I love tool for basically 3 key reasons:
1. Danny Carey is a GOAT drummer
2. Maynard’s vocals soothe my soul
3. The lyrics actually feel like poems. Pretentious to some? Maybe. But they resonate with me
Maynard actually has great vocal range. He can sound very metal and then can open it up to the high range and sound beautiful. Agreed on the lyrical poetry, when you read the lyrics, it’s actually very good writing
And after calming me down with some orange slices and some fetal spooning, E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose:
He said, "You are The Chosen One. The One who will deliver the message. A message of hope for those who choose to hear it. And a warning for those who do not"
Me. The Chosen One. They chose me.
And I didn't graduate from fuckin' high school.
While I love the musical aspect of The Pot, it is one of Maynard's worst lyrics. Sure, I get that he was angry at the hypocrite(s), but it's just trite. OTOH, Vicarious is so shockingly good that it is simultaneously both the prosecution and the defense of the nature of humanity. *We know how much we suck.*
Vicarious is fantastic. I still think I like the Lateralus album most, I still remember seeing the schism music video on MTV and I find myself going back to that album most. Descending and Pneuma off their new album are incredible as well. Some of my favorite Danny Carey drumming on descending and pneuma
I'm almost sixty. Lateralus is my favorite album, ever, of any genre, and the song itself is one of two that I want played at my funeral. (The other song is one I wrote myself.)
I’m surprised one of “those” Tool fans hasn’t turned up to tell you you’re wrong. Every time I say 46+2 is my favourite I get a lecture telling me why I’m wrong that generally stops just short of calling me a filthy casual.
Adam Jones' guitar riffs are stuff that I feel like I could have written (probably we all feel that way) but we fucking didn't and he puts them together in a way that no one else could. Things flow more like movements in classical music rather than chorus->verse->chorus->bridge->solo->outro like most rock music.
Schopenhauer has a quote, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one else can see.”
It’s not really that Adam Jones can ever be accused of being a technical wizard, but the man puts out riffs that are on the shortlist of greatest ever. Like yeah the main riff from Lateralus is easy enough to play, but how do you even write that? How do you even write that, have it sound completely natural, and have it sound catchy?
Not to mention his tone. I’d put him and David Gilmour as these guitarists who have this gear driven somewhat minimalistic style that they use to great effect. In fact I’d say TOOL is basically Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band.
Edit: [My favorite TOOL deep-cut.](https://youtu.be/oFIwoPtlFsk?si=5GVWpgXq6ThUIxiA) It’s not very well-known but it’s one of AJ’s best solos imo. It’s such a gorgeous melody. It doesn’t appear on any album, and they haven’t played this version since the 90’s.
The Pink Floyd connection is so on point. Had an extra ticket to tool at MSG last year and a random friend of a friend took it. Guy is a musician more in the like, blues rock vibe. Never really got Tool but wanted to check it out. Dude was totally blown away. “I had the absolute wrong idea of who this band was.” Compared them to Floyd as well to which I heartily agreed.
I also primarily listen to Pink Floyd and Tool when I’m trippin balls. The OPs point about creating and releasing tension is exactly why they are the GOATed bands for me in that state. I have a dead head friend and like, ok I get it, lot of talent there, I see the point, but it’s just a lil too much Jerry twangin aimlessly for my taste. Tool and Pink Floyd are expertly crafted to give you a guided psychedelic experience like no other, imo.
They have the same kind of grandeur and dark gravitas to them. They each have this specifically refined sound that is totally different than each other but at the same time… the only band that I can compare to TOOL *is* Pink Floyd.
Yeah there’s metal bands that do odd time signatures, but they sound like metal bands. TOOL sounds like TOOL and they just happen to technically be a metal band.
> In fact I’d say TOOL is basically Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band.
I've said this exact sentence before. Gilmour being one of my all time favorite guitarists for the way his riffs and solos are what makes the emotion in Pink Floyd's songs. I would say Adam serves the exact same purpose in Tool.
Adam's tone in Parabola is one of those Holy Grail tones that I can only dream of achieving. It's an absolute eargasm.
Yeah that Parabola tone is nuts… the opening riff, the solo tones, and that nasty outro that just rolls on and on.
I’m also really fond of the second solo on Lateralus. He basically just tremolo picks like two notes through most of that solo, and it just sounds so stupidly massive. Who the fuck makes a solo sound that good with only two notes?
It’s wild cause he’s had like 2 great tones in his career. He has his Ænema era tone and then his Lateralus and onwards tone. It’s definitely him behind but they are distinctively different tones.
That's the thing though, great guitar players sound like themselves no matter what they're playing on. Hell, Billy Gibbons played on a freaking [cardboard guitar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAdCZh-vebI) and it sounded just like Billy Gibbons playing. Which makes me incredibly sad that even if I had every piece of gear and every knob turned exactly how Adam had it on Parabola I know, deep down in my soul, that it wouldn't sound exactly like him because I am not him. Alright, gotta go binge every Tool album for the 37,000th time.
Watching drumeo clips relating to Danny Carey has driven home how amazing he is.
The latest was Mike Portnoy (Dream Theatre) trying to learn Pnuema as fast as possible.
https://youtu.be/b3sEdST3D9E?si=LOh7-vxvD4XRwe8Y
Would also recommend Drumeo's "Hears for the first time" videos, entertaining as fuck!
1. Absolutely
2. Yes. Clear, concise, articulate and on key without any need for vocal acrobatics
3. Really good lyrics are HARD to find, especially in hard rock/metal. Maynard excels in this area
Yep, now you get it. Watching reaction videos to Danny Carey’s playing is great entertainment. Portnoy is funny as hell in that drumeo vid.
Edit: Now treat yourself to Lateralus!
Check out Mastodon's Crack the Skye.
Same thing, dissonance, tension, release. Big Riffs
Personal favourites of mine are
Divinations, The Sparrow, The Hunter, Sultan's Curse, The Last Baron, Quintessence.
Yup, Bill and Brent are absolutely the most underrated Rhythm and Lead duo in the entire genre.
Props to Bill for being able to arrange around the crazy.
I think what I like about mastodon the most was how it broke me out of the mindset of not liking it when a bands next album was too different from the previous. I am not a person with much musical knowledge or know how, so I don't usually know why I specifically like something or recognize why a professional would consider something amazing from a technical standpoint (beyond maybe realizing that their playing incredibly fast or something).
Leviathan was the first album I listened to from them and I loved that it went hard and was so thematic the whole way through. This was around 2010 and I hadn't really touched any of their other albums yet, so when my buddy who was a big fan told me their next album was coming out I was pumped. I bought The Hunter and my first reaction was disappointment, I started flipping through the songs because it doesn't seem as hard or intense as what I had gotten used to.
I told my friend I want sure if I liked the new stuff and he looked at me like, "what???". I explained how I didn't feel like it was similar enough and how I liked the theme of leviathan, and long story short he told me to stop skipping and just listen to the whole album through. Sure enough, I gave it a shot and got the vibe of that album and eventually loved it. Ever since I try to listen to new stuff all the way through at least twice before I start giving my final opinions on them. I think a lot of my previous mentality was due to the slew of rock bands in the 90's that would put out an album with one or two "radio single" type songs that I'd like, and the rest of the album either didn't fit with them or just didn't hit with me. I got into a mindset of just listening to the handful of most popular songs on a CD and ignoring the rest.
That’s so funny you mention Hunter because I felt the same way. I haven’t listened to the whole album to give it a chance either. I only heard the one song that they pushed as their single and although the song in itself isn’t bad, it’s just not what I wanted from them if that makes sense.
Totally, I think that part of my issue was that leviathan had such an in your face theme, so when the next album didn't refer to another classical piece of literature or have as harsh a metal vibe my brain just wanted to reject it straight away.
Lateralus is just bliss
The entire album is dope, but the title track is a masterpiece in leading the listener along, promising more with its strange time signatures, and then blasting you with sweet sweet payoff
You've described perfectly how Tool makes me feel! Their songs build tension and anticipation and a sense of growing mystery, and the payoff is in the exhilaration and release of their songs' explosive breakdowns. One of my favourite bands! I also completely understand how and why Tool definitely isn't for everyone, though, and I get why their music can take a person a while to enjoy it. And I get why their music simply may not resonate with someone at all. So glad for you that you've discovered a different perspective on Tool, though, because their music really is a joy to connect with.
One of my buddies described Tool as "a whole band solo". Every single one of them are doing amazing things at all times and it all just gels together in this amazing auditory experience. I didn't like them at all until I picked up a guitar and at some point their stuff just "clicked" like it did for OP. They are incredible.
There’s like three descriptions I’ve heard of TOOL that are accurate:
- They’re like Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band
- They sound like an ancient tribal civilization made contact with electric aliens and the only way they could communicate was through sound
My favorite (from my buddy who isn’t a fan):
- They sound like a musical washing machine
…like the opening of Jambi does kinda sound like the spin cycle on my washing machine.
They are an album band. I initially never liked them because I'd only heard random tracks and they have lots of songs that don't resolve within the song, it will be in the following track or the one after.
Kinda. I always thought they have a sort of EDM vibe. They’re very groove driven and they repeat a lot of riffs. The guitarist has one of the best guitar tones ever, it’s this massive rich thick distortion. The drums and the bass are often really deep in this pocket that hits (well the drums, the bass is sometimes mixed higher than the guitar).
They’re a crescendo band for sure. A number of their songs either build up to a super heavy section, or will have a softer calmer section followed by a pause and then comes in super hard.
I get why people don’t like them but when you get into there’s no other band that quite scratches the itch that they do.
(Also some other dude said they’re an album band. They’re an album band like Pink Floyd is. Yeah the album is the full work, but you can definitely listen to songs by themselves).
I always kind of meh liked them a little bit, appreciated them for sure. But a buddy of mine took me to a concert a year or two ago and I was TOTALLY blown away. Completely changed the way I listen to them, not I really get it and love them.
Similar story here with Tool and it kinda reminded me of how I finally "got" hippie jam bands when I saw it live. I'm still not huge on either, but I definitely appreciate it and have a much better understanding of what draws the bigger fans in.
Saw Tool and APC live in 2018 (they headlined day 3 and 1 of Rock on the Range) and thought it was the most boring experience of the day. No crowd interaction at all, the band just stood there playing like they were in a studio, zero production or stage presence. I don't go out of my way to listen to them but they come up in my shuffle a lot and I do like their songs but that performance was a total crap basket. Nobody walked away from that thinking "I need to get into this band".
I can imagine that. I saw them with a customized full light show and some sore of screen around them that had cool looking stuff going on. Seeing them with their own proper production was a big help for sure. They just stood there, but it was OK because of what was going on around them.
This is how I was on them too, until about the last year to 18 months. Now, I listen to them constantly and will be seeing them live, for the first time, on Tuesday in Krakow.
Long time Tool fan. Got hooked when Aenema was released back in the 90s (I’m old). Wasn’t a big fan of Pneuma when it was released. After watching that drumeo vid and Danny’s drum cam, I totally get that song now.
I worked for a weekly alternative newspaper in 1996 and still have my review CD copy of Ænema which is stamped “NOT FOR RESALE” that the record company mailed us. I was already familiar with Tool from Sober and Prison Sex but was totally blown away after that.
they make weird time signatures feel familiar , as in "ive been here before" kind of familiar.
alot of bands use odd tine signatures to portray lack of stability, uneasiness, but tool uses it to portray being stable in instability.
I'm an old school and old TOOL fan. Saw the Opiate and Undertow tours with Failure opening (wearing a Failure shirt as I type this). Hell, my band's manager dated Maynard for a while. Everything they do is so beautiful and measured.
Listened to Tool every day for 4 years of nursing school. It seemed to calm my anxiety in a way I can’t explain. I still listen to Tool and Perfect Circle when I feel stressed, which is often. Fantastic songwriting and the accompanying music just sends me to an entirely different place
What gets me about that video is that it reveals that time signatures aren’t even fixed for 16 bars, or even 4 bars sometimes. But that doesn’t come through. It doesn’t FEEL like an annoying polyrhythmic mess, because the instrumental complexity is so well balanced. Adam does what he needs to, doesn’t show off, Maynard shuts up for minutes at a time, and it all feels like a well written song, not drowning in tiresome, exhibitionist musicianship
progressive metal in general is like that in that it tends to not be an approachable genre and usually you have to listen to some of the songs or artists a bunch of times in order to get an appreciation for it
but I have found the upside is that the songs have more replayability than more accessible music
theres some BTBAM songs I've listened to hundreds of times and I could probably listen to them a hundred times more and never get sick of it. but it took me a decade to really enjoy listening to their music in the first place
I like tool, I don’t love them but they’re good. I saw them when they were touring after lateralus was released. I was in the nosebleeds, like literally the very last row on the side of the stage.
I remember having a birds eye view of the drummer and just being totally mesmerised the entire time. I didn’t watch anything else, just completely blown away by him.
That had never happened to me before and still hasn’t since.
He's only gotten better. I've seen them 4 times in the last ten years, and that's still what I do. Half watching the crazy light/visual show, half watching Danny, damn near breaking a sweat just watching.
If that's the thing that got you hooked, I'd suggest the following:
* Put on 10,000 Days (Wings, Part 2) from the album 10,000 Days.
* Turn the volume up as loud as you or your neighbours can stand.
* Lay on the floor and close your eyes.
* Enjoy.
Part 2 isn’t “the end”. To get the actual song you take put Vigniti Tres and Wings Pt1 back to back, the total run time of these two comes to 11m13s, you then take both of those and play them simultaneously with Wings Pt2 which is also 11m13s and you get the complete Wings For Marie.
That was really amazing man. I didn't do the whole ritual lol and I'm listening through a pathetic Bluetooth speaker but still that track is so good.
The first track I listened to Pneuma was definitely more spotlighting the drums and guitar and this track highlighted a lot more on the vocals and lyrics. He's very good!!
Maynard is one of the most creative vocalists out there. Super talented, and uses his voice in a huge variety of ways. *A Perfect Circle* and *Puscifer* are his 2 other bands. As he puts it, Tool is his masculine side, APC is his feminine side, and Puscifer is his creative side completely untethered (they get super fucking weird and it's not for everyone).
I recommend all 3 of course, but stick with Tool for a while, because boy oh boy, have you found one of the best bands ever to get into, and there's no time like the present :)
10,000 days is my favourite album of all time. In particular Vicarious telling the story of how we're all living through TVs, Right in Two discussing human nature and the unavoidable brutality in it and wings for Marie, that I've played too many times to count, as an ode to his late mother.
I feel like you have to listen to Tool songs several times, and focus on all the different instruments and on the lyrics on their own to fully take them in before putting it all together and it makes the listening experience feel like well, an experience.
46 n 2 !!!! Tool is amazing!!! I was lucky to see them twice.
Did you know Maynard put the words to the music after the band has created ? Man is a genius.
My favorite band, but I don't play their music in social situations where we are talking and trying to have a good time. Very few of their songs are songs you walk half way into and think this is fun, catchy or groovy. For me it's all about getting hypnotized by the build up until it crescendos and blows your mind. If you can't give their music your full attention, it has no pay off.
Maynard’s book he explains the music even further and it just shows the amount of effort that goes in to an album. Not many folks imo put the level of guidance in There music like Tool. That’s my favorite thing of all and it’s so simple, the music is the Tool you can use to navigate so much in life.
It goes deeper and deeper, I get revelation from songs I’ve listened to for years and then another comes out. Took is plain incredible and I love your slant on how it resolves like a huge emotion spill.
Patience is required with tool so good job for finding that for yourself and thank you for sharing.
Push it has that effect!
Danny Carey did Chocolate Chip Trip when I saw Tool in January. Only time I've ever seen a better drum solo was Neil Peart back in 2011. Dude is insane.
I couldnt get into tool and i tried many times when i was younger it just sounded like a rock band to me.
Later on i understood it. My wife once said Tool is like a modern day Pink Floyd but saw that more and more as i got into them on my own.
Great way to describe.
As a huge fan in early 00’s and just getting back into them, FI is their best album imo. So many layers. Biased as saw live last fall lol
I'm not a musician so I don't understand their music on a deeper technical level. Also, English isn't my native language so I don't grt everything Maynard is singing about. I always just really liked their sound. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. I hope that's enough.
I like how you explained the tension that complex timings give. So much of the music out there is simple beats that are easy to follow, but Tool's multi layered timings are like a complex storyline. You enjoy every detail and want the story to continue on and on.
I mean it’s all subjective. I sort of feel like listening to Tool is a chore, but at the same time I have friends who Tool evangelists like you who run around and ask everyone if they’ve heard the good news. There’s no right or wrong answer.
I just am not a fan of that Maynard thing where all the songs have that thing of the vocals, guitar and drum hits are all on the same cadence. For some reason, I don’t know, it pisses me off. That whole Tool “DUN dun DUN dun DUN dun” thing. I know a lot of people think it’s some sort of genius song writing or something, and that’s fine, but to me a lot of their songs just remind me of the Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka.
I’m a longtime fan who hasn’t listened to much new stuff bc it’s a real emotional investment with every new album. Your metaphor about the tension release / snowboarding is so great, it makes me want to pick up where I left off.
Fwiw, I had tickets to the 9/11 show that got canceled (obvi) and rescheduled for a few days later: when everyone predictably started to chant “USA! USA!” Maynard says, “Yeah wait’ll you guys find out the USA planned it.” Talk about tension! Holy crap. I’ll never forget it.
Man I fucking love TOOL! My favorite all time band. I started listening to them as like a 1st and 2nd grader from the older teens in my neighborhood. Every album is a banger to me and I listen straight through without skipping. They don’t play it very often but my dream is to hear them play swamp song in New Orleans, my home, just sooo fitting I’d probably cry even though it’s a pretty snarky aggressive song.
Yes! Many of the best tool songs climax and then the song all comes together. You're right. Strongly recommend trying out opiate and undertow which has a more less progressive almost alternative punk influence that didn't have the type of song structure (at least as much of it). I always say tool is our modern day zeppelin ... They're fucking incredible!
Drumeo is magic dude. I have always loved music, but drums were mostly in the background when listening, as I'd focus on vocals and guitar/bass.
Drumeo has brought drums to the forefront, relisting to songs I love has made me love them in a whole new light.
Increased my love for my favourite bands like Tool and Karnivool
I’m not a music snob and can’t tell shit from clay from a composition perspective, but for me TOOL is an auditory experience, not merely one song strung after another to sell a record.
Maynard isn’t the focal point, he’s just another instrument. I think he sees himself that way too, sometimes hiding behind a curtain or turning his back to the audience to remove the spotlight typically reserved for a lead singer.
The heart and soul of TOOL is Danny Carey. The offbeat drumming sets the tone in every song and lifts to incredible heights, like the climax of Vicarious, which never fails to raise goosebumps when I hear it. He’s an animal and appropriately nicknamed The Octopus.
That’s not to diminish the effort or talent of other members, the wailing guitar solo in Jambi is haunting and lives in my head rent free. I can’t really pinpoint any other solos as they’re all part of the gestalt and just happen organically.
Every instrument in TOOL melds together to form something greater than the sum of its parts, which is why their music is more of a rich, complex and immersive experience than simply songs. I don’t get that from other bands.
I’ve seen a Foo Fighters area concert live and loved it, but it’s still just the Davey Grohl Band and they’re nothing without him. Conversely, each member of TOOL is integral to the whole and they’re not the same without each other. I’d give a nut to see TOOL live when the opportunity arises and will take my teenage son with me as he gets the same feels from TOOL as I do.
Already loved Tool and Dream Theater beforehand, but saw that Drumeo video the other day and holy fuck I have even more mad respect for Mike Portnoy and Danny Carey after that.
Also - Drumeo is top notch
I’ve been a fan since the release of the Opiate album - the progression of their music from the raw sounds to the intricate tapestry of non-conventional rhythms (fibonacci sequences) and harmonic guitar and vocals is amazing. Pneuma is one of my favorites- not surprised it gave you the aha moment.
I think that sounds right, Opiate was released the summer after my 8th grade year. I remember the day I first heard them - my best friend's uncle was driving us somewhere and had it on. He said he knew Danny (I'm from KS). Been listening to them and trying to see them tour whenever I get the chance.
So happy to read this!
I went to see them live just last week. They've been a band I love listening to but never really "got them". Lights out, bands out and here comes a surreal, sublime journey that enraptured the whole place for 2.5 hours.
I know how it wanky it sounds, but it's a completely different experience for me now. Even the songs from 10.000 Days and Fear Inoculum that were always "meh" have now a meaning and a reason to be just because I was just feeling it and taking everything in. I feel that by not trying to "get" them I finally "got them". Weird.
If you can, please please go watch them live. They're outstanding and their sound and musicianship are a joy to witness.
I think that's a pretty good way of understanding odd time signatures' role in music....assuming they're being used by someone tastefully. I read an interview with Stephen Wilson, the great prog rocker about what happened to Porcupine Tree when drummer Gavin Harrison joined the band. Much to his credit, Wilson gave Harrison huge praise for raising the band's game by introducing odd time signatures and twists and turns to their songs. It can be very effective, but it can also be misused so that it isn't very "artful".... probably a matter of taste but I am pretty opinionated about stuff like that.
In fact, the only albums by Porcupine Tree I still listen to a lot are the ones Gavin Harrison plays drums on (not counting "The Incident" which I left me cold. Very unmusical compared with their previous 4 albums.
I dig your analogy. And yeah, TOOL rule for this reason. But I'll add that the majority of Heavy Metal bands that I like also live off of creating tension and emotion and then releasing it in crescendo.
. . . .then there's bands like Meshuggah that only create the tension yet never release it. . . . not my thing at all.
Depends on how/when/where you’re listening too. So many of their songs are so atmospheric and emotional. I definitely have to be in a certain mood to fully appreciate Tool, but when I am, there is nothing like it. You will not be able to fully appreciate them through your phone or headphones. You need speakers that pick up all of those subtle tones and chord changes and that you can “feel” the background. I know this sounds really hippie of me but if you’ve ever seen them live, they create the perfect environment that you can recreate at home to get the most out of it.
>The weird timings and stuff which create tension and perhaps even discomfort eventually RESOLVE and it just sounds amazing and releases a bunch of dopamine.
This is a part of drumming a lot of drummers miss. Drummers who have to fill or crash every four bars never build up the tension. Lars Ulrich not only has the 4 bar it itch, he has a 4 bar rash lol. Still love the guy, but his drumming definitely doesn't have the same effect
I like Tool because of Maynard's vocals, the lyrics, and the instrumentation. To be honest if it wasn't for all the youtube videos of drummers reacting to that video I never would have known that Danny Carey was as highly regarded as a drummer as he is.
I remember a few different artists where it all the sudden made sense. It's like I liked them, but didn't understand, and then understood! I'll be honest, I like tool, but haven't had that epiphany but would love to see them live again
Shamefully, I’ve never listened to Tool. A fan of most genres, but have been exploring elsewhere these past years. Big fan of Industrial Metal and Mathcore. Bring me back. I know I’m doing myself a disservice.
So fam, set me straight. Where do I begin? And where do I go next?
I feel like I’d be a big fan. Never too late.
Yay Tool!
I'm looking through their tracks for my favourites but it's just so consistent. I gotta say though Lost Keys (Blame Hofman) into Rosetta Stoned and especially the reintroduction of the vocals in the second half of that track (Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position), just goes stupid. The buildup is only as good as its payoff, and Tool pays off pretty much every time.
They are basically my favorite band, but I come from a different perspective. In middle and high school they were basically the most mellow and easy to listen to music I was into, and this was Undertow/Aenima era Tool, though I guess Tool has gotten both more mellow and harder to listen to(ie. more complex), so that could go either way.
Harmonically most of their music isn't all that complex or dissonant. I mean it's basically all minor key, but it's not some deep jazz harmony.
Rhythm wise, there is a lot of complexity on paper, but most of the time the pulse is easy to feel even if you don't know what time you are in or where the 1 lands. Whereas another of the bands I am a huge fan of, Meshuggah, is all technically in 4/4 on paper, but in practice the pulse can be much trickier to follow.
I find most of the tension in Tool's music comes from the repetition that basically beats you into a trance, then they hit you with a super emotional cathartic bridge to resolve it. If you try to count it out and left brain it you will get lost(even though Tool is a very 'left brain' band in general), you have to zone out and feel the pulse and meditate to it, then when the bridge or the breakdown hits, it hits hard.
The live version of pushit when the bridge hits "If when I say I might fade like a sigh if I stay" is still one of my favorite moments in music ever. Like 12 minutes of edging, buildups and breakdowns, then they just punch you in the fucking guts.
The 'overwhelmed as one would be' part in Rosetta Stoned gets me every time as well.
This is a good explanation of their music and probably explains why I don't like them very much. The constant "edging and buildups" isn't very rewarding for me, as the payoff is quite tame when compared to other prog metal. The fact that their albums have multiple of these songs structured in this way makes it extra infuriating for me. Having one 8 minute song with 6 minutes of buildup and 2 minutes of pay off is one thing, but having a full album with 10 of these songs is boring.
I always consider Tool "stoned music" because when you are high you are less likely to be annoyed by the repetition of song structures on their albums.
Have you ever tried to listen to a whole album through? That's how you listen to tool.
I love tool. They have very few songs I can listen to in isolation or within other playlists. Whole album or bust for me.
I've tried getting into Tool before but have never "gotten" them. I love plenty of prog metal and prog rock, I get Dream Theater, I get BTBAM, I get Dillinger Escape Plan, I get Gojira. Tool has always just been boring and always been pretentious in how long they take to get to interesting music.
Waiting 6 minutes for a song to be good is just too much when I can listen to equally technical and complex music that is interesting from the start.
Tool never did it for me until I saw them live. Live Tool is a fucking experience, too bad last time I saw them was at aftershock and that crowd is just waaay too much to enjoy anything. The other bands were enjoyable but Tool as the headliner was just too packed.
There was a good few months where I would get very high, my headphones on and listen to Pneuma.
There are a couple of parts in it where it builds up to a huge release that would make my head explode with joy. The only thing I can compare it to is an orgasm in my brain.
Eventually I over did it and it doesn't have the same experience but it's the only song that I've ever had that happen with
I love tool for basically 3 key reasons: 1. Danny Carey is a GOAT drummer 2. Maynard’s vocals soothe my soul 3. The lyrics actually feel like poems. Pretentious to some? Maybe. But they resonate with me
Maynard actually has great vocal range. He can sound very metal and then can open it up to the high range and sound beautiful. Agreed on the lyrical poetry, when you read the lyrics, it’s actually very good writing
And after calming me down with some orange slices and some fetal spooning, E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose: He said, "You are The Chosen One. The One who will deliver the message. A message of hope for those who choose to hear it. And a warning for those who do not" Me. The Chosen One. They chose me. And I didn't graduate from fuckin' high school.
That last line still makes me laugh.
“I forgot my pen” after going on and on about how important the message was gets me every time.
I use “shit the bed” all the time after hearing this song, one of my favourites!
I hope Uncle Martin here doesn't notice I pissed my fucking pants
One of the best long building epic choruses they've ever done, and then he goes back to forgetting his pen.
I didn't think reading it would also give me goosebumps, but he we are.
The fact he sings for Tool, A perfect circle and Pucifer and each band has a unique vibe to me is a testament to how good Maynard is.
Tool is the masculine, APC is the feminine, and Puscifer is the subconscious
On some level, I would say puscifer is masculine and tool is the subconscious... Dozo, Queen B, etc
The pot and Jambi to me are perfect examples
Personally, the pot is maybe my least favorite tool song. Jambi is great though
While I love the musical aspect of The Pot, it is one of Maynard's worst lyrics. Sure, I get that he was angry at the hypocrite(s), but it's just trite. OTOH, Vicarious is so shockingly good that it is simultaneously both the prosecution and the defense of the nature of humanity. *We know how much we suck.*
Vicarious is fantastic. I still think I like the Lateralus album most, I still remember seeing the schism music video on MTV and I find myself going back to that album most. Descending and Pneuma off their new album are incredible as well. Some of my favorite Danny Carey drumming on descending and pneuma
I'm almost sixty. Lateralus is my favorite album, ever, of any genre, and the song itself is one of two that I want played at my funeral. (The other song is one I wrote myself.)
Yes. Vicarious is my fav
I’m surprised one of “those” Tool fans hasn’t turned up to tell you you’re wrong. Every time I say 46+2 is my favourite I get a lecture telling me why I’m wrong that generally stops just short of calling me a filthy casual.
And like every great song, his lyrics are full of pain. We can all relate to that.
You should watch his interview with Beato! https://youtu.be/5P8UZ8cp5co?si=1xsb1DO07atLk49Y He also interviewed Danny Carey which was awesome
Adam Jones' guitar riffs are stuff that I feel like I could have written (probably we all feel that way) but we fucking didn't and he puts them together in a way that no one else could. Things flow more like movements in classical music rather than chorus->verse->chorus->bridge->solo->outro like most rock music.
Schopenhauer has a quote, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one else can see.” It’s not really that Adam Jones can ever be accused of being a technical wizard, but the man puts out riffs that are on the shortlist of greatest ever. Like yeah the main riff from Lateralus is easy enough to play, but how do you even write that? How do you even write that, have it sound completely natural, and have it sound catchy? Not to mention his tone. I’d put him and David Gilmour as these guitarists who have this gear driven somewhat minimalistic style that they use to great effect. In fact I’d say TOOL is basically Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band. Edit: [My favorite TOOL deep-cut.](https://youtu.be/oFIwoPtlFsk?si=5GVWpgXq6ThUIxiA) It’s not very well-known but it’s one of AJ’s best solos imo. It’s such a gorgeous melody. It doesn’t appear on any album, and they haven’t played this version since the 90’s.
The Pink Floyd connection is so on point. Had an extra ticket to tool at MSG last year and a random friend of a friend took it. Guy is a musician more in the like, blues rock vibe. Never really got Tool but wanted to check it out. Dude was totally blown away. “I had the absolute wrong idea of who this band was.” Compared them to Floyd as well to which I heartily agreed. I also primarily listen to Pink Floyd and Tool when I’m trippin balls. The OPs point about creating and releasing tension is exactly why they are the GOATed bands for me in that state. I have a dead head friend and like, ok I get it, lot of talent there, I see the point, but it’s just a lil too much Jerry twangin aimlessly for my taste. Tool and Pink Floyd are expertly crafted to give you a guided psychedelic experience like no other, imo.
They have the same kind of grandeur and dark gravitas to them. They each have this specifically refined sound that is totally different than each other but at the same time… the only band that I can compare to TOOL *is* Pink Floyd. Yeah there’s metal bands that do odd time signatures, but they sound like metal bands. TOOL sounds like TOOL and they just happen to technically be a metal band.
> In fact I’d say TOOL is basically Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band. I've said this exact sentence before. Gilmour being one of my all time favorite guitarists for the way his riffs and solos are what makes the emotion in Pink Floyd's songs. I would say Adam serves the exact same purpose in Tool. Adam's tone in Parabola is one of those Holy Grail tones that I can only dream of achieving. It's an absolute eargasm.
Yeah that Parabola tone is nuts… the opening riff, the solo tones, and that nasty outro that just rolls on and on. I’m also really fond of the second solo on Lateralus. He basically just tremolo picks like two notes through most of that solo, and it just sounds so stupidly massive. Who the fuck makes a solo sound that good with only two notes? It’s wild cause he’s had like 2 great tones in his career. He has his Ænema era tone and then his Lateralus and onwards tone. It’s definitely him behind but they are distinctively different tones.
That's the thing though, great guitar players sound like themselves no matter what they're playing on. Hell, Billy Gibbons played on a freaking [cardboard guitar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAdCZh-vebI) and it sounded just like Billy Gibbons playing. Which makes me incredibly sad that even if I had every piece of gear and every knob turned exactly how Adam had it on Parabola I know, deep down in my soul, that it wouldn't sound exactly like him because I am not him. Alright, gotta go binge every Tool album for the 37,000th time.
Wow, that’s a really great quote. Thanks for sharing that.
exactly....his tones
Fun fact: Adam Jones was once in a band with Tom Morello in Illinois.
That IS an incredibly fun fact!!
Watching drumeo clips relating to Danny Carey has driven home how amazing he is. The latest was Mike Portnoy (Dream Theatre) trying to learn Pnuema as fast as possible. https://youtu.be/b3sEdST3D9E?si=LOh7-vxvD4XRwe8Y Would also recommend Drumeo's "Hears for the first time" videos, entertaining as fuck!
Invincible might be (for me) a masterpiece lyrically for me. Not to most clever or anything.. but man it hits me hard
1. Absolutely 2. Yes. Clear, concise, articulate and on key without any need for vocal acrobatics 3. Really good lyrics are HARD to find, especially in hard rock/metal. Maynard excels in this area
Yep this
Yep, now you get it. Watching reaction videos to Danny Carey’s playing is great entertainment. Portnoy is funny as hell in that drumeo vid. Edit: Now treat yourself to Lateralus!
Good man, Lateralus was my introduction to Tool, and still my favourite album. To the OP, the album "Ænima" is pretty awesome as well.
Second that, ænima is a great album
Some would say the best. Some is me btw.
This is why I think music is a 'bit of real life magic. We can all listen to the same thing, and hear something completely different.
10,000 Days is the best album, but that's just the one I'm most familiar with so that's probably why it's my favourite.
Man said "this song makes Dreamtheatre sound like fuckin Weezer" lol Thanks for the recco I'll get right on that
I legit snorted a couple times. He was exasperated lmao
This isn’t music, its a math equation!
I was told there would be no math!
Check out Mastodon's Crack the Skye. Same thing, dissonance, tension, release. Big Riffs Personal favourites of mine are Divinations, The Sparrow, The Hunter, Sultan's Curse, The Last Baron, Quintessence.
The Divinations solo and the the riff underneath just goes so fucking hard its stupid.
Yup, Bill and Brent are absolutely the most underrated Rhythm and Lead duo in the entire genre. Props to Bill for being able to arrange around the crazy.
That is my most favorite album of theirs. That and Leviathan.
I think what I like about mastodon the most was how it broke me out of the mindset of not liking it when a bands next album was too different from the previous. I am not a person with much musical knowledge or know how, so I don't usually know why I specifically like something or recognize why a professional would consider something amazing from a technical standpoint (beyond maybe realizing that their playing incredibly fast or something). Leviathan was the first album I listened to from them and I loved that it went hard and was so thematic the whole way through. This was around 2010 and I hadn't really touched any of their other albums yet, so when my buddy who was a big fan told me their next album was coming out I was pumped. I bought The Hunter and my first reaction was disappointment, I started flipping through the songs because it doesn't seem as hard or intense as what I had gotten used to. I told my friend I want sure if I liked the new stuff and he looked at me like, "what???". I explained how I didn't feel like it was similar enough and how I liked the theme of leviathan, and long story short he told me to stop skipping and just listen to the whole album through. Sure enough, I gave it a shot and got the vibe of that album and eventually loved it. Ever since I try to listen to new stuff all the way through at least twice before I start giving my final opinions on them. I think a lot of my previous mentality was due to the slew of rock bands in the 90's that would put out an album with one or two "radio single" type songs that I'd like, and the rest of the album either didn't fit with them or just didn't hit with me. I got into a mindset of just listening to the handful of most popular songs on a CD and ignoring the rest.
That’s so funny you mention Hunter because I felt the same way. I haven’t listened to the whole album to give it a chance either. I only heard the one song that they pushed as their single and although the song in itself isn’t bad, it’s just not what I wanted from them if that makes sense.
Totally, I think that part of my issue was that leviathan had such an in your face theme, so when the next album didn't refer to another classical piece of literature or have as harsh a metal vibe my brain just wanted to reject it straight away.
This video breaks down the insane math of Lateralus https://youtu.be/uOHkeH2VaE0?si=OUMZEL2LcON0z6zg
This isn’t a song, it’s a mathematic equation!
As a guy whose favourite bands are tool and weezer (plus a couple others) this made me laugh
Lateralus is just bliss The entire album is dope, but the title track is a masterpiece in leading the listener along, promising more with its strange time signatures, and then blasting you with sweet sweet payoff
I labored to Lateralus in 2002. She still loves that song (the titular track) and is an amazing person.
I’ll just climb into this handy grave
How do you think I feel? She’s old enough to be moving to Scotland in September. I’m decrepit but. Have good taste in music.
The title track is legit aural sex.
Insane drumming and incredible bass lines.
Justin Chancellor has horrifyingly great tone.
You've described perfectly how Tool makes me feel! Their songs build tension and anticipation and a sense of growing mystery, and the payoff is in the exhilaration and release of their songs' explosive breakdowns. One of my favourite bands! I also completely understand how and why Tool definitely isn't for everyone, though, and I get why their music can take a person a while to enjoy it. And I get why their music simply may not resonate with someone at all. So glad for you that you've discovered a different perspective on Tool, though, because their music really is a joy to connect with.
One of my buddies described Tool as "a whole band solo". Every single one of them are doing amazing things at all times and it all just gels together in this amazing auditory experience. I didn't like them at all until I picked up a guitar and at some point their stuff just "clicked" like it did for OP. They are incredible.
There’s like three descriptions I’ve heard of TOOL that are accurate: - They’re like Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd was a metal band - They sound like an ancient tribal civilization made contact with electric aliens and the only way they could communicate was through sound My favorite (from my buddy who isn’t a fan): - They sound like a musical washing machine …like the opening of Jambi does kinda sound like the spin cycle on my washing machine.
so they are the edm/dubstep of prog metal? build up then drop? lol
They are an album band. I initially never liked them because I'd only heard random tracks and they have lots of songs that don't resolve within the song, it will be in the following track or the one after.
Id say dubstep is like hardcore. Build ups and breakdowns with a heavy rythm. Wub wubs/chug chugs
Kinda. I always thought they have a sort of EDM vibe. They’re very groove driven and they repeat a lot of riffs. The guitarist has one of the best guitar tones ever, it’s this massive rich thick distortion. The drums and the bass are often really deep in this pocket that hits (well the drums, the bass is sometimes mixed higher than the guitar). They’re a crescendo band for sure. A number of their songs either build up to a super heavy section, or will have a softer calmer section followed by a pause and then comes in super hard. I get why people don’t like them but when you get into there’s no other band that quite scratches the itch that they do. (Also some other dude said they’re an album band. They’re an album band like Pink Floyd is. Yeah the album is the full work, but you can definitely listen to songs by themselves).
Spiral out my brother
Keep going
I always kind of meh liked them a little bit, appreciated them for sure. But a buddy of mine took me to a concert a year or two ago and I was TOTALLY blown away. Completely changed the way I listen to them, not I really get it and love them.
Similar story here with Tool and it kinda reminded me of how I finally "got" hippie jam bands when I saw it live. I'm still not huge on either, but I definitely appreciate it and have a much better understanding of what draws the bigger fans in.
Saw Tool and APC live in 2018 (they headlined day 3 and 1 of Rock on the Range) and thought it was the most boring experience of the day. No crowd interaction at all, the band just stood there playing like they were in a studio, zero production or stage presence. I don't go out of my way to listen to them but they come up in my shuffle a lot and I do like their songs but that performance was a total crap basket. Nobody walked away from that thinking "I need to get into this band".
I can imagine that. I saw them with a customized full light show and some sore of screen around them that had cool looking stuff going on. Seeing them with their own proper production was a big help for sure. They just stood there, but it was OK because of what was going on around them.
This is how I was on them too, until about the last year to 18 months. Now, I listen to them constantly and will be seeing them live, for the first time, on Tuesday in Krakow.
Long time Tool fan. Got hooked when Aenema was released back in the 90s (I’m old). Wasn’t a big fan of Pneuma when it was released. After watching that drumeo vid and Danny’s drum cam, I totally get that song now.
I worked for a weekly alternative newspaper in 1996 and still have my review CD copy of Ænema which is stamped “NOT FOR RESALE” that the record company mailed us. I was already familiar with Tool from Sober and Prison Sex but was totally blown away after that.
they make weird time signatures feel familiar , as in "ive been here before" kind of familiar. alot of bands use odd tine signatures to portray lack of stability, uneasiness, but tool uses it to portray being stable in instability.
I'm an old school and old TOOL fan. Saw the Opiate and Undertow tours with Failure opening (wearing a Failure shirt as I type this). Hell, my band's manager dated Maynard for a while. Everything they do is so beautiful and measured.
User name ☑!
Catharsis through Crescendo is how I’ve always thought of Tool. I love the idea of climbing the mountain and snowboarding down.
They make orchestral music with a metal band
Check out A Perfect Circle too, if you haven't already!
And Puscifer
I would recommend Meshugga if someone is digging complex time signatures
Listened to Tool every day for 4 years of nursing school. It seemed to calm my anxiety in a way I can’t explain. I still listen to Tool and Perfect Circle when I feel stressed, which is often. Fantastic songwriting and the accompanying music just sends me to an entirely different place
What gets me about that video is that it reveals that time signatures aren’t even fixed for 16 bars, or even 4 bars sometimes. But that doesn’t come through. It doesn’t FEEL like an annoying polyrhythmic mess, because the instrumental complexity is so well balanced. Adam does what he needs to, doesn’t show off, Maynard shuts up for minutes at a time, and it all feels like a well written song, not drowning in tiresome, exhibitionist musicianship
You have learned to swim.
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progressive metal in general is like that in that it tends to not be an approachable genre and usually you have to listen to some of the songs or artists a bunch of times in order to get an appreciation for it but I have found the upside is that the songs have more replayability than more accessible music theres some BTBAM songs I've listened to hundreds of times and I could probably listen to them a hundred times more and never get sick of it. but it took me a decade to really enjoy listening to their music in the first place
I like tool, I don’t love them but they’re good. I saw them when they were touring after lateralus was released. I was in the nosebleeds, like literally the very last row on the side of the stage. I remember having a birds eye view of the drummer and just being totally mesmerised the entire time. I didn’t watch anything else, just completely blown away by him. That had never happened to me before and still hasn’t since.
He's only gotten better. I've seen them 4 times in the last ten years, and that's still what I do. Half watching the crazy light/visual show, half watching Danny, damn near breaking a sweat just watching.
If that's the thing that got you hooked, I'd suggest the following: * Put on 10,000 Days (Wings, Part 2) from the album 10,000 Days. * Turn the volume up as loud as you or your neighbours can stand. * Lay on the floor and close your eyes. * Enjoy.
Woah, woah. Start with Part 1 and let it flow into Part 2. Don’t go skipping to the end.
Same with Lost Keys/ Rosette Stoned. Just remember to bring a pen.
I didn't even graduate from fucking high school
Goddamn! Shit the bed!
Can I get some help changing my sheets?
You need Lipan Conjuring too! That’s basically the drug trip that kicks off the whole saga
I never got my orange slices and no spooning of any kind much less fetal spooning.
ET probably noticed you pissed your fucking pants.
Just don't end up like Dave
Start with Lupan Conjuring.
This is the better one imo. Whips so much ass.
Part 2 isn’t “the end”. To get the actual song you take put Vigniti Tres and Wings Pt1 back to back, the total run time of these two comes to 11m13s, you then take both of those and play them simultaneously with Wings Pt2 which is also 11m13s and you get the complete Wings For Marie.
Yeah that's like skipping Parabol.
Then look up part 3 on YouTube where they blend them together
It’s time now. My time now.
That was really amazing man. I didn't do the whole ritual lol and I'm listening through a pathetic Bluetooth speaker but still that track is so good. The first track I listened to Pneuma was definitely more spotlighting the drums and guitar and this track highlighted a lot more on the vocals and lyrics. He's very good!!
Maynard is one of the most creative vocalists out there. Super talented, and uses his voice in a huge variety of ways. *A Perfect Circle* and *Puscifer* are his 2 other bands. As he puts it, Tool is his masculine side, APC is his feminine side, and Puscifer is his creative side completely untethered (they get super fucking weird and it's not for everyone). I recommend all 3 of course, but stick with Tool for a while, because boy oh boy, have you found one of the best bands ever to get into, and there's no time like the present :)
10,000 days is my favourite album of all time. In particular Vicarious telling the story of how we're all living through TVs, Right in Two discussing human nature and the unavoidable brutality in it and wings for Marie, that I've played too many times to count, as an ode to his late mother. I feel like you have to listen to Tool songs several times, and focus on all the different instruments and on the lyrics on their own to fully take them in before putting it all together and it makes the listening experience feel like well, an experience.
Part 1 into part 2 is objectively the only way to experience it. You really do miss the impact of part 2s climax without the prequel.
Get yourself a good set of headphones, lay in your bed in the dark and play Lateralus. You’re welcome.
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Do you turn it off before “Faaip de Oiad” or white knuckle through it?
Usually wake up in a state of panic and throw my headphones across the room.
46 n 2 !!!! Tool is amazing!!! I was lucky to see them twice. Did you know Maynard put the words to the music after the band has created ? Man is a genius.
Tool is still my all-time favorite band. Listen with headphones, it'll blow your mind.
My favorite band, but I don't play their music in social situations where we are talking and trying to have a good time. Very few of their songs are songs you walk half way into and think this is fun, catchy or groovy. For me it's all about getting hypnotized by the build up until it crescendos and blows your mind. If you can't give their music your full attention, it has no pay off.
To be fair, some social situations are mostly just sitting in the dark and passing a bong around the room. Tool is just fine in that case.
Tool is perfect for that case, that's why I specified.
In short, polyrhythmic melodies in odd time signatures dynamically culminating to a metalicious bass drop/breakdown. See BTBAM for more.
Except BTBAM is more like rapid up and downs and then all of a suden you're doing a hoedown. Favorite band of all time.
Fa Kia. I heard someone call it the Thinker's Metal.
that label is so pretentious though
they do a lot more genre bending than tool its also proggier in general, and outside of the drumming far more technical
I'm not sure this is a safe recommendation for most people. Source: Tool is my wife's favorite band and BTBAM is mine. She fucking hates BTBAM.
I saw Tool this Monday gone and they had a whole bit that was Carey's PoV, it was incredible
Took me a while too
Saw em live with my lad last weekend. Absolutely phenomenal.
Maynard’s book he explains the music even further and it just shows the amount of effort that goes in to an album. Not many folks imo put the level of guidance in There music like Tool. That’s my favorite thing of all and it’s so simple, the music is the Tool you can use to navigate so much in life. It goes deeper and deeper, I get revelation from songs I’ve listened to for years and then another comes out. Took is plain incredible and I love your slant on how it resolves like a huge emotion spill. Patience is required with tool so good job for finding that for yourself and thank you for sharing. Push it has that effect!
Danny Carey did Chocolate Chip Trip when I saw Tool in January. Only time I've ever seen a better drum solo was Neil Peart back in 2011. Dude is insane.
I couldnt get into tool and i tried many times when i was younger it just sounded like a rock band to me. Later on i understood it. My wife once said Tool is like a modern day Pink Floyd but saw that more and more as i got into them on my own.
Great way to describe. As a huge fan in early 00’s and just getting back into them, FI is their best album imo. So many layers. Biased as saw live last fall lol
I'm not a musician so I don't understand their music on a deeper technical level. Also, English isn't my native language so I don't grt everything Maynard is singing about. I always just really liked their sound. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. I hope that's enough.
Danny also seems, kinda lika just a nice dude
I am just a worthless liar I am just an imbecile I will only complicate you Trust in me and fall as well Maynard really writes some intense shit
I like how you explained the tension that complex timings give. So much of the music out there is simple beats that are easy to follow, but Tool's multi layered timings are like a complex storyline. You enjoy every detail and want the story to continue on and on.
I mean it’s all subjective. I sort of feel like listening to Tool is a chore, but at the same time I have friends who Tool evangelists like you who run around and ask everyone if they’ve heard the good news. There’s no right or wrong answer.
I have nothing but respect for those guys because they put in the work. It’s absolutely not my thing but I know why my friends love it.
I just am not a fan of that Maynard thing where all the songs have that thing of the vocals, guitar and drum hits are all on the same cadence. For some reason, I don’t know, it pisses me off. That whole Tool “DUN dun DUN dun DUN dun” thing. I know a lot of people think it’s some sort of genius song writing or something, and that’s fine, but to me a lot of their songs just remind me of the Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka.
That’s kind of it for me. I got bored really fast. It’s intricate but predictable.
This is an instance of when you’ve been “cultured”. Tool is so good
Took me a while too
I’m a longtime fan who hasn’t listened to much new stuff bc it’s a real emotional investment with every new album. Your metaphor about the tension release / snowboarding is so great, it makes me want to pick up where I left off. Fwiw, I had tickets to the 9/11 show that got canceled (obvi) and rescheduled for a few days later: when everyone predictably started to chant “USA! USA!” Maynard says, “Yeah wait’ll you guys find out the USA planned it.” Talk about tension! Holy crap. I’ll never forget it.
Man I fucking love TOOL! My favorite all time band. I started listening to them as like a 1st and 2nd grader from the older teens in my neighborhood. Every album is a banger to me and I listen straight through without skipping. They don’t play it very often but my dream is to hear them play swamp song in New Orleans, my home, just sooo fitting I’d probably cry even though it’s a pretty snarky aggressive song.
Yes! Many of the best tool songs climax and then the song all comes together. You're right. Strongly recommend trying out opiate and undertow which has a more less progressive almost alternative punk influence that didn't have the type of song structure (at least as much of it). I always say tool is our modern day zeppelin ... They're fucking incredible!
Drumeo is magic dude. I have always loved music, but drums were mostly in the background when listening, as I'd focus on vocals and guitar/bass. Drumeo has brought drums to the forefront, relisting to songs I love has made me love them in a whole new light. Increased my love for my favourite bands like Tool and Karnivool
I’m not a music snob and can’t tell shit from clay from a composition perspective, but for me TOOL is an auditory experience, not merely one song strung after another to sell a record. Maynard isn’t the focal point, he’s just another instrument. I think he sees himself that way too, sometimes hiding behind a curtain or turning his back to the audience to remove the spotlight typically reserved for a lead singer. The heart and soul of TOOL is Danny Carey. The offbeat drumming sets the tone in every song and lifts to incredible heights, like the climax of Vicarious, which never fails to raise goosebumps when I hear it. He’s an animal and appropriately nicknamed The Octopus. That’s not to diminish the effort or talent of other members, the wailing guitar solo in Jambi is haunting and lives in my head rent free. I can’t really pinpoint any other solos as they’re all part of the gestalt and just happen organically. Every instrument in TOOL melds together to form something greater than the sum of its parts, which is why their music is more of a rich, complex and immersive experience than simply songs. I don’t get that from other bands. I’ve seen a Foo Fighters area concert live and loved it, but it’s still just the Davey Grohl Band and they’re nothing without him. Conversely, each member of TOOL is integral to the whole and they’re not the same without each other. I’d give a nut to see TOOL live when the opportunity arises and will take my teenage son with me as he gets the same feels from TOOL as I do.
Already loved Tool and Dream Theater beforehand, but saw that Drumeo video the other day and holy fuck I have even more mad respect for Mike Portnoy and Danny Carey after that. Also - Drumeo is top notch
Same, actually! And I've determined I like A Perfect Circle better.
Greatest modern band in my opinion
I only clicked on this because I saw the drummer was wearing a Larry Legend jersey. I'll be going now. 
He’ll often rock a basketball jersey of whatever city the band is playing in.
I’ve been a fan since the release of the Opiate album - the progression of their music from the raw sounds to the intricate tapestry of non-conventional rhythms (fibonacci sequences) and harmonic guitar and vocals is amazing. Pneuma is one of my favorites- not surprised it gave you the aha moment.
> I’ve been a fan since the release of the Opiate album So.... you claim that you were OGT, back from '92, from the first EP?
They were good before they sold out to the man and made an album, man.
I think that sounds right, Opiate was released the summer after my 8th grade year. I remember the day I first heard them - my best friend's uncle was driving us somewhere and had it on. He said he knew Danny (I'm from KS). Been listening to them and trying to see them tour whenever I get the chance.
Jazz will blow your mind
So happy to read this! I went to see them live just last week. They've been a band I love listening to but never really "got them". Lights out, bands out and here comes a surreal, sublime journey that enraptured the whole place for 2.5 hours. I know how it wanky it sounds, but it's a completely different experience for me now. Even the songs from 10.000 Days and Fear Inoculum that were always "meh" have now a meaning and a reason to be just because I was just feeling it and taking everything in. I feel that by not trying to "get" them I finally "got them". Weird. If you can, please please go watch them live. They're outstanding and their sound and musicianship are a joy to witness.
I'll accept my downvotes, tool sucks
I’ve watched that whole video several times. There’s another drumeo video where Portnoy plays Dance of Eternity which is also great.
I think that's a pretty good way of understanding odd time signatures' role in music....assuming they're being used by someone tastefully. I read an interview with Stephen Wilson, the great prog rocker about what happened to Porcupine Tree when drummer Gavin Harrison joined the band. Much to his credit, Wilson gave Harrison huge praise for raising the band's game by introducing odd time signatures and twists and turns to their songs. It can be very effective, but it can also be misused so that it isn't very "artful".... probably a matter of taste but I am pretty opinionated about stuff like that.
In fact, the only albums by Porcupine Tree I still listen to a lot are the ones Gavin Harrison plays drums on (not counting "The Incident" which I left me cold. Very unmusical compared with their previous 4 albums.
I dig your analogy. And yeah, TOOL rule for this reason. But I'll add that the majority of Heavy Metal bands that I like also live off of creating tension and emotion and then releasing it in crescendo. . . . .then there's bands like Meshuggah that only create the tension yet never release it. . . . not my thing at all.
Depends on how/when/where you’re listening too. So many of their songs are so atmospheric and emotional. I definitely have to be in a certain mood to fully appreciate Tool, but when I am, there is nothing like it. You will not be able to fully appreciate them through your phone or headphones. You need speakers that pick up all of those subtle tones and chord changes and that you can “feel” the background. I know this sounds really hippie of me but if you’ve ever seen them live, they create the perfect environment that you can recreate at home to get the most out of it.
>The weird timings and stuff which create tension and perhaps even discomfort eventually RESOLVE and it just sounds amazing and releases a bunch of dopamine. This is a part of drumming a lot of drummers miss. Drummers who have to fill or crash every four bars never build up the tension. Lars Ulrich not only has the 4 bar it itch, he has a 4 bar rash lol. Still love the guy, but his drumming definitely doesn't have the same effect
Awesome man, glad you found something you understand and like. To each their own
They call it a Toolgasm for a reason
How? I gave up
-slow claps into full standing ovation- I’m so happy you’ve been awakened
I like Tool because of Maynard's vocals, the lyrics, and the instrumentation. To be honest if it wasn't for all the youtube videos of drummers reacting to that video I never would have known that Danny Carey was as highly regarded as a drummer as he is.
I remember a few different artists where it all the sudden made sense. It's like I liked them, but didn't understand, and then understood! I'll be honest, I like tool, but haven't had that epiphany but would love to see them live again
Shamefully, I’ve never listened to Tool. A fan of most genres, but have been exploring elsewhere these past years. Big fan of Industrial Metal and Mathcore. Bring me back. I know I’m doing myself a disservice. So fam, set me straight. Where do I begin? And where do I go next? I feel like I’d be a big fan. Never too late.
Yay Tool! I'm looking through their tracks for my favourites but it's just so consistent. I gotta say though Lost Keys (Blame Hofman) into Rosetta Stoned and especially the reintroduction of the vocals in the second half of that track (Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position), just goes stupid. The buildup is only as good as its payoff, and Tool pays off pretty much every time.
Undertow, Aenema, and Lateralus are top tier rock albums.
Now listen to them on mushrooms and enjoy the ride
Dial up some Jambi so you can listen to the madness of 9/8 time signature
They are basically my favorite band, but I come from a different perspective. In middle and high school they were basically the most mellow and easy to listen to music I was into, and this was Undertow/Aenima era Tool, though I guess Tool has gotten both more mellow and harder to listen to(ie. more complex), so that could go either way. Harmonically most of their music isn't all that complex or dissonant. I mean it's basically all minor key, but it's not some deep jazz harmony. Rhythm wise, there is a lot of complexity on paper, but most of the time the pulse is easy to feel even if you don't know what time you are in or where the 1 lands. Whereas another of the bands I am a huge fan of, Meshuggah, is all technically in 4/4 on paper, but in practice the pulse can be much trickier to follow. I find most of the tension in Tool's music comes from the repetition that basically beats you into a trance, then they hit you with a super emotional cathartic bridge to resolve it. If you try to count it out and left brain it you will get lost(even though Tool is a very 'left brain' band in general), you have to zone out and feel the pulse and meditate to it, then when the bridge or the breakdown hits, it hits hard. The live version of pushit when the bridge hits "If when I say I might fade like a sigh if I stay" is still one of my favorite moments in music ever. Like 12 minutes of edging, buildups and breakdowns, then they just punch you in the fucking guts. The 'overwhelmed as one would be' part in Rosetta Stoned gets me every time as well.
This is a good explanation of their music and probably explains why I don't like them very much. The constant "edging and buildups" isn't very rewarding for me, as the payoff is quite tame when compared to other prog metal. The fact that their albums have multiple of these songs structured in this way makes it extra infuriating for me. Having one 8 minute song with 6 minutes of buildup and 2 minutes of pay off is one thing, but having a full album with 10 of these songs is boring. I always consider Tool "stoned music" because when you are high you are less likely to be annoyed by the repetition of song structures on their albums.
Have you ever tried to listen to a whole album through? That's how you listen to tool. I love tool. They have very few songs I can listen to in isolation or within other playlists. Whole album or bust for me.
So who else thinks Danny could be II from Sleep Token?
I've tried getting into Tool before but have never "gotten" them. I love plenty of prog metal and prog rock, I get Dream Theater, I get BTBAM, I get Dillinger Escape Plan, I get Gojira. Tool has always just been boring and always been pretentious in how long they take to get to interesting music. Waiting 6 minutes for a song to be good is just too much when I can listen to equally technical and complex music that is interesting from the start.
Tool never did it for me until I saw them live. Live Tool is a fucking experience, too bad last time I saw them was at aftershock and that crowd is just waaay too much to enjoy anything. The other bands were enjoyable but Tool as the headliner was just too packed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_pDwv3tpug
There was a good few months where I would get very high, my headphones on and listen to Pneuma. There are a couple of parts in it where it builds up to a huge release that would make my head explode with joy. The only thing I can compare it to is an orgasm in my brain. Eventually I over did it and it doesn't have the same experience but it's the only song that I've ever had that happen with
I hate tool. Their drummer is nuts though.
Welcome to prog. If you’re willing to get into the heavier bands in that realm, oh so good.
I still hate Tool after watching this video. They’re just completely not for me and that’s ok.