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.

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 inventive, meaningful 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 is currently working on their fourth and long delayed full length album, which was originally to be released in 2004 and now expected to be released in 2005 or pushed again to next year (2006). Tourmates Fantômas and Meshuggah were cited as influences.

Members

• Danny Carey (Drums)
• Justin Chancellor (bass)
• Adam Jones (Guitar)
• Maynard James Keenan (Vocals)

Previous members

• Paul d'Amour (bass)

Discography

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". Some of these videos were created with the help of interpretive dance duo Osseus Labyrint .

• 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 this 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.

• The album covers displayed within the Ænima liner notes are fictional.

• Timothy Leary is also an influence and his "Think for yourself, 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. A second volume of string tribute titled The String Tribute to Tool Volume 2: Metamorphic was released in 2003, again containing various tool songs from all four albums. In a similar vein, 'A Gothic Acoustic Ensemble Tribute to Tool' was released in 2004. This tribute is performed on acoustic instruments.

• 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."

• Behind the CD tray on Undertow is a picture of a cow licking itself.

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.

• Behold!!! the Protong by Stanislav Szukalski (ISBN 0867195193)
• AEGYPT by John Crowley (ISBN 0553374303)
• Love and Sleep by John Crowley (ISBN 0553374680)
• And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave (ISBN 1880985721)
• The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (ISBN 0349101779)
• Squeak the Mouse by Massimo Mattioli (ISBN 0874160707)
• Nothing in This Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are by Bob Frissell (ISBN 1583940677)
• Earth by David Brin (ISBN 055329024X)
• Art and Physics by Leonard Shlain (ISBN 0688123058)
• Diary of a Genius by Salvador Dali (ISBN 1871592763)
• Interior Design with Feng Shui by Sarah Rossbach (ISBN 0140196080)
• Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna (ISBN 0062506137)
• Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey (ISBN 0380899825)
• The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav (ISBN 055326382X)
• The Mayan Prophecies: Unlocking the Secrets of a Lost Civilization by Adrian Gilbert & Maurice Cotterell (ISBN 1852309067)
• The Legacy of the Beast by Gerald Suster (ISBN 0491034466)
• The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (ISBN 0806505494)
• Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baignet , Richard Leigh & Henry Lincoln (ISBN 0440136482)
• What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula (ISBN 0802130313)
• Fourth Way by P. D. Ouspensky (ISBN 0394716728)
• Four Treatises Of Theophratus Von Hohenheim Called Paracelus by Paracelsus (ISBN 0801855233)
• The Origin Of Satan by Elaine Pagels (ISBN 0679731180)
• Dune by Frank Herbert (ISBN 0441172717)
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (ISBN 0060531045)
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (ISBN 0553211757)
• Black Spring by Henry Miller (ISBN 0802131824)
• American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (ISBN 0679735771)
• Hellboy: The Lost Army by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden (ISBN 0743462823)
• High Priest by Timothy Leary (ISBN 0914171801)

External links

• http://toolband.com Official site
• http://dissectional.com
• http://toolarmy.com The official Tool fanclub.
• http://toolshed.down.net An unofficial archive of Tool-related material.
• Vanilla Circus' Tool Book (PDF) Unofficial book of lyric interpretations.
• Toolchurch Unofficial fan site for Tool (fans from their web chat, toolarmy etc.)
• Third Eye Gathering Music, art and philosophy event originally inspired by Tool.
• Trade Live Tool Tool live recording trading site.