitter that production on the record was progressing and that vocals had been written, before suggesting a 2019 release.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2019, Keenan announced that he had completed recording his vocals for the album "months ago."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While Carey mentioned aiming for a mid-April release date, Keenan later explained that between May and July was a more realistic time frame to wrap up production and release the album.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On May 5, 2019, the band debuted two new songs live at the Welcome to Rockville Festival in Jacksonville, Florida called "Descending" and "Invincible".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Three days later, it was confirmed that the band's new album is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2019.<ref name="rollingstone">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 29, 2019, Keenan confirmed the album would be titled Fear Inoculum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The title track was released as a single on August 7, the band's first release in 13 years.<ref name="LOUD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On August 2, 2019, Tool's discography (with the exception of Salival) became available on music streaming platforms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tool was one of the last major holdouts to release their music digitally,<ref name="Billboard">Template:Cite magazine</ref> as their record deal was signed before the rise in streaming and not revisited until before Fear Inoculum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The release resulted in every Tool release entering several international charts, breaking several Billboard chart records.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Keenan later said he regretted not moving to streaming platforms sooner, as it reduced Tool's exposure to new audiences.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Fear Inoculum was launched on August 30<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and became Tool's third U.S. number one.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On January 26, 2020, the band won the Best Metal Performance for their song "7empest" at the 62nd Grammy Awards<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Their other nomination, "Fear Inoculum", lost the Best Rock Song category to Gary Clark Jr.<ref name=":rocksong">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In June 2020, Tool canceled its upcoming North American tour after postponing a handful of dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The following August, Carey noted that the band had entered a hiatus, but that he still hoped they would reconvene in the future to record an EP, which the band would have more freedom in releasing due to no longer being signed to a record label.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On October 27, 2020, an instrumental song titled "The Witness" was released featuring Jones, Chancellor, and Carey, and featuring production from Barresi, though the song was credited to Jones, not the band itself.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"Opiate" was re-recorded and released as "Opiate²" or "Opiate Squared" on March 1, 2022. It is almost twice as long as the original and includes the same lyrics as the live version, plus the extended instrumental midsection. A music video directed by Dominic Hailstone was released on March 18, 2022, to commemorate the EP's 30th anniversary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Upcoming sixth studio album (2022–present)Edit
In March 2022, Carey announced they were working on new material for their sixth studio album, noting that "..it won't take us this long for the next one. We even had some stuff left over from the last one that we'll develop. We have head starts on three or four new songs."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In October 2023, Chancellor reiterated this, and noted he hoped the band would enter the studio to record in 2024 after finishing touring.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2024, Carey mentioned the new album has the possibility of having a shorter track lengths, noting that "we could just go back to doing an Undertow [type of] record. That's kind of appealing to me."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2025, Chancellor announced Tool will "dedicate the next three months" in the studio to "organizing [their] ideas" for new music.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Musical style and influencesEdit
Musical styleEdit
Tool's musical style has been described as alternative metal,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> art rock,<ref name="e!onlinelateralus" /><ref name="kingcrimsonminitour" /><ref name="munge" /> post-metal,<ref name="santiago" /><ref name="fenix" /><ref name="bairdcole" /> progressive rock,<ref name="AMG Lateralus review" /><ref name="rollingstonelateralus" />Template:Sfn progressive metal,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}The paper reports that the article's featured band "have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool</ref> and heavy metal.<ref name="AllMusic Biography" /> Tool was described by Patrick Donovan of The Age as "the thinking person's metal band. Cerebral and visceral, soft and heavy, melodic and abrasive, tender and brutal, familiar and strange, western and eastern, beautiful and ugly, taut yet sprawling and epic, they are a tangle of contradictions."<ref name="theage10kdays" /> Tool has gained critical praise from the International Herald TribuneTemplate:'s C.B. Liddell for their complex and ever-evolving sound.<ref name="Liddell 2007" /> Describing their general sound, AllMusic refers to them as "grinding, post-Jane's Addiction heavy metal",<ref name="AllMusic Biography" /> and The New York Times sees similarities to "Led Zeppelin's heaving, battering guitar riffs and Middle Eastern modes".<ref name="Pareles 1997" /> Their 2001 work Lateralus was compared by AllMusic to Pink Floyd's Meddle (1971), but thirty years later and altered by "Tool's impulse to cram every inch of infinity with hard guitar meat and absolute dread".<ref name="AMG Lateralus review" /> Tool had been labelled as post-metal in 1993<ref name="santiago" /> and 1996,<ref name="fenix" /> as well as in 2006,<ref name="bairdcole" /> after the term came into popularity. A component of Tool's song repertoire relies on the use of unusual time signatures. For instance, Chancellor describes the time signature employed on the first single from Lateralus, "Schism", as "six" and "six-and-a-half" and that it later "goes into all kinds of other times".<ref name="bassplayer052001" /> Further examples include the album's title track, which also displays shifting rhythms,<ref name="bassplayer052001" /> as do 10,000 Days: "Wings for Marie (Pt 1)" and "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)".<ref name="moderndrummer072006" />
Beyond this aspect of the band's sound, each band member experiments within his wide musical scope. Bass Player magazine described Chancellor's bass playing as having a "thick midrange tone, guitar-style techniques, and elastic versatility".<ref name="bassplayer052001" /> As an example of this, the magazine mentioned the use of a wah effect by hammering "the notes with the left hand and using the bass's tone controls to get a tone sweep", such as on the song "The Patient", from Lateralus.<ref name="bassplayer052001" />
Completing the band's rhythm section, drummer Carey uses polyrhythms, tabla-style techniques, and the incorporation of custom electronic drum pads to trigger samples, such as prerecorded tabla and octoban sounds.<ref name="moderndrummer072006" />
Keenan's ability as a vocalist has been characterized more subjectively by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: After his performance during an Alice in Chains reunion concert in 2005, freelancer Travis Hay saw him as "a natural fit at replacing Layne Staley".<ref name="Hay 2005" /> Regarding his role in A Perfect Circle and Tool, The New York Times wrote that "both groups rely on Mr. Keenan's ability to dignify emotions like lust, anger and disgust, the honey in his voice adding a touch of profundity".<ref name="nytimeskeenan" />
{{#invoke:Listen|main}}
According to Guitar Player magazine, Jones does not rely on any one particular guitar-playing technique but rather combines many techniques.<ref name="guitarplayer2001" /> For example, AllMusic wrote that he "alternately utiliz[es] power chords, scratchy noise, chiming arpeggios, and a quiet minimalism" in "Sober".<ref name="soberamgreview" /> Additionally, the band uses forms of instrumental experimentation, like the use of a "pipe bomb microphone" (a guitar pickup mounted inside a brass cylinder) and a talk box guitar solo on "Jambi".<ref name="Forlenza 2006" />
The band puts an emphasis on the sound of their songs and attempts to reduce the effect lyrics can have on the perception of songs by not releasing song lyrics with their albums,<ref name="livewire" /> although they eventually released the lyrics for Fear Inoculum for that album's CD. Lyrical arrangements are often given special attention, such as in "Lateralus". The number of syllables per line in the lyrics to "Lateralus" correspond to an arrangement of the Fibonacci numbers<ref name="diCarlointerview" /> and the song "Jambi" uses and makes a reference to the common metrical foot iamb.<ref name="julynewsletter" /> The lyrics on Ænima and Lateralus focus on philosophy and spirituality—specific subjects range from organized religion in "Opiate", to evolution and Jungian psychology in "Forty-Six & 2" and transcendence in "Lateralus".<ref name="10kdayslyrics" /> On 10,000 Days, Keenan wanted to explore issues more personal to him:<ref name="10kdayslyrics" /> the album name and title track refer to the twenty-seven years during which his mother suffered from complications of a stroke until her death in 2003.<ref name="rs10kdaysreview" />
InfluencesEdit
Template:Multiple image In 1997, Tool named King Crimson, Melvins, and Peter Gabriel's Passion as influences.<ref name="pettigrew1997" />Template:Refn In describing their wide range of styles, critics have noted that they are "influenced as much by Pink Floyd as by the Sex Pistols."<ref name="bgl06">Template:Cite news</ref> In a 1993 interview, Adam Jones mentioned Joni Mitchell, King Crimson, Depeche Mode, and country music as being among their inspirations.<ref name="rs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1997, Maynard James Keenan named Hejira by Joni Mitchell, Holy Money/Greed by Swans, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin, Red by King Crimson, and Passion by Peter Gabriel as his five favorite records.<ref name="j">Template:Cite AV media</ref> Danny Carey cited Neil Peart from Rush, Bill Bruford and Alan White of Yes as his biggest rock influences,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in addition to Bruford's adventurousness in electronic drums.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the same way, Jones stated that Robert Fripp's performances with King Crimson caused him to "wake up" to music as a teen. Furthermore, he acknowledged the other King Crimson guitarists, Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn, along with Buzz Osborne from the Melvins, as his biggest influences.<ref name=gw>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tool have constantly expressed the massive impact that progressive rock pioneers King Crimson have had on their music; on a 2001 tour with them, Keenan joked: "Now you know who we ripped off. Just don't tell anyone, especially the members of King Crimson."<ref name="Blake September 2001"/> Carey said that listening to the Discipline album upon its 1981 release "revolutionized" his musical perspective in terms of polyrhythms and the balance between the instruments.<ref>Template:Cite book
Note: Link Template:Webarchive to the Danny Carey interview that was paraphrased in the book. It was originally broadcast on the now-defunct Nederlandse Programma Stichting.</ref> In 1997, Keenan explained how the composition process of Tool reflected that of King Crimson: "They're very much into listening to each other; even though they might have a basic structure that they're following, it's about fitting themselves in with each other."<ref name=j/> Contrary to these statements, longtime King Crimson member Robert Fripp has downplayed any influence his band had on Tool. In an interview, Fripp touched on how the two bands relate to each other, stating "Do you hear the influence? There's just one figure where I hear an influence, just one. It was a piece we were developing that we dropped. And it's almost exactly the same figure: three note arpeggio with a particular accent from the guitar. So I do not think you could have heard it. That's the only thing."<ref name="Tool Army interview" /> He also said, Template:Cquote
The band's long build-ups of intensity were largely inspired by the Melvins.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The latter's influence on Tool is most explicit in Undertow, and some authors have described Tool's music as a progressive take on Melvins.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On the other hand, Keenan's exotic modulations were influenced by world music; in his twenties, the singer was immersed in that type of music, thus when Peter Gabriel reunited several musicians whom Keenan already knew of for The Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack, which mixed their traditional styles with modern ambient music, it became a major revelation for him.<ref name=passion>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Other reported influences of Tool include Fantômas,<ref name="mtvhammer" /> Devo,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bill Hicks,<ref name="Garza 1997"/> Rush,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Helmet,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faith No More,<ref name="AllMusic Biography"/> Bauhaus,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Meshuggah,<ref name="mtvhammer" /> David Bowie,<ref name=j/> Mike Patton,<ref name="mtvhammer" /> Dave Lombardo,<ref name="mtvhammer" /> and Jane's Addiction.<ref name="AllMusic Biography"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Influence on other artistsEdit
Writers HP Newquist and Rich Maloof attribute to Tool an influence on modern metal in their book The New Metal Masters.Template:Sfn Sean Richardson of The Boston Phoenix sees System of a Down, Deftones, and Korn as examples of Tool's "towering influence" on the genre.<ref name="Richardson 2001" /> Keenan's style of singing has been seen as heavily influencing artists such as Pete Loeffler of Chevelle,<ref name="Rich 2007" /> Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin,<ref name="LMTimes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Klosterman 2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Will Martin of Earshot,<ref name="Assar 2003" /> and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit.<ref name="Devenish 2000" />
Visual artsEdit
Part of Tool's work as a band is to incorporate influences of other works of art in their music videos, live shows, and album packaging. Adam Jones doubles as the band's art director and director of their music videos.<ref name="alexgreyinterview" /> Another expression of this is an official website "dedicated to the arts and influences" on the band.
Music videosEdit
The band has released eight music videos but made personal appearances in only the first two, which the band states is to prevent people from "latching onto the personalities involved rather than listening to the music."<ref name="much" /> With the exception of "Hush" and "Vicarious" all of Tool's music videos feature stop motion animation to some extent. The videos are created primarily by Adam Jones, often in collaboration with artists such as Chet Zar,<ref name="LiveDesign" /> Alex Grey,<ref name="LiveDesign" /> and Osseus Labyrint.<ref name="Blake March 2007" />
The "Sober" music video in particular attracted much attention. Jones explained that it does not contain a storyline, but that his intentions were to summon personal emotions with its imagery.<ref name="Jones a Master of Many Trades" /> Rolling Stone described this imagery as "evil little men dwell in a dark dungeon with meat coursing through pipes in the wall" and called it a "groundbreaking", "epic" clip.<ref name="soberencephale" /> Billboard voted it "Best Video by a New Artist".<ref name="Jones a Master of Many Trades" />
The video for "Vicarious" was released on DVD on December 18, 2007.<ref name="Blake October 2007" /> The video is the first by Tool to be produced entirely through the use of CGI.
Album artworkEdit
Jones is responsible for most of the band's artwork concepts. The album Undertow features a ribcage sculpture by Jones on its cover and photos contributed by the band members.<ref name="hypno" /> Later albums included artwork by collaborating artists: ÆnimaTemplate:Sfn and Salival featured works by Cam de Leon; Lateralus<ref name="Stephens 2002" /> and 10,000 Days<ref name="alexgreyinterview" /> were created with the help of Alex Grey. The releases garnered positive critical reception, with a music journalist of the Associated Press attributing to the band a reputation for innovative album packaging.<ref name="alexgreyinterview" />
Both ÆnimaTemplate:Sfn and 10,000 Days<ref name="49thgrammyawards" /> were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package, but while the former failed to win in 1997, the latter did win in 2007. Jones created packaging for 10,000 Days that features a pair of stereoscopic lenses for viewing 3-D artwork and photos. Jones, a lifelong fan of stereoscopic photography, wanted the packaging to be unique and to reflect the 1970s artwork he appreciates.<ref name="newsgrammypackage" /> The CD packaging for Fear Inoculum included a rechargeable 4 inch HD video screen and a speaker which played a hidden track along with a video when opened and also included a 36-page booklet.<ref name="loudwire6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Live showsEdit
Following its first tours in the early 1990s, Tool has performed as a headline act in world tours and major festivals such as Lollapalooza (1997 and 2009), Coachella (1999 and 2006), Voodoo Fest (2001 and 2016), Download Festival (2006 and 2019), Roskilde (2001 and 2006), Big Day Out (2007 and 2011), Bonnaroo (2007 and 2022), All Points West Music & Arts Festival (2009), and Epicenter (2009). They have been joined on stage by numerous artists such as Buzz Osborne and Scott Reeder on several occasions; Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha during their 1991 tour; Layne Staley in Hawaii, 1993; Tricky, Robert Fripp, Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, Brann Dailor of Mastodon, and experimental arts duo Osseus Labyrint<ref name="Osseus live" /> during their 2001–02 Lateralus tour; and Kirk Hammett, Phil Campbell, Serj Tankian, and Tom Morello during their 2006–07 tour. They have covered songs by Led Zeppelin, Ted Nugent, Peach, Kyuss, the Dead Kennedys, and the Ramones.Template:Sfn<ref name="Rothman 2002" />
Live shows on Tool's headline tour incorporate an unorthodox stage setting and video display.<ref name="flathatreview" /> Keenan and Carey line up in the back on elevated platforms, while Jones and Chancellor stand in the front, toward the sides of the stage.<ref name="nytimesmadisonsquare" /> Keenan often faces the backdrop or the sides of the stage rather than the audience.<ref name="Rolling Stone November 1996" /><ref name="Musial 1997" /><ref name="Dentler 2002" /><ref name="Engler 1993" /> No followspots or live cameras are used;<ref name="plsnews" /> instead, the band employs extensive backlighting to direct the focus away from the band members and toward large screens in the back and the crowd.<ref name="flathatreview" /> Breckinridge Haggerty, the band's live video designer, says that the resulting dark spaces on stage "are mostly for Maynard". He explains, "[a] lot of the songs are a personal journey for him and he has a hard time with the glare of the lights when he's trying to reproduce these emotions for the audience. He needs a bit of personal space, and he feels more comfortable in the shadows."<ref name="plsnews" /> The big screens are used to play back "looped clips that aren't tracked to a song like a music video. The band has never used any sort of timecode. They’ve always made sure the video can change on-the-fly, in a way that can be improvised. ... The show is never the same twice."<ref name="plsnews" /> During the 10,000 Days tour, the video material consisted of over six hours of material, created by Jones, his wife Camella Grace, Chet Zar, Meats Meier, and Haggerty.<ref name="plsnews" /> Some of the material created by Zar has been released on his DVD Disturb the Normal.<ref name="chetzardisturb" />
Band membersEdit
Current members
- Maynard James Keenan – vocals (1990–present)
- Adam Jones – guitars (1990–present)
- Danny Carey – drums, percussion (1990–present), samples (1995–present)
- Justin Chancellor – bass (1995–present)
Former members
- Paul D'Amour – bass (1990–1995)
Awards and nominationsEdit
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Result | Template:Abbr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMFT Awards | 2019 | "7empest" | Best Metal Performance | Template:Won | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Billboard Music Awards | 2020 | Fear Inoculum | Top Rock Album | Template:Won | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Tool | Top Rock Artist | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
| Grammy Awards | 1997 | Ænima | Best Recording Package | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 1998 | "Ænema" | Best Metal Performance | Template:Won | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| "Stinkfist" | Best Music Video | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
| 2002 | "Schism" | Best Metal Performance | Template:Won | <ref name=":0" /> | ||
| 2007 | 10,000 Days | Best Recording Package | Template:Won | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| "Vicarious" | Best Hard Rock Performance | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
| 2008 | "The Pot" | Template:Nom | <ref name=":1" /> | |||
| 2020 | "7empest" | Best Metal Performance | Template:Won | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| "Fear Inoculum" | Best Rock Song | Template:Nom | <ref name=":rocksong" /> | |||
| Hungarian Music Awards | 2007 | 10,000 Days | Best Foreign Rock Album | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2020 | Fear Inoculum | Top Rock Album | Template:Won | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 1994 | "Prison Sex" | Best Special Effects in a Video | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Music Week Awards | 2020 | Tool | PR Campaign | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Pollstar Concert Industry Awards | 2002 | Tour | Most Creative Stage Production | Template:Nom | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> {{safesubst:#if:| |
||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}
DiscographyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
- Undertow (1993)
- Ænima (1996)
- Lateralus (2001)
- 10,000 Days (2006)
- Fear Inoculum (2019)
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
SourcesEdit
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
CitationClass=web
}}
External linksEdit
- Template:Official website
- Art website
- {{#if:|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}
Template:Navbox musical artist Template:Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance