Mention you listen to Tool to your friends and they will most probably look at you with a gone out impression. For Tool is not a band that conforms with popular trends and their music is not something you’re going to hear in a night club or find yourself singing along to in your car. To the outside world their music may seem dark, heavy and often confusing but to the true die hard fans of Tool it means so much more.
Tool is a band you have to really connect with and really put a lot of time into. You don’t just play their songs as background filler, you have to sit and listen to the album in its entirety. Only then can you truly appreciate and enjoy the masterful work of this strange and at times elusive band. Its not just the music that grabs your attention but also the visual art concept of their music videos too. Unlike most music videos of today which are either a bunch of people having a party or segments of live footage. A lot of effort goes into the Tool videos giving a true reflection of the excellent craftsmanship that also goes into their music. After listening to a song you will be left scratching your head trying to decode the meanings behind certain lyrics or the visual concept you have just witnessed.
So who are Tool?
The band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles California. The current members are drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, vocalist Maynard James Keenan and bassist Justin Chancellor. The bands first album Undertow (1993) had a very raw, heavy metal sound. After this the band started to lean more towards a more Alternative Metal sound with their second album Aenima (1996) paving the way and setting new standards for the genre. They have been described as progressive rock, psychedelic rock and very insistence on privacy. But for a band that to some may seem strange and very out there they obviously do something right as they have 3 Grammy awards to their name.
When Tool hit the music scene with Undertow in 1993 grunge was at its height. Here came a band who had the grunge elements such as the raw sound and angst edginess but delved much deeper lyrics wise. With their odd time signatures mixed with heavy provoking riffs they added an alternative rock sound which was nothing like anything else of its time. The subjects dealt with in certain songs began to gather attention of censorship. The song ‘Prison Sex’ from the Undertow album dealt with the subject of child abuse. By many the music video and lyrics were praised for been a ‘surrealistic interpretation’ of the subject matter at hand but to others deemed too graphic hence resulting in MTV no longer airing the music video after a few showings. This wouldn’t stop the band carrying on the way they had started. The often offensive nature and thought provoking subject matters would carry on throughout Tools career. But I believe its due to this why Tool are appealing. Its the kind of music that gets you thinking and touches on subjects that not everyone wants to think about but in reality happen all over the world. They are not trying to sell to you an image of sex, drugs and over the top glamour as many bands before had done and still do to this day. They are delving deep into the darkest corners of the mind and pulling out subject matters many don’t want to think about or even consider thinking about.
So lets take a look at the remarkable people behind the music. First up vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A very private man not one for the spotlight but does however give the odd interviews despite been referred to as a recluse. Often in live shows he can be seen in the background on stage out of the light. Reason for this being that he prefers the dark corners to allow him to get into the mental state to produce the emotions the songs carry for him. Growing up his mum suffered a cerebral aneurysm and this experience would be the source of inspiration behind some of Tool’s songs. During a time which Tool were dealing with some legal situations Keenan joined forces with Tool’s guitar tech Billy Howerdel to form the band A perfect Circle. A supergroup that would go onto to have its own success and loyal fan base. Something you probably weren’t expecting is that Maynard is also a wine maker and owns a vineyard in Arizona.
Next up is Guitarist Adam Jones. A guitarist who isn’t known for shredding through scales at lightening speed or electrifying solos but instead mixes a bunch of different techniques such as power chords, chiming arpeggios and off beat rhythms. Unlike a lot of big name guitarists he doesn’t seem to want to be in the limelight or show off his skills, but that goes for all the band really. None of the members try and get any spotlight instead they put the music first.
Adam is not only just an amazing guitarist but also a visual artist and has directed most of the Tool music videos. He took an interest into animation as a child working with clay sculptures and this influence can been seen in some Tool videos. He has a pretty impressive portfolio having worked on films such as Predator 2, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2 and A nightmare on elm street.
On drums is Danny Carey who first started to learn the drums at the age of 10. He joined the high school jazz band training under Ben Kelso. Carey takes a huge interest in religion and the occult collecting first edition Aleister Crowley books. When not working on Tool material he has contributed to other artists work with various bands such as Green jelly and The Melvins.
Justin Chancellor and English musician plays bass for the band. Unlike the rest of the band Chancellor is not an original member. Tools original bass player was Paul D Amour who worked on the bands first album Undertow but left in 1995. This opened the door for Chancellor to join the band in September 1995. His band before this were called Peach and they supported Tool during the 1990’s in England.
Tool have released 4 albums to date. In the early days before the release of Undertow they released the EP Opiate. Hard hitting and heavy this would get the band early attention and land them touring with bands such as Rage against the machine and the Rollins band.
In 1993 Tool released their debut album Undertow. This album had a pretty raw sound compared to what they would evolve into overtime in the next records. With heavy riffs, odd time signatures and controversial songs such as ‘Prison sex’, this album was something very different at the time it was released. Offering up a breath of fresh air from the all consuming Grunge of the time, Undertow jumped into the music world sticking out like a sore thumb but also with a middle finger in the air.
Their second album Aenima released in 1996 was the first with Justin Chancellor on bass. This album sounded a lot more polished than Undertow and cemented the fact Tool were not like anything else about at the time. Their songs were long and didn’t rely on a chord progression or a catchy chorus to carry the song. Instead they were like a story sometimes starting slowly before erupting into an explosive riff then dropping back down slowly seducing your ears until building again. These were the kind of songs you sit listening to tapping your feet building in anticipation for the moment the song thunders into life. For example the albums opening track ‘Stinkfist’ starts with a haunting scratching sound before exploding to life. Themes of the album contain Egyptian mythology such as a seven pointed star symbolising Babalon. The album was also dedicated to comedian Bill Hicks who they felt shared the same views as the band themselves. The title track ‘Aenima’ won a Grammy award for best metal performance in 1998 not bad for only their second album. Give this album a listen and you wont regret it I promise you that! For the 77 minutes the album plays for you will be blown away at this masterpiece of alternative metal. So close the curtains put your headphones on and shut out the world.
Lateralus the third studio album released in 2001 and is a favourite of mine as this was the first time I actually heard Tool. The first time I saw anything by them was the music video for ‘Schism’. As I mentioned earlier about songs starting slowly and building ‘Schism’ is the ultimate example of that. I still remember it clear now a rainy day sat watching the Kerrang music channel. I must have only been around 12 years old and on comes this song with the weirdest music video I had ever seen. The songs dark tone coupled with a video of a bold headed human looking creature pulling objects from its body was definitely catching my young imagination. The lyrics “I know the pieces fit” repeating over and over was something I wouldn’t forget.
Whilst watching the video my dad walks in looking at me like I guess most fans of Tool would if they caught their kid listening to what they call real music. He passes me the Lateralus album and away I went to discover the rest of this band that moments ago had me sat glued to the TV. A lot of different effects and techniques were used in this album. It still had the explosive riffs that the previous albums possessed but with a lot of suspense building palm muting and gaunt bass lines. Maynard’s often haunting emotion filled vocals beautifully present the songs to their full potential. And whether its Carey’s jungle like drum beats in the opening to ‘the grudge’ or Adams colossus distorted power riffs every member adds the perfect touches to complete these amazing pieces of art. Lateralus been the first Tool album I heard obviously holds very good memories for me but even after listening to other albums it in my opinion is still their best work to date. Its as though Undertow and Aenima gave birth and the end result is this child that you can’t let go of and even after years you could never get tired of hearing it.
The fourth and final album 10,000 days didn’t come until 2006. In my mind this album had a lot to live up to following on from Lateralus but as always Tool didn’t let down. The opening track ‘Vicarious’ I especially loved, just a roaring beast of metal with Maynard’s operatic touch is an amazing introduction to the album. The albums title refers to a time when Maynard’s mother became paralysed an event that would be used for inspiration behind a couple of the songs in this album. 10,000 days reminded me a lot of Undertow with just how heavy some of the songs are but with a lot of new techniques thrown in. Such as Adams use of a talk box on the guitar solo for ‘Jambi’. The album received a Grammy award for best recording package in 2006 and was met with good reviews.
If your reading this and its the first time you have ever heard of Tool I hope this article has encouraged you to go off and listen to some of their music. You can then thank me after and to the people who already know about Tool you won’t need to be told to go off and listen as you most probably already are.
Edit – This article was orginally wrote before Tool released their Highly anticipated new album, hence why it’s not mentioned here.
soundageddon.art.blog 