Tool: The Discussion Thread

A search of this forum turned up seventeen threads about Tool… none generalized, all-encompassing by title and original intention. So let’s make one. There surely must be interest.

What are your favorite albums, songs, images, videos, tours, or the opposite, least favorites, disappointments?

10,000 Days has taken considerable criticism for not being better than Lateralus. I can’t criticize it on that level because it is one of the finest rock albums of the past decade.

The AMG ratings:

Undertow (4 stars… out of 5)
Aenima (4 ½)
Lateralus (4)
10,000 Days (4)

Is this correct, close, wrong?

Dr. Weber

 

A favorite band. I have only seen them live twice but both times were amazing. Favorite album would be Lateralus with "Pu****" being my favorite song.

 

Great, great band. This will be THE classic rock band remembered from the 90/00s.

Now can I get a vinyl box set with all those 4 albums on plain black vinyl with TML or Sterling in the deadwax ? Please !!

 

Along with Porcupine Tree, Tool is my favorite band of the last 15 years. I've seen them live 5 times and they never failed to impress. Every show was different than the last and there was always a lot of energy in the house.

Ænima will always be my favorite for a lot of reasons. I think Forty-Six & 2 is one of, if not the best hard rock track of the 1990s. It seems to me that Tool made an effort to become more complex and technically intricate with each album, and that may be why some fans turned away from 10,000 days. I love all of the albums and I still watch my Salival DVD all the time.

 

Saw them in 2001, in NYC, they were great, but had a huge break in the middle, with naked freaks climbing ropes and stuff, with strange background muzak playing. Took away from the whole flow of the show. Fantomas opened, and they Kicked a--!!!

 

My favourite band aswell from the last 15 years. I've seen them twice and will be seeing them again in a few weeks. I don't agree with the rating for Lateralus, I'd give it a 5 myself. IMO it's one of a handful of albums across all genre's that I would class as being perfect. It has perfect flow.

I was guilty of not giving 10,000 days a chance, following up Lateralus was always going to be hard for them to do. I started to regularly play a while ago and it grew on me quite a lot.

We should get a new album next year, I can't bloody wait for it!!

 

I was at that show at MSG. I remember it being not to long after 9/11. I remember the whole crowd chanting USA , USA!!!

I've seen them quite a few times live and it has always been an experience to say the least.

 

10000 Days gets far more criticism than it deserves. It is one of their stronger albums, and continues to move Tool in a more progressive/experimental direction which isn't a bad thing. I saw them during one of their 10000 Days tours as well, really terrific show.

 

These guys are amazing - any pressing recommendations?

 

I love them and have all their albums. I'll never forget the video for Sober with the little puppet guy watching the meat going through the metal pipe.

 

Seeing them on the 26th of January. Excited, but also cautious as I've heard that the band, especially Maynard, never seem to be too thrilled to play live.

 

Great band, great albums!

 

Aenima and Lateralus are their best albums IMO. I loved the way Lateralus showed a lot of maturity in their lyrics, resloving a lot of issues that were introduced in their prior albums. Aenima is a wonderfully dark, intense, imaginative, angry and at times, funny album.

I fully agree with this criticism. It was a big step down for me, though some of the songs are among their best, as a whole there's too much filler. I read somewhere that this was supposed to be the followup to Aenima and that Lateralus came after 10,000 days. This makes a lot of sense to me, as that harder edge (from Aenima and the earlier albums) is still somewhat present on 10,000 days but largely absent on Lateralus.

I'd give Undertow a 4.5, Aenima and Lateralus a 5 and 10,000 days a 3.75.

 

When I first heard Schism on the radio, it was that rare song that was like nothing I had ever heard. Truly an original composition, and I feel like this song has been overlooked when it comes to definitive songs of this era.

 

Yes, it seems as those the forum members just aren't as keen on hard rock music as other genres in general, so it's harder to find good info about bands like Tool.

I'll be somewhat of a contrarian here... I personally think Undertow and (especially) Aenima represent their most impressive work. On Undertow, Adam's (that's his name, right?) guitar work was both melodic and heavy. This continued on Aenima, though things got a bit heavier and, in my opinion, Maynard's lyrics and vocals hit an incredible high point.

I like Lateralis and 10,000 Days, but in my opinion, it's the guitar work that makes these albums much less enjoyable for me. I find there's either too much clean-toned drop-D pseudo-raga sounding stuff, or nothing but monotonous rhythmic chugging on the bottom string. And those never-ending solos where he uses that vibrator to wander aimlessly around the fret board? Not my cup of tea, and in my opinion the guitarist in particular has become a severely weak link in an otherwise virtuosic band. Compare this to the song "Undertow" or the guitar work in "Pu****." No comparison in my opinion.

Lateralis is significant for the development in Maynard's vocals, as others have commented, but 10,000 Days was just a low point for me. With the exception of the title track (what a beautiful eulogy), the guitar work was monotonous. I like heavy chugging guitar, but a little variety is nice, too.

I know I'll get a lot of disagreement from you all, but Tool really disappointed me, as I worshipped these guys in the '90s, but I feel like I've watched a "progressive" metal band become somewhat stale over the years. .... Don't get me wrong, I still love Tool, but they have fallen far down my list in the last decade.

 

One of my favorite bands. Loved the video imagery from the initial 10,000 Days tour, just brilliant.

I think 10,000 Days suffers from some sequencing issues, personally. Restructure it a little, say . .
Vicarious
The Pot
Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned
Intension
Right in Two
Wings for Marie (1 &2)

. . and you've got the best prog/hard rock album . . . since Lateralus, IMHO.

My only criticism is too damn long between records. Five albums (not counting Salival) in what, 12 years? Oy.

 

Tool is awesome. I think every one of their albums has been unbelievably good, except for 10,000 Days. It was one of those things where if they would have made that an EP, it would have been the greatest EP ever, but there was a lot of stuff on there that I was unimpressed/annoyed with.

At the same time though, it almost feels wrong criticizing 10,000 Days like that. It kind of feels like even Tool's stuff that I think is just "eh" is way more interesting than most stuff out there. So it's more like I get 'upset' because I feel like I 'know' they're capable of coming up with better songs.

Aenima is their best album, with Lateralus and Undertow not far behind. Aenima has this unique sound that I've never heard anywhere else. And the emotion in that album really really really comes out.

Favorite Tool song? Gun to my head, I'd say "Eulogy". That song is soooooooooooooo awesome. I love it so much.

 

G'day,

Never got into Undertow ... liked Aenima, loved Lateralus, quite liked 10000 Days. I tend to play 10000 Days more than Aenima FWIW.

I just wish Tool would speed up their "1 album every 5 years" strategy ... it's like they wanna be the prog/metal equivalent of The Blue Nile

--Geoff

 

I disagree with that, I think the guitar tracks he lays down fit the songs perfectly. Im not sure what you mean by the soloing, there is some of that on 10,000 days but I don't think there are many on Lateralus.

I also agree with the posters who wish they'd speed up their 1 album every 5 years policy. With all of Maynards side projects and his Winery I can't see that changing. No Maynard = No Tool. I have a feeling though that the next album will be their last.

 

I was pretty sure there were some 'vibrator' solos on Lateralus as well. Either way, I need to go back and listen to that album again. It's been a few years.

I just remember thinking after hearing 10,000 Days (the album overall) that this was a further move toward more open-string, palm-muted chugging of whatever note substitutes for E on his bottom string, instead of somewhat more thoughtful riffs with some occasional melodic beauty. Very rhythmic, but I thought the rhythms themselves were pretty monotonous. Second song on the album -- don't know the name -- is my case in point. ... Ah, either way, I hate 'dissing Tool, as these guys are great, intelligent musicians (though I have increasing doubts about the guitarist there) who had a profound, positive impact on my rearing up until the early '00s. I take no pleasure in this....

 

Well, I've read in quite a few places that the band members (Maynard, most significantly) have no intentions of calling Tool quits any time soon, if ever. That seems plausible to me. These guys are in their late 40s, if not later, and have long gotten through the problems that usually break bands up. So yeah, the time-span is always frustrating, but most other bands in their position wouldn't have held on much longer after Aenima or Lateralus. Have to give 'em credit. ... I doubt that whatever Perfect Circle reunion that comes around will jeopardize that (notice how quickly they ran out of steam compared to Tool, for instance), or any of the other side-projects.

 

Never gonna happen. Tool is actually secretly the same guys who back Sade; every 5 years is just their habit.

But seriously folks...

I am sad to say I've never heard their stuff. I was pretty shocked they SOLD OUT two nights at Staples Center in L.A.-I thought their appeal was still more underground.

My friends and kids LOVED the show they saw there.

 

hey guys...
what do u think of the picture disk of lateralus which is damn beautiful artistically speaking...
i really love it

 

Great Band! I only got into them in the last couple years...because of a Forum member b3n, thanks Benjamin!

Favorite songs:
Forty Six & 2
Aenima
The Grudge
Schism
Parabola
Lateralus
Jambi
10,000 Days (Wings Part 2)
The Pot
Right in Two

So I guess I like Lateralus and 10,000 Days about equal. Great variety of song and awesome lyrics on most tracks. Dark but compelling and usually make you think about the lyrics instead of just sing along and forget them because they fit the melody.

Looking forward to the next album!

 

No need to give them a few extra years...

Bass player is 39
Drummer and singer are around 45
Guitarist is 49

I give all their albums 5 out of 5. I'll take an album every 5 years from a band if they're as consistently good (and challenging) as what Tool has released. Favorite track probably would be Lateralus.