Tool (band)

Tool is a rock music group formed in the United States in 1990 by vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, bassist Paul d'Amour, and drummer Danny Carey. Paul d'Amour left the band in 1995 and was replaced by Justin Chancellor of the UK band Peach shortly after recording for their third major release, Ænima, began.

File:ToolWrenchLogo.jpg

A logo used by Tool in the mid 1990's

Their music includes elements of heavy metal, progressive rock, psychedelia and art rock. Indicative of their various influences (King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Rush among them), Tool's music features a firm grasp of musical structure, unconventional time signatures, and borderline New Age subject matter.

Tool has long clashed with conventional television and radio due to their dark musical content and dry disposition: "Stinkfist", the first single from Ænima was initially shortened for radio play until overwhelming fan response compelled them to play the track uncut. The music video for the song was also renamed by MTV America to "Track #1" for its offensive connotations. Though the singles for Ænima received significant radio play, 2001's Lateralus featured songs averaging six and a half minutes in length, unwieldy for even the most ambitious disc jockeys. The length of the music video for "Parabola" clocked in at an unheard of ten and a half minutes, almost condemning it from being aired on mainstream music channels. In addition, the members of Tool avoid press, rarely grant interviews, and have only appeared in two of their music videos, "Hush", and very briefly in "Sober".

Tool are currently working on their fourth full length album which is expected to be released late 2004 to early 2005. Tourmates Fantômas and Meshuggah were cited as influences.

Members

Danny Carey (Drums)

Uses one of the largest drum sets in modern music - containing approximately 25 different percussive instruments. Incorporates some basic tabla in songs, i.e. at the end of Stinkfist.
Drummer for Pigmy Love Circus.
Played drums on the Collide song "Somewhere" and Skinny Puppy track "Use Less."

Justin Chancellor (Bass)

Former bass player for the band Peach.

Adam Jones (Guitar)

Trained in special effects and movie makeup and directs all of Tool's videos (with the exception of "Hush" and "Sober"). He worked on the special effects for such movies as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic Park, and Predator 2.
Has appeared on albums by The Melvins and plays as an additional touring guitarist when not working with Tool.
Played in a band with Tom Morello (of Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave) called Electric Sheep while they were attending Libertyville High School in Illinois.

Maynard James Keenan (Vocals)

Vocalist of A Perfect Circle.
Featured on the tracks Green Jelly - "Three Little Pigs" (from the 'Green Jellö Suxx' EP), Deftones - "Passenger" (from the album 'White Pony') and Rage Against the Machine - "Know your Enemy" (from the album 'Rage Against the Machine')

Attended West Point Prep School / United States Military Academy Prep School for some time. His experiences in the armed forces are reflected in several tracks from their debut full length album, Undertow.

Discography

Year	Title	Label
1992	Opiate EP	Zoo/BMG/Volcano: US
1993	Undertow	Zoo/BMG/Volcano: US
1996	Ænima	Zoo/Volcano/BMG: US
2000	Salival (CD/DVD/VHS boxset)	Volcano II/Tool Dissectional: US
2001	Lateralus	Volcano II/Tool Dissectional: US

Trivia

The band's singles and accompanying music videos include: "Hush" from Opiate, "Sober" and "Prison Sex" from Undertow, "Stinkfist" and "Ænema" from Ænima, and "Schism" and "Parabola" from Lateralus. "Hush" was the only video where the band members appear prominently, although they appear briefly in "Sober."

The title track from "Lateralus" was also released as a single, however no video was produced for it. Early pressings of the CD featured the song spelled "Lateralis," but was corrected on subsequent copies.

Henry Rollins appears briefy on Undertow, reciting a spoken word piece on "Bottom."

Comedian Bill Hicks influenced and is well respected by the band. Samples of his comedy are featured on "Third Eye" and the booklet for Ænima has a tribute painting of him.

Timothy Leary is also an influence and his "Think for yourself and question authority" monologue introduces the live version of "Third Eye" on Salival.

Tricky appears, uncredited, in the video for "Parabola."

The String Tribute to Tool: Third Eye Open is a tribute album released in 2001. A number of Tool songs are rearranged 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" arco techniques. Tool's songs are mostly multi-sectioned, and the band's sophisticated grasp of harmony allows for an interesting instrumental interpretation.

The Opiate EP has a secret track called "The Gaping Lotus Experience." It fades in six minutes, six seconds into track six ("666").

The final track of Undertow, called "Disgustipated," appears as track 69 on early pressings of the US copies of the disc, on others it appears at track 30(the intervening tracks are all 3 second blank tracks). On European and other releases, the song appears as track 10 after a period of silence following "Flood."

Reading List

Tool have listed the following books as recommended reading in their official newsletter. Reading these books is encouraged by the band as they provide a stronger insight to Tool's music and inspiration, and the philosophies used in their music.