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Tool is an American progressive rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, when drummer Danny Carey joined the rehearsal of his neighbor, singer Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Paul d'Amour, when nobody else would show up.[1] His decision proved to be a stroke of luck when the band turned out to become a highly successful act, "introducing dark, vaguely underground metal to the preening pretentiousness of art rock"[2] — most notably due to their influential third release, Ænima (1996). They have gained appreciation and critical praise for a complex and ever-evolving sound, that ranges from "slam and bang" heavy metal on their first release[3] to more progressive influenced songwriting on Lateralus (2001) which "in another era [...] would have been considered progressive rock, ten tons of impressive pretension."[4] Their overall sound has been described as "grinding, post-Jane's Addiction heavy metal"[2] as well as "a primal sound as distinct as it is disturbing"[5] — most simplified categorizations of the band's genre are often dismissed (see: Genre and influences). They are known for addressing philosophical and spiritual issues in their lyrics, such as evolution and Jungian psychology ("Forty-Six & 2"), organized religion ("Opiate") and transcendence ("Lateralus"), as well as for songs that feature "complex rhythm changes, haunting vocals, and an onslaught of changes in dynamics"[6] which often result in a greater-than-average track length.
HistoryThe early days (1990–1995)During the 1980s the future members of Tool, guitarist/bassist Paul d'Amour, drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones and singer Maynard James Keenan coincidentally moved to Los Angeles. Both d'Amour and Jones wanted to enter the film industry. Carey became a professional drummer playing for Carole King, Pigmy Love Circus and Green Jellÿ. Image:Screenshot tool sober lollapalooza 93 mtv clip.jpg Tool appeared on the 2nd stage Lollapalooza in 1993. Jones, Keenan and Carey are pictured from left to right, performing "Sober" [1] Keenan, along with d'Amour and Jones, started their own band at the end of the decade. Carey was introduced to Jones by Tom Morello, an old high school friend of Jones. In 1990 when Carey, then a neighbor of Keenan, joined their rehearsal, Tool was formed. The next year Tool began touring with Rollins Band, Skitzo, Fishbone, and Rage Against the Machine.[9] Tool received immediate recognition for their first commercial release, Opiate (1992), which borrows its name from Karl Marx's famous quote: "Religion is the opium of the People." The six-song EP included the "hardest sounding" songs the band had written to that point, among them the singles "Hush" and "Opiate."[10] A music video for "Hush" had the band members appearing naked and their mouths covered by duct tape, symbolically protesting censorship. The video showed the band's genitalia covered with parental guidance stickers.[11]
Music sample:
The band received negative publicity, however, with the release of the 1994 single "Prison Sex" and its music video, directed and created by Adam Jones. The American branch of MuchMusic called the band into question by deeming the video too graphic and offensive.[9] MTV stopped airing the video after a few viewings — both due to a symbolic dealing with the sensitive subject of child abuse.[13] In May of 1993, Tool was scheduled to play the Garden Pavilion in Hollywood. The band learned at the last minute that the Garden Pavilion belonged to L. Ron Hubbard’s Church of Scientology which "betrays the band’s ethics about how a person should not follow a belief system that constricts their development as a human being."[9] In a recent interview with Blender, Maynard recalled that he "spent most of the show baa-ing like a sheep at the audience."[14]
In September 1995, shortly after recording for their second album began, D'Amour left the band amicably. In November, D'Amour was replaced by Justin Chancellor, a member of Peach, an English band with whom Tool had previously toured in Europe. Ænima, legal issues, A Perfect Circle and Salival (1996–2000)Image:Tool aenima cover dedication to hicks.jpg This version of the Ænima (1996) artwork shows a dedication to satirist Bill Hicks — "another dead hero." After Justin Chancellor came on board, Tool finished the already-begun Ænima, which was subsequently released in October of 1996. Once again, a single had difficulty gaining airplay; this time it was "Stinkfist." MTV renamed the music video of the song to "Track #1" because of the offensive connotations, and multiple radio edits were made to both shorten the song and change its lyrics. However, an overwhelming fan response compelled most radio stations to play the track uncut. In addition, Matt Pinfield, the host of MTV's 120 Minutes, responded to fan complaints by waving his fist in front of his face on air while explaining the reason for the name change as he introduced the video.[15] Ænima would be Tool's last studio album release for five years. Music sample:
Ænima was dedicated to satirist Bill Hicks who died two-and-a-half years before its release. Some clips of Hicks' performances are included on both Ænima and Undertow, including multiple sketches about psychedelic drugs and a sample of a bleating sheep. The lenticular casing of the Ænima shows California falling into the Pacific Ocean, and the chorus of the song "Ænema" features the lyric "Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona Bay"; these are references to another popular Hicks sketch about his hatred of Los Angeles. Eventually, "Ænema" would win Tool their first Grammy Award.[16] The band began touring to support the album in October 1996, two weeks after Ænima's release. After numerous appearances in the United States and Europe, Tool headed for Australia in late March. April 1 saw the first of several April Fools pranks related with the band, most of them being initiated by Kabir Akhtar, webmaster of the semi-official fanpage t.d.n., announcing that "while on tour in Australia, Tool's tour bus was involved in a serious highway accident. Early reports from Zoo Entertainment are that at least three of the band are listed in critical condition."[17] The hoax gained wide attention, and was eventually exposed on radio and MTV. Akhtar later posted an apology, claiming that t.d.n. "will not indulge itself in such outlandish pranks in the future"[17] - a false claim as later pranks would prove. Of course, the tour continued the next day as originally announced. Eventually returning to the United States, Tool appeared at Lollapalooza again, this time as a headliner, gaining critical praise from the NY Times:
That same year, Volcano Records alleged contract violations by Tool and filed suit. Tool looked at offers from other record labels, an action not allowed by the contract, according to Volcano. After Tool filed a counter suit stating that Volcano failed to use a renewal option in their contract, the parties settled out of court. The parties later agreed to a new contract and a three-record deal. This legal battle put a great strain on the band and delayed work on their next album.[9] During this time, Keenan founded a new band, A Perfect Circle, with long-time Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel and members of other well known bands such as Marilyn Manson , Primus , Failure , Smashing Pumpkins and The Vandals. At this point, rumors that Tool were breaking up were beginning to spread, until the band released the box set Salival in 2000, effectively putting an end to the rumors.[2] The box set featured one new original recording, "Merkaba," as well as recordings of unique live versions and B-sides, including a cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter," a Peach cover called "You Lied" and a new version of "Pushit," which became extremely popular among fans. Also included in the box set were four of the band's videos, "Stinkfist," "Ænema," "Prison Sex" and "Sober." The DVD also contained a bonus video of the track "Hush," from the Opiate EP. Although this release did not produce any singles, the hidden track "Maynard's Dick" (a track which dates back to the Opiate era) briefly found its way to FM radio when several DJs chose to sneak it onto the air without permission. Lateralus, rumors and DVD singles (2001-2005)Image:Tool KingCrimson Poster 20010803 redrocks.jpg In 2001 progressive rock legends King Crimson opened 10 concerts for Tool; this concert poster advertises a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. In January 2001, the rumor mill surrounding the band gained new life when Tool announced their new album, Systema Encéphale, along with a tracklist full of esoteric and obscure words such as "Numbereft," "Encephatalis," "Musick," and "Coeliacus." As anticipated, file-sharing engines such as Napster became flooded with bogus files disguised with those titles.[19] During that time, Tool members were outspokenly critical of engines like Napster due to the negative impact on smaller artists that are dependent on success in record sales to continue their career. Keenan had this to say during an interview with NY Rock in 2000:
Only one month later, they revealed that the new album was actually titled Lateralus and that the name Systema Encéphale and the tracklist had been a ruse,[21] much to the dismay of music magazines and commercial websites who had committed headlong to the fake title. Lateralus features songs averaging six-and-a-half minutes in length, unwieldy even for the most ambitious of disc jockeys. The music video for "Parabola" clocked in at ten-and-a-half minutes, almost condemning it from being aired on mainstream music channels. Music sample:
Nevertheless, the album became a success the world over, reaching #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts on its debut week.[22] Tool received their second Grammy Award for the best metal performance of 2001 for the song "Schism."[16] During the band's acceptance speech, drummer Carey stated that he would like to thank his parents (for putting up with him) and Satan, while bassist Chancellor concluded: "I want to thank my dad for doing my mom."[23] Extensive touring throughout 2001 and 2002 supported Lateralus, and included a personal highlight of the band: a 10-show mini-tour with King Crimson in August of 2001, during which the progressive rock veterans opened for Tool. During a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre (see poster above) Keenan concluded: "For me, being on stage with King Crimson is like Lenny Kravitz playing with Led Zeppelin, or Britney Spears onstage with Debbie Gibson."[24] The tour eventually came to an end on November 24 2002 in Long Beach, CA at Long Beach Arena. Although the end of the tour seemed to spell another dormancy for the band, they did not become completely inactive. While Keenan recorded and toured with A Perfect Circle, the other band members released an official yet fanclub exclusive interview and a recording of some of their new material. On March 31, 2005, the official website announced - to the shock of many fans and friends - that "Maynard has found Jesus" and would be abandoning the recording of the new Tool album temporarily and possibly permanently. Kurt Loder of MTV contacted Keenan via email to ask for a confirmation and received a very nonchalant confirmation. When Loder asked again, Keenan's response was simply "heh heh."[25] On April 7, the official Tool site posted the following news item titled with the Bill Hicks quote "Christians, huh? So forgive me.": "Good news, April fools fans. The writing and recording is back under way." [26] While the writing and recording proceeded for the by then long awaited follow-up to Lateralus, the wait was shortened by the release of a Lateralus vinyl edition, two DVD singles, and a new elaborate splash intro to the band's official website by artist Joshua Davis.[27] The "double vinyl four-picture disc" edition of Lateralus was first released as a limited autographed edition exclusively available to fan-club members, and publicy released on August 23 2005. On December 20 2005, the two DVDs were released, one containing the single "Schism" and the other "Parabola." Both DVDs have the music videos for each single, along with commentary. In addition, each disc has a remix of each song by Lustmord. The two DVD singles were released on January 9 2006 in Europe. 10,000 Days and a new tour (2006-2007)Image:Tool revolvercover 20060105.jpg Tool on the cover of the June 2006 issue of Revolver. After some minor details about the band's next album emerged, such as the influence of Lateralus tourmates Fantômas and Meshuggah,[28] the notorious rumor mill surrounding new Tool-releases resurfaced, fueled by unusual incidents. One of the main controversies regarding the new release was the album title. After rumored titles such as Teleincision had been dismissed, a news item on the official Tool website eventually announced the new album's name: 10,000 Days. Still, rumors regarding the new album's name continued to emerge. The news item announcing the album's name was posted on March 3, 2006; however, it was removed that same day from the official site and left only to the fanclub exclusive area. Why it was posted non-exclusively and then removed remains a mystery. The rumors surrounding the band's activities reached a point where it was speculated that they had fabricated a "decoy" album, creating an elaborate hoax to fool audiences until the day of release.[29] They only began to subside when a leaked copy of the album was illegally distributed via filesharing networks preceding the release date by two weeks. The album opener "Vicarious" premiered on US radio stations on April 17, while the record was released as announced on May 2 2006 in the US, and debuted at the top spots of various international charts. 10,000 Days sold 564,000 copies in its opening week in the US, reaching number one on the Billboard Top 200 charts and beating out Pearl Jam's self-titled album, the closest competitor.[30] However, the critical reception of 10,000 Days was less favourable than its predecessor Lateralus (as indicated by a Metacritic average score of 68).[31] While the elobarate packaging of 10,000 Days gained Tool the distinction of "Best Recording Package" during the 49th Grammy Awards in February 2007, their first single "Vicarious" fell short in the category "Best Hard Rock Performance" to Wolfmother's "Woman".[32]
After the release of 10,000 Days, a tour kicked off at Coachella on April 30, 2006. Much like the Lateralus tour of 2001, it was followed by a handful of shows in smaller venues and theaters in the U.S. and Canada, and then festivals, such as the Download Festival, Rock am Ring and Pinkpop, and solo shows in Europe. In fall 2006, Tool toured across North America (except for the Southeastern U.S.), playing in large arenas and amphitheatres with support by Isis. From November to mid-December, they returned to Europe to present the stage show in cities not covered by the first leg, this time with Mastodon as the opening act. In January and February 2007, Tool toured Australasia to headline the Big Day Out music festival with sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. Tool's plan to continue touring in North America until April were postponed to late April-June due to a bicep tear suffered by Danny Carey during a short break from touring. Carey underwent surgery on February 21. Nevertheless, the band's headline gig at the Bonnaroo Music Festival 2007 is not jeopardized. Genre and influencesBecause of Tool's experimental approach to music, it is disputed how to define their place in reference to traditional musical genres. Most often, Tool is categorized as a progressive rock (or "prog") band. Those who feel that Tool are progressive rock artists frequently cite the popular (and admittedly broad) definition of prog. It is a style of rock music that seeks to move away from the mainstream by "pushing the envelope" of the rock genre, creating new sounds and styles that often possess a characteristically high level of layering, complexity and musicianship - elements of which can easily be found in the band's music. Many of their songs contain complex and changing rhythms and time signatures. For instance, the rhythms used in songs like "Schism" (5/8 to 7/8, or in 6.5/8 according to Justin Chancellor) and "Lateralus" (9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8). Danny Carey is also renowned within the drum world for his use of poly-rythmns. Other aspects of their music which land Tool in the progressive rock genre are their use of dissonance, and other forms of instrumental experimentation. For example, the incorporation of a "pipe bomb microphone" (a guitar pickup mounted inside a brass cylinder), a talk box guitar solo ("Jambi"), Justin Chancellors use of modulation and delay effects, Danny Carey's tabla and electro drum sections, among others. Beyond the broad definition of prog as an experimental art form, however, lies much debate about what really makes a band part of the prog scene. As Keenan said in an interview with the Boston Herald in 2006:
Perhaps the band most cited as a Tool influence is King Crimson, admittedly a favorite group of Tool themselves. King Crimson are listed at the forefront of progressive rock. However, longtime King Crimson member Robert Fripp has expressed disdain for the term as an oversimplification, and in an interview with Tool, touched briefly on how the two bands relate to each other:
So even among the band and their peers there still remains a debate, not only about their place in progressive rock but also about just how closely they resemble their progenitors who are themselves only debatably established in the genre. When Tool is not called prog, they are typically referred to as some sub-category of metal. Keenan's unique style of singing has been repeatedly seen influencing new artists, such as Pete Loeffler (of Chevelle), Aaron Lewis (of Staind), David Draiman (of Disturbed), Steve Richards (of Taproot), Jeremy Stanley (of Acroma), Scooter Ward (of Cold), Will Martin (of Earshot), and Jesse Hasek (of 10 Years). When asked about "these bands who list [Tool] as an influence" during an interview with the Australian music magazine Drum Media Keenan replied:
Tool is sometimes given an extended genre that would appear to be specific to the band, such as "psychedelic math-metal"[36] as other bands that have defied a common classification have. They have also been listed under many genres that people do not normally consider them to be a part of, such as jazz rock (a slight reinforcer to progressive rock assertions), and sometimes even trip-hop, although this occurs mostly as an allusion to a unique live set that featured Tricky. EtymologyImage:Tool-logo-early.jpg Tool's early logo The band has circulated several stories surrounding the origin of their name. One of the most vital speculations revolved around lachrymology, a pseudophilosophy that the band has stated was founded in 1949 by Ronald P. Vincent after the death of his wife in a snow plowing accident. Drummer Danny Carey alleged that the name "Tool" means that the band served its fans as a tool through which those people would come to understand the concept of lachrymology. However, it is more likely that the band made this up in order to create a unique backdrop, since singer Maynard James Keenan gave a more direct approach to explaining his band's name in an interview in 1994:
MembersCurrent membersPrevious membersSide projectsImage:Screenshot jones keenan mrshow.jpg In Mr. Show's premier episode, Jones and Keenan are interviewed about the arrest of serial criminal Ronnie Dobbs. Keenan, in his role as Puscifer's vocalist, replies, "Guilty? Yeah. But he knows it. I mean, you're guilty. You just don't know it. So who's really in jail?"
All of the members of Tool have their own side projects that exist both during and between Tool recording sessions and tours. To summarize in brief, their side projects are as follows:
DiscographyStudio albums
Others
Visual artsImage:Tool-Sober-video-screencap.jpg Screencap from "Sober", directed by Adam Jones and Fred Stuhr. An integral part of Tool's work as a band is to incorporate influences of other work of arts in their music videos, live shows and album packaging. One expression of this kinship between the band's music and visual arts is an entire website "dedicated to the arts and influences" on the band, dissectional.com. Music videos
With the exception of "Hush", all of Tool's music videos feature stop-motion animation created by Jones, in a style similar to the Brothers Quay. Many were created with the help of outside artists such as Cam de Leon, Alex Grey, the Brothers Strause, and Osseus Labyrint. Out of seven music videos, the band members make appearances in only the first two. One of the most well-known videos by the band is the video to their single "Sober" (pictured to the right). The Rolling Stone described the video, "where those evil little men dwell in a dark dungeon with meat coursing through pipes in the wall" as "groundbreaking".[38] Until today, no videos have been released to accompany any of their songs off their latest release, 10,000 Days. The video for "Vicarious" was "nearly finished" in July 2006[39] but has yet to be released, and a similar situation exists for "The Pot". Album artwork
Tool's album packaging are quite elaborate when compared to other artists' releases. This has been noted by the Grammy Awards Academy which nominated Lateralus for and awarded 10,000 Days with the distinction of "Best Recording Package" during the 49th Grammy Awards in February 2007.[32] Some of 10,000 Days' art was created by Alex Grey, but Adam Jones worked as art director on the concept that includes 3-D artwork, photos and a built-in set of stereoscopic lenses. Jones described their goal as follows: "We always try to think of something that's never been done before, you know, as far as album packaging, and I've been a fan of stereoscopic photography my whole life [...] if we could get this to work with our budget, and put this out, it'd be really unique and reflecting a lot of the artwork that I appreciate from the '70s."[40] Live showsImage:Tool live mannheim 2006.jpg Tool performing live in 2006, showcasing an elaborate light show. Live shows on Tool's headline tours differ from many other rock concerts. The band members are placed quite unusually, with singer Maynard James Keenan lining up in the second row with drummer Danny Carey, while guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor stand in first row at the respective edges of the stage. The songs are accompanied by laser shows, the display of their respective music videos and other visual effects on big screens in the background. ToursFollowing the first tours in the early nineties, Tool has toured around the globe as a headline act, in large venues supported by some well-known acts, ranging from Isis to King Crimson. Today, the band also headlines major festivals, such as Coachella (2006) or Big Day Out (2007). Tool has been joined on stage by numerous artists, including Zack de la Rocha, Robert Fripp, Mike Patton, and Kirk Hammett. They have covered songs by Ted Nugent, Kyuss, Led Zeppelin, and the Ramones, among others. TributesImage:Tool-tribute-third-eye.jpg Cover of Third Eye Open: The String Tribute to Tool. The String Quartet Tribute has created several Tool tribute albums, the first of which is Third Eye Open: The String Quartet Tribute to Tool (2001). Tool songs are arranged for classical music string instruments (violins, viola, cello and a double bass) with at least three musicians. The lack of percussion is sometimes countered with "clicking" col legno and other bowing techniques. Tool's songs are mostly multi-sectioned, and the band's sophisticated grasp of harmony allows for an interesting instrumental interpretation. Metamorphic: The String Tribute to Tool Volume 2 (2003) is performed by two groups of musicians, including the group from Third Eye Open. Other String Quartet Tribute titles include: Finding Beauty in the Dissonance: A Piano Tribute to Tool, Chamber Made: The Baroque Tribute to Tool, Anotomica: The String Quartet Tribute to Tool, and The String Quartet Tribute to Tool's Ænima. Other tributes to Tool include: A Gothic Acoustic Tribute to Tool, Tribute to Tool played by various rock artists, and Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Tool. Notes
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