# I know some of you have terrible taste in music



## ArtDecade (Mar 7, 2022)

... so here is Tool playing Undertow for the first time in 20 years. I find that weird because they only have two songs that anyone knows and this is half of them.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 7, 2022)

Looks kinda like the Fox Theater in Detroit. I saw an absolutely awful Iggy Pop show there, it was so bad people were leaving a couple songs in. Hang the sound guy.


----------



## hayfever (Mar 7, 2022)

why is tool the one band that everybody hates to love?


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 7, 2022)

hayfever said:


> why is tool the one band that everybody hates to love?



Drop D riffing with a good drummer and terrible vocals. Meanwhile their fans would buy albums of them passing wind and telling the rest of us that we "just don't get it."


----------



## Metaldestroyerdennis (Mar 7, 2022)

hayfever said:


> why is tool the one band that everybody hates to love?



Tool fans are just edgy Radiohead fans

Nobody hates tool they hate tool fans saying garbage like this


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 7, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Drop D riffing with a good drummer and terrible vocals. Meanwhile their fans would buy albums of them passing wind and telling the rest of us that we "just don't get it."



Does anyone else remember that old fake tool myspace that had that song about bathing in expensive plum sauce? That was a banger.

Now I'm thinking about farting in an expensive plum sauce bath.


----------



## Randy (Mar 7, 2022)

Metaldestroyerdennis said:


> Tool fans are just edgy Radiohead fans
> 
> Nobody hates tool they hate tool fans saying garbage like this


I was super disappointed when I started getting into Radiohead and realized not all their songs are melancholy wrist cutting music.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 7, 2022)

As a massive tool fan, I love this whole thread lol


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 7, 2022)

I absolutely adore U2. So my opinion on music is suspect from the get go.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 7, 2022)

There are two types of tool fans, those who take the band seriously like some pretentious Berklee band, and those that wanna slide a mile 6 inches at a time on Maynard's dick.


----------



## mikelikesmetal (Mar 7, 2022)

i liked took a lot when i was in 6th grade, then i discovered meshuggah and realized they do polyrhythms wayyyyyy better.


----------



## Decapitated (Mar 7, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Drop D riffing with a good drummer and terrible vocals. Meanwhile their fans would buy albums of them passing wind and telling the rest of us that we "just don't get it."


Hey! I have that album. In fact, I have the super limited edition with behind the scenes footage of the recording and mixing of said wind passage.


----------



## John (Mar 7, 2022)

Consistently relevant submission:


----------



## spudmunkey (Mar 7, 2022)

I was like, "20 years? No way, that's can't be right, because when I saw them just those few years ago, they played...wait...when was that again?"

*checks date*

"2001"

Well, shit.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 7, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> I absolutely adore U2. So my opinion on music is suspect from the get go.



U2's discography is nearly unassailable until 2001. All That You Can't Leave Behind wasn't terrible but it was the least interesting thing they'd put out at that point by a pretty fair margin. 

From there, things got weird and bad.


----------



## jaxadam (Mar 7, 2022)

I thought this was the only Tool album. I'm so confused.


----------



## Wc707 (Mar 7, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Looks kinda like the Fox Theater in Detroit. I saw an absolutely awful Iggy Pop show there, it was so bad people were leaving a couple songs in. Hang the sound guy.


I used to listen to Iggy Pop, was always curious what his live shows where like. Always heard, but never seen.


----------



## Giest (Mar 7, 2022)

Their new shit is whack.


----------



## Wc707 (Mar 7, 2022)




----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 7, 2022)

Wc707 said:


> I used to listen to Iggy Pop, was always curious what his live shows where like. Always heard, but never seen.



For all I know it was a great Iggy Pop show, but the sound was unbelievably bad. I was able to tell what the first song was by listening to the people in the rows in front of me, who could actually hear Iggy, singing along. We waited about 3 songs hoping it was going to get better and it didn't so us and a bunch of other people walked out. I got my stupid leatherman confiscated at the door too, all in all I paid well over $100 for the experience.

To top it all off, I had chosen _not_ to go to a show in Columbus that night that was Melvins, Melt Banana, and Napalm Death.


----------



## Wc707 (Mar 7, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> For all I know it was a great Iggy Pop show, but the sound was unbelievably bad. I was able to tell what the first song was by listening to the people in the rows in front of me, who could actually hear Iggy, singing along. We waited about 3 songs hoping it was going to get better and it didn't so us and a bunch of other people walked out. I got my stupid leatherman confiscated at the door too, all in all I paid well over $100 for the experience.
> 
> To top it all off, I had chosen _not_ to go to a show in Columbus that night that was Melvins, Melt Banana, and Napalm Death.


That's a bummer, buckaroo.


----------



## chipchappy (Mar 7, 2022)

do people still feel enough about tool to hate them these days? I honestly feel like i haven't paid attention to them in like 20 years. Once you find better music it's hard to go back to this stuff


----------



## Emperoff (Mar 7, 2022)

I remember getting the AEnima album (aelbum?) because a chick I was after like... 15 years ago?

I've never seen that girl again. And same goes for Tool


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 8, 2022)

Randy said:


> I was super disappointed when I started getting into Radiohead and realized not all their songs are melancholy wrist cutting music.


I never cared for Radiohead until I met my partner and heard more of their music. The only song I heard prior was Creep, and it's by far their shittiest song, but it's the only one they played on the radio around her, ever.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 8, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> I never cared for Radiohead until I met my partner and heard more of their music. The only song I heard prior was Creep, and it's by far their shittiest song, but it's the only one they played on the radio around her, ever.



What if Creep is not only a shitty song, but also their best song...


----------



## bostjan (Mar 8, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Looks kinda like the Fox Theater in Detroit. I saw an absolutely awful Iggy Pop show there, it was so bad people were leaving a couple songs in. Hang the sound guy.



Little Caesar's Arena, which I've never been to. Seen one or two great shows at the Fox Theater years and years ago, though.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 8, 2022)

While we're throwing stones in glass houses, this seems to be a good time to point out that we are on a forum full of dozens if not hundreds of regular posters who unironically like hair metal and arena rock.


----------



## brector (Mar 8, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> While we're throwing stones in glass houses, this seems to be a good time to point out that we are on a forum full of dozens if not hundreds of regular posters who unironically like hair metal and arena rock.


Wait until you find out the OP is one of them


----------



## bostjan (Mar 8, 2022)

I mean, it's music. It's not like it's out there causing people to have a rare skin disease or curing people of a rare skin disease. Maybe it's only coincidental and anecdotal that most Tool fans I know happen to have a rare skin disease, but that's beside the point.


----------



## mikelikesmetal (Mar 8, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> While we're throwing stones in glass houses, this seems to be a good time to point out that we are on a forum full of dozens if not hundreds of regular posters who unironically like hair metal and arena rock.


the sad part is, a lot of the musicians in that time were really great musicians. they just sold their shit for money instead of creating art for the sake of creating art. what’s gonna appeal to the masses the most? sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll baby!


----------



## TheBlackBard (Mar 8, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> While we're throwing stones in glass houses, this seems to be a good time to point out that we are on a forum full of dozens if not hundreds of regular posters who unironically like hair metal and arena rock.




That and a bunch of dudes who name their projects something mathematical/scientific so we can see "intelligent" they are, and then add on delay and reverb to their clean tones while neutering a 5150/variant for their heavy tones. So essence, it's U2 on a more pretentious level now that they're bringing it to the level of their band names, Meshuggah rip-offs (riff-offs?) when they decide to let loose, and then when all that isn't enough, they play a variation of a scale they just learned and they do it REALLY fast and fit it in between 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0 every few seconds. Fuck all that, I'd rather listen to Tool. There's no deeper meaning to Tool, I just happen to like some of their songs.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 8, 2022)

brector said:


> Wait until you find out the OP is one of them



Oh, he knows. Dokken > Tool


----------



## GunpointMetal (Mar 8, 2022)

They took a decent song and made it into a endurance test. Good job guys!


----------



## Randy (Mar 8, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Oh, he knows. Dokken > Tool


Don Dokken = Tool


----------



## Emperoff (Mar 8, 2022)

- Gibson: Releases another Slash sig. People: Gibson is firewood! Another Les Paul? Yawn!

- Also Gibson: Releases an Adam Jones sig (guess what, another Les Paul) priced at 10k. They sell them all in a matter of seconds.

Tool fans in a nutshell.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 8, 2022)

Randy said:


> Don Dokken = Tool



Dream Warriors > pick a tool song


----------



## oompa (Mar 8, 2022)

jaxadam said:


> I thought this was the only Tool album. I'm so confused.


you must be OGT, back from 92, from the first EP


----------



## sakeido (Mar 8, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> I absolutely adore U2. So my opinion on music is suspect from the get go.


hey now U2 was great up until Zooropa


----------



## Lorcan Ward (Mar 8, 2022)

I don’t know why everyone hates on TOOL so much but I do love all the memes posted in FB shitposting groups.

I loved this song but didn’t really get the rest of the album. 
 

If I want to hear Maynard I’ll just put on A perfect circle.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 8, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Oh, he knows. Dokken > Tool



I will give you this one purely on the fact that Dokken has (or at least had at one point) a holiday named after them 



sakeido said:


> hey now U2 was great up until Zooropa



Even Zooropa had some great tracks on it, but admittedly was not as solid as the albums that came before. I thought the title track especially was a big winner, as well as Numb.


----------



## NoodleFace (Mar 8, 2022)

Tool is the winter sun of heavy rock. Put out a great album 20 years ago and have done nothing notable since


----------



## Demiurge (Mar 8, 2022)

oompa said:


> you must be OGT, back from 92, from the first EP


It's telling that even by their second studio album they had to devote a whole song to telling-off a fan for being a douchebag.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 8, 2022)

oompa said:


> you must be OGT, back from 92, from the first EP


Fuck you, buddy


----------



## Seabeast2000 (Mar 8, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> I will give you this one purely on the fact that Dokken has (or at least had at one point) a holiday named after them
> 
> 
> 
> Even Zooropa had some great tracks on it, but admittedly was not as solid as the albums that came before. I thought the title track especially was a big winner, as well as Numb.



Dirty Day was in my tops from that goofy album as well.


----------



## Humbuck (Mar 8, 2022)

I saw Tool at CBGB's in '92, two nights in a row....they were interesting. I saw them again many years later at the PNC Arts Center in NJ...they were not interesting.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 8, 2022)

Seabeast2000 said:


> Dirty Day was in my tops from that goofy album as well.



This thread is now about U2 and how they were awesome for (almost) two solid decades.

Speaking of their weird albums, I always really loved this song with Johnny Cash from Pop, which for my tastes was overall a weaker album than Zooropa despite this absolute gem.


----------



## thraxil (Mar 9, 2022)

I loved Undertow. I literally wore through my Opiate cassette. I liked Aenima when it came out but didn't really listen to it much after a couple years. I literally can't even name a Tool album after that. Everything post-Aenima that I've heard just felt really masturbatory and never interested me. And I *love* weird, atmospheric, academic music. I'll listen to Basinski or Schoenberg or Orthrelm for days and nerd out about the tiniest details.


----------



## WarMachine (Mar 9, 2022)

Not a big Tool fan, but AEnima was a great album IMO.


----------



## WarMachine (Mar 9, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Dream Warriors > pick a tool song


Since there's not much other than Stinkfist from tool, why not throw in Its Not Love? Dokken 2, Tool 0.


----------



## Demiurge (Mar 9, 2022)

I'd say that Lateralus was interesting, too, for its time- until it became apparent that it wasn't a bold direction as much as the symptom of the loss of ability to self-edit. 

When I was in college every fucking band formed was a jam band, so the act of dicking-around for 10 minutes on an arrangement became less impressive.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 9, 2022)

Y'all are insane. Undertow, Aenima, Lateralus and 10000 days were all bangers. I'll admit the newest album was a bit of meh, but god damn, if you can't listen to songs like H, Prison Sex, The Pot, Rosetta Stoned and not nod your head to the beat, do you even feel?

I also like 2000s deathcore so I suppose I'm not the best to trust for good music.


----------



## Crungy (Mar 9, 2022)

Legend has it this is the guy Maynard was telling off


----------



## zappatton2 (Mar 9, 2022)

Lol, I dunno, I always liked Tool, never loved them. If I give them a listen these days, there are definitely songs that I skip over.

As far as the fandom goes, to be honest, I don't know enough people in my day-to-day, at my age, that really still care that much about music, so it isn't something I get inundated with.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 9, 2022)

And fucking Christ if anyone can listen to the Wings of Marie part 1 and 2 without feeling some type of way, shit. Heartless, Soulless monsters you are.


----------



## Seabeast2000 (Mar 9, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Heartless, Soulless monsters you are.


----------



## Voodoo Marshall (Mar 9, 2022)

Tool has one song but it's a hell of a song. Over 20+ years they've written hundreds of variations. Even with that said, I still like the band.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 9, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> I will give you this one purely on the fact that Dokken has (or at least had at one point) a holiday named after them
> 
> 
> 
> Even Zooropa had some great tracks on it, but admittedly was not as solid as the albums that came before. I thought the title track especially was a big winner, as well as Numb.



Numb is the best song on that album. Other than that and Zooropa, it was just... Okay. There was one other song on that album I liked, but I think its because of what Larry Mullen, Jr. was doing on it more than anything.



wheresthefbomb said:


> This thread is now about U2 and how they were awesome for (almost) two solid decades.
> 
> Speaking of their weird albums, I always really loved this song with Johnny Cash from Pop, which for my tastes was overall a weaker album than Zooropa despite this absolute gem.




They really were though weren't they. Joshua Tree in particular is a high water mark for them I think. There was a lot of dynamics added to their approach to playing and the production on that album was unreal.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 9, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> They really were though weren't they. Joshua Tree in particular is a high water mark for them I think. There was a lot of dynamics added to their approach to playing and the production on that album was unreal.



Agreed, Joshua Tree absolutely deserves its place as a classic. Really love the ebow on With or Without You. It was also released just a few days before my birthday on my birth year. Today, coincidentally. Happy 35th, Joshua Tree!

October is also just an incredible sophomore album. Not a bad song on there, and the 2008 remasters are squeaky clean. The arrangements on that album really hinted at what was to come with Joshua Tree. I probably listen to this one the most these days. The interplay of guitar and vocals building chords and voice-leading reminds me a lot of Third Eye Blind, especially their first album. Would not be surprised of Cadogan was a big U2 fan. 

Achtung Baby is another really strong one for me, I really appreciated the big sounds and bold new directions they tried out on this one. Honestly would've liked to hear more of that "big sound" U2.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 9, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Agreed, Joshua Tree absolutely deserves its place as a classic. Really love the ebow on With or Without You. It was also released just a few days before my birthday on my birth year. Today, coincidentally. Happy 35th, Joshua Tree!
> 
> October is also just an incredible sophomore album. Not a bad song on there, and the 2008 remasters are squeaky clean. The arrangements on that album really hinted at what was to come with Joshua Tree. I probably listen to this one the most these days. The interplay of guitar and vocals building chords and voice-leading reminds me a lot of Third Eye Blind, especially their first album. Would not be surprised of Cadogan was a big U2 fan.
> 
> Achtung Baby is another really strong one for me, I really appreciated the big sounds and bold new directions they tried out on this one. Honestly would've liked to hear more of that "big sound" U2.




Agree. I think that my most listened to album by them now is Unforgettable Fire. There are a lot of really good songs on there, and they were really playing with empty space a lot on that album. Something I think more heavy bands should really consider doing.


----------



## neurosis (Mar 9, 2022)

I used to love this band (Tool, not U2). Undertow only had parts that grabbed me but the subsequent records felt fatter, less dry and more atmospheric. I think 10.000 days is the peak. Then it took a million years to get Fear Inoculum and I have to say it was underwhelming at first. 10.000 days at least opened with Vicarious which was a fairly different vibe to the other albums. Inoculum feels like one long song. One that has its moments but is overall to long. I have come to appreciate that record more but it's definitely not my favorite. Maybe in 20 years from now they'll put out a single I really like again. 

We're spoiled by music. There are so many options that at a given time I suppose you expect more from certain bands. Especially when they've been idle for a long time. Doesn't always work out. They're a cool band and I enjoyed when I saw them live but lately they are definitely not a priority to listen to.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 9, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> Agree. I think that my most listened to album by them now is Unforgettable Fire. There are a lot of really good songs on there, and they were really playing with empty space a lot on that album. Something I think more heavy bands should really consider doing.



I also very much enjoy tasteful use of empty space. I need to spend more time with this album, especially with this assessment in mind. It's probably my _least_ listened to pre-2000s U2. My parents are both big fans (go figure) and praise this album highly. They saw U2 at Red Rocks back in the good times, it was very wet, the whole crowd got absolutely dumped on. Dad had a great time, Mom had a terrible time. Funny to hear the two different accounts of the same show. Dad's was nearly spiritual.

When I'm less broke, getting remasters of some of these on vinyl is a goal. I have a beat up War LP, definitely a classic album, but there are others I'd really like to have.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 9, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> I also very much enjoy tasteful use of empty space.



That's how my wife feels about what's going on in my head.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 9, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> That's how my wife feels about what's going on in my head.



At least you're using it tastefully! It's not "empty," it's "negative space!"


----------



## Ralyks (Mar 10, 2022)

I became a major Tool fan somewhere around Aenima and Lateralus. Saw them live twice around 10,000 Days and it was amazing. After that, I just slowly listened to them less, came around a bit for Fear Inoculum, then faded again. That said, Aenima is still a banger of an album.

Also, U2 was fantastic up to and including Zooropa.


----------



## mongey (Mar 10, 2022)

everything up to and including lateralus is great IMHO

what comes after is just rehashing the same thing over and over. but more pretentious . and I have no idea why they started mixing maynard voice so low on the later stuff

He's a great vocalist.


----------



## GenghisCoyne (Mar 10, 2022)

Metaldestroyerdennis said:


> Tool fans are just edgy Radiohead fans
> 
> Nobody hates tool they hate tool fans saying garbage like this


i hate tool


----------



## Hoss632 (Mar 10, 2022)

That's the beauty of music. Everyone can have an opinion and it's not wrong. For instance I'm not really a fan of Tool. Just never enjoyed their music.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 11, 2022)

I feel like we're getting close to the point in the cycle where people who hate tool and make jokes about tool fans are more obnoxious and insufferable than tool fans who stopped their bullshit a while back.

Hey, maybe that'll be the subject of the next Tool song?


----------



## LostTheTone (Mar 11, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> I feel like we're getting close to the point in the cycle where people who hate tool and make jokes about tool fans are more obnoxious and insufferable than tool fans who stopped their bullshit a while back.
> 
> Hey, maybe that'll be the subject of the next Tool song?



"We're so meta that we write songs about how people hate our fans"?

Yeah, that sounds about right.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 11, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> I feel like we're getting close to the point in the cycle where people who hate tool and make jokes about tool fans are more obnoxious and insufferable than tool fans who stopped their bullshit a while back.
> 
> Hey, maybe that'll be the subject of the next Tool song?



Reminds me exactly of jokes about vegans. Literally nobody is talking about vegan and then some brodude is like "YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN TELL IF SOMEONE IS VEGAN LOL" like okay bud, you're the one who brought it up. It's okay to eat tofu every once in a while.

My first tattoo at 20 was an eyeflame from the Lateralus art on my forearm, I figure since I have the fanboi stamp I'm allowed to say whatever the fuck I want.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 11, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Reminds me exactly of jokes about vegans. Literally nobody is talking about vegan and then some brodude is like "YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN TELL IF SOMEONE IS VEGAN LOL" like okay bud, you're the one who brought it up. It's okay to eat tofu every once in a while.
> 
> My first tattoo at 20 was an eyeflame from the Lateralus art on my forearm, I figure since I have the fanboi stamp I'm allowed to say whatever the fuck I want.


This guy gets it.


----------



## LostTheTone (Mar 11, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> My first tattoo at 20 was an eyeflame from the Lateralus art on my forearm, I figure since I have the fanboi stamp I'm allowed to say whatever the fuck I want.



"I was into Tool before everyone hated them"?


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 11, 2022)

LostTheTone said:


> "I was into Tool before everyone hated them"?



"I was into Tool before Tool hated their fans"


----------



## Crungy (Mar 11, 2022)

I was a tool before I listened to Tool.


----------



## LostTheTone (Mar 11, 2022)

Crungy said:


> I was a tool before I listened to Tool.



And now?


----------



## Crungy (Mar 11, 2022)

Waiting for the results from the doc, I think the surgery worked.


----------



## Crungy (Mar 11, 2022)

I still like some Tool songs but I'm in the camp of Lateralus was their best work. There's some stuff on 10000 Days I liked but by then I had lost a lot of interest in them. To me, Karnivool is the new Tool and more enjoyable. Though unfortunately they've followed suit by hardly putting out music.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 11, 2022)

I loved 10000 days but I'll even admit that Lateralus was their best work, no questions to me.


----------



## gunch (Mar 11, 2022)

I was 12 or 13 when the video for Schism first started to air on tv and up until then I had never seen something so aggressively weird 

Maynard is weird


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 12, 2022)

gunch said:


> I was 12 or 13 when the video for Schism first started to air on tv and up until then I had never seen something so aggressively weird
> 
> Maynard is weird


I thought Adam was responsible for most of their art direction?


----------



## Giest (Mar 12, 2022)

I find myself more and more frequently agreeing with Tool haters when it comes to anything up to and past 10k Days. I use phrases like "meandering build to nothing, pretentious, not heavy, hipster beer of music", and I'm not incredibly happy about it. Their earlier work before the last two drops was fascinating and evocative, I think maybe the whole world got a lot crazier and they just got older. At any rate I'm not tuned in anymore I guess. IDGAF what Maynard has to say about literally anything, I was never too into their song topics or the members at all, I just like the music and if they ain't gonna make music I like anymore I'm over it.

I think the only Tool album I would snatch off the shelf these days would be an album of covers. I really like their version of No Quarter, though I loathe Zeppelin.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 12, 2022)

Personally to me, the art of Tool is Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor being just LOCKED together like one being playing drums and bass simultaneously, then Adam's thiccness filling it out. Maynard has always just been an added layer, that is MOSTLY appreciated.


----------



## Jarmake (Mar 13, 2022)

Tool is a funny band... I LOVE prog stuff, polyrythms and weird psychedelic shit, but I could never get in to tool. My friends play tool a lot at parties etc. but I just never heard anything that made me go like "what was that?". Just like dream theater is to me too.


----------



## /wrists (Mar 13, 2022)

Jarmake said:


> Tool is a funny band... I LOVE prog stuff, polyrythms and weird psychedelic shit, but I could never get in to tool. My friends play tool a lot at parties etc. but I just never heard anything that made me go like "what was that?". Just like dream theater is to me too.


If my friends played Tool at a party, I would bump it. 

Most of my friends play Cardi B...


----------



## Jarmake (Mar 13, 2022)

evade said:


> If my friends played Tool at a party, I would bump it.
> 
> Most of my friends play Cardi B...



All my friends listen to all kinds of metal and rock, so the party playlists consists mostly of harder stuff.

It is very rare to hear any mainstream pop stuff where I attend.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 13, 2022)

My partner's buddy is in his late 30's and got into Tool in early high school, so he has this reverie for them especially when we're drinking. I get it because of being at that age at that time when Aenima came out and such, but I keep trying to explain to him that Tool inspired so many bands since then that took the idea and ran with it in so much more creative ways, while Tool just kinda waited in their box for 20+ years. I gave him a list of great prog albums to listen to but I don't think he went to check them out yet.


----------



## neurosis (Mar 13, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> My partner's buddy is in his late 30's and got into Tool in early high school, so he has this reverie for them especially when we're drinking. I get it because of being at that age at that time when Aenima came out and such, but I keep trying to explain to him that Tool inspired so many bands since then that took the idea and ran with it in so much more creative ways, while Tool just kinda waited in their box for 20+ years. I gave him a list of great prog albums to listen to but I don't think he went to check them out yet.



would you post that list? I am interested in checking out the influences. Thanks!


----------



## tedtan (Mar 13, 2022)

neurosis said:


> would you post that list? I am interested in checking out the influences. Thanks!


Same here.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 13, 2022)

I wrote it down in his phone, so next time I see him I'll ask and see. I do know that Karnivool's Sound Awake, a couple from Intronaut, East of the Wall's Redaction Artefacts, Soen's Lykaia, and The Ocean's Pelagial were all on there, where Soen would be the easiest leap from Tool.


----------



## neurosis (Mar 13, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> I wrote it down in his phone, so next time I see him I'll ask and see. I do know that Karnivool's Sound Awake, a couple from Intronaut, East of the Wall's Redaction Artefacts, Soen's Lykaia, and The Ocean's Pelagial were all on there, where Soen would be the easiest leap from Tool.


Awesome. Share when you have a moment. All good bands. I am listening to the new Soen now. Will check out East of the Wall. Didn't;t know that band. Thanks


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 13, 2022)

neurosis said:


> Awesome. Share when you have a moment. All good bands. I am listening to the new Soen now. Will check out East of the Wall. Didn't;t know that band. Thanks


I found East of the Wall through this forum and also never heard of them, doesn't seem like they promote much but they've been around for a while and have like a few albums, that one just happens to be my favourite. Their newest one, Np-Complete, probably fits in easier for Tool being a stepping stone since it's almost entirely clean vocals. 

I also wasn't a big fan of Soen's latest album, nothing really stood out for me but Lykaia and Tellurian are both great.


----------



## neurosis (Mar 14, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> I found East of the Wall through this forum and also never heard of them, doesn't seem like they promote much but they've been around for a while and have like a few albums, that one just happens to be my favourite. Their newest one, Np-Complete, probably fits in easier for Tool being a stepping stone since it's almost entirely clean vocals.
> 
> I also wasn't a big fan of Soen's latest album, nothing really stood out for me but Lykaia and Tellurian are both great.


Yeah so far the album is not my favorite. But the band isn't a top 10 for me either so it's ok. They make good music. I'll let you know what I think of the East of the Wall record. I put it on yesterday night but it was too late and I fell asleep. Will listen again when I actually have time. Thanks again fro sharing!


----------



## RevDrucifer (Mar 14, 2022)

I hated Tool for a long time. My best friend is a huge fan (not the stereotypical Tool fan) and was trying to get me to go see them since ’95 and I refused, saying “All their songs sound the same; boring verses with the dude talking and them a heavy chorus with screaming” He couldn’t believe the Dream Theater fanatic in me couldn’t appreciate the odd-time stuff. 

I remember when “Schism” came out, TOS in Maine was playing it nonstop and I dug it, but it wasn’t until I heard “Lateralus” that I fell in love with one of their songs. Well before any of the Fibonacci stuff was being discussed anywhere. The same buddy had one request before he moved for college; that in our ritual of getting stoned in my truck before jamming in the basement we had to listen to this Tool song he knew we’d love. The first couple minutes I remember kind of scoffing but when it got to that ’breakdown’ “With my feet upon the ground”…..it was over for me. That’s still one of my favorite sections of recorded music. Nothing to do with the lyrics or Fibonacci shit, that’s just a fucking AWESOME section of music. And that drum groove before it?!? Love Danny’s grooves, man. 

It wasn’t until I saw them live that I felt I understood the band, though. I caught them on the Lateralus tour and they tore it up. Meshuggah opened, the place was/is basically a large high school basketball gym in Maine. Hearing those dynamics live made me go “Ohhhh, now I get it.” You certainly realize how much of it is the band themselves and not a shitload of automation/production in the studio. 

And while they catch a lot of shit for their writing process, it’s exactly what I wish Dream Theater would do again. All those early DT songs were the result of jamming those songs out over weeks in a rehearsal space, letting the songs write themselves, opposed to just writing out sections on a dry erase board and sticking them together. 

Caught them again on the 10,000 Days tour and it was another killer show. Maynard started phoning it in a bit after 2010, most certainly the result of saving his voice and just not being an angst-ridden individual, but it really takes their music down a notch for me and was one of the contributing factors to not going to see them a few weeks back. (Being totally honest, I probably would have gone but didn’t want to run into my ex-wife, who very much IS a stereotypical Tool fan).


----------



## neurosis (Mar 14, 2022)

RevDrucifer said:


> I hated Tool for a long time. My best friend is a huge fan (not the stereotypical Tool fan) and was trying to get me to go see them since ’95 and I refused, saying “All their songs sound the same; boring verses with the dude talking and them a heavy chorus with screaming” He couldn’t believe the Dream Theater fanatic in me couldn’t appreciate the odd-time stuff.
> 
> I remember when “Schism” came out, TOS in Maine was playing it nonstop and I dug it, but it wasn’t until I heard “Lateralus” that I fell in love with one of their songs. Well before any of the Fibonacci stuff was being discussed anywhere. The same buddy had one request before he moved for college; that in our ritual of getting stoned in my truck before jamming in the basement we had to listen to this Tool song he knew we’d love. The first couple minutes I remember kind of scoffing but when it got to that ’breakdown’ “With my feet upon the ground”…..it was over for me. That’s still one of my favorite sections of recorded music. Nothing to do with the lyrics or Fibonacci shit, that’s just a fucking AWESOME section of music. And that drum groove before it?!? Love Danny’s grooves, man.
> 
> ...



I have to say I agree with the points you're making about the width and nuance of their live sound although they can sound muddy in big venues with a lot of reverb depending on where you sit. I suppose any band could have this problem though. 

I really enjoyed the live shows but the one time I have been floored with Maynard is when I have seen him with A Perfect Circle. That was a somewhat magical show although they all looked like Playmobil on stage.


----------



## RevDrucifer (Mar 15, 2022)

neurosis said:


> I have to say I agree with the points you're making about the width and nuance of their live sound although they can sound muddy in big venues with a lot of reverb depending on where you sit. I suppose any band could have this problem though.
> 
> I really enjoyed the live shows but the one time I have been floored with Maynard is when I have seen him with A Perfect Circle. That was a somewhat magical show although they all looked like Playmobil on stage.



Yep, the 2nd time I saw them I was pretty high up on the sides of the arena and the sound was bouncing around quite a bit. That venue is known for it. I saw Gigantour in the mid 00’s there and we got VIP/box seats from our beer distributor at work and while it was a cool experience, it sounded like shit. My dad saw Billy Joel there and said he could barely recognize the songs it was so bad where he was at. The first time it was small enough that it didn’t matter where you were, it sounded great everywhere. 

I only got to see APC once and it was on the eMotive tour; that was easily the most boring fucking show I’ve ever seen and I LOVE APC. It was at one of my favorite venues in Boston, right on the harbor in an open air tent, but the setting couldn’t save that show. Really wish I could have caught them on either of the first two album tours. Billy Howerdel’s tones are some of my all time favorites and those first two albums might be more influential on me than Tool’s entire catalog.


----------



## thraxil (Mar 15, 2022)

RevDrucifer said:


> I remember when “Schism” came out, TOS in Maine was playing it nonstop and I dug it, but it wasn’t until I heard “Lateralus” that I fell in love with one of their songs.



Just going to add a completely off topic: fuck yeah WTOS! Top of the Mountain! I used to stay up late every Thursday night to tape Metal Shop.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 15, 2022)

Mer de Noms and Thirteenth Step > Tool's entire body of work, don't @ me.


----------



## bostjan (Mar 15, 2022)

RevDrucifer said:


> I was pretty high


I know I'm taking this completely out of context, but I feel like this explains how a substantial portion of Tool fans became Tool fans.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 15, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> My partner's buddy is in his late 30's and got into Tool in early high school, so he has this reverie for them especially when we're drinking. I get it because of being at that age at that time when Aenima came out and such, but I keep trying to explain to him that Tool inspired so many bands since then that took the idea and ran with it in so much more creative ways, while Tool just kinda waited in their box for 20+ years. I gave him a list of great prog albums to listen to but I don't think he went to check them out yet.



It's funny, I can't stand most of the post-Tool prog out there. The Ocean does things for me, Precambrian is a very special album, but they're hardly Tool-adjacent to me. I think where I hear their influence the most in my life is a lot of heavier post rock/doom/sludge groups. Yob comes to mind as a very obvious comparison, they also nameTool as influences and have toured with them. Those genres are shot through with relics of Adam's riffing. This discussion is certainly a testament to the wide variety of genres they've influenced.



bostjan said:


> I know I'm taking this completely out of context, but I feel like this explains how a substantial portion of Tool fans became Tool fans.



Also funny, I was a very well behaved kid, and was a completely sober Tool fan for the first 5 years or so of my fanboihood. It also turns out I've usually got better things to do with an acid trip. 


This is one of the most remarkable things I've ever heard from them. Hawkman is a Jamaican dance hall artist and I think his vocal style and sense of timing compliment this very, very well. I guess he was on tour with Tricky when Tool toured with him.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 15, 2022)

Last time I dropped acid I told my friends my rule is that I wanted to listen to at least one tool song, I was almost peaking when I put on Rosetta Stoned and it took about 15 seconds for my friend to say "nope" and shut it right off. My trip immediately died and I felt so alone and misunderstood and hated the rest of the trip.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 15, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Last time I dropped acid I told my friends my rule is that I wanted to listen to at least one tool song, I was almost peaking when I put on Rosetta Stoned and it took about 15 seconds for my friend to say "nope" and shut it right off. My trip immediately died and I felt so alone and misunderstood and hated the rest of the trip.



Not going to lie I fully guffawed at this but also my heart goes out to you, that would really suck in the moment. I have definitely negotiated the cessation of music I found extremely distasteful during group trips, and had people politely ask me to play something else during such times as well, but couldn't imagine just "noping" someone in that mental state who I actually liked and respected as a friend. That's fucking rude.


----------



## RevDrucifer (Mar 15, 2022)

bostjan said:


> I know I'm taking this completely out of context, but I feel like this explains how a substantial portion of Tool fans became Tool fans.



Well, it absolutely aided in me loving the shit out of “Lateralus” so I can’t disagree from personal experience. 

Ya must have been….high….


----------



## RevDrucifer (Mar 15, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Last time I dropped acid I told my friends my rule is that I wanted to listen to at least one tool song, I was almost peaking when I put on Rosetta Stoned and it took about 15 seconds for my friend to say "nope" and shut it right off. My trip immediately died and I felt so alone and misunderstood and hated the rest of the trip.



I woulda “noped” buddy, threw some headphones on and did my own thing. Precisely why I generally only trip alone and if someone else is involved, I know we’ll be cool throughout the night. I can be a boring trip buddy, though. I spend most of the time meditating and inevitably watching Floyd’s Pulse DVD.


----------



## RevDrucifer (Mar 15, 2022)

thraxil said:


> Just going to add a completely off topic: fuck yeah WTOS! Top of the Mountain! I used to stay up late every Thursday night to tape Metal Shop.



Hell yeah!

And they were always great to local bands. I’m moving back to the area in the fall, I’m hoping they’re still the station they used to be.


----------



## thraxil (Mar 16, 2022)

RevDrucifer said:


> Hell yeah!
> 
> And they were always great to local bands. I’m moving back to the area in the fall, I’m hoping they’re still the station they used to be.



They got bought by Clear Channel in the early 00's and pretty much switched to the standard generic programming. I haven't really spent much time back there in the last twenty years though so I don't know what it's like these days.


----------



## Nonapod (Mar 16, 2022)

I'm a Tool liker. But I certainly understand the criticisms.

Their biggest fault musically, if it can be called a fault, might be what I'll call their "jammyness". You might ask what the heck do I mean by "jammyness"?

I'm sure most people around here damn well know what the heck a "Jam Band" is. But for clarification, a "Jam Band" is essentially any band which tends to compose songs that have long, extended sections of highly repetitive musical phrases/riffs/vamps/ostinatos/whatever that naturally lend themselves to be extended even more and improvised upon when played live. And because of this... musical prolixity... the more successful of such bands tend to develop passionate fan cultures that enjoy indulging in recreational psychoactive substances to enhance their listening experiences as well as bootlegging. The Grateful Dead and Phish are the most well known of such groups. While most "Jam Bands" tend to fall into subgenres with the "psychodelic" prefix, not all are necessarily mellow, "country fried" hippie music either.

Now I wouldn't call Tool a "Jam Band" exactly, but they do have certain Jam Bandy tendencies of late, in particular from 10,000 Days on. I think over time they've gradually become more "jammy" and less progressive. To me, progressive implies dynamics, melodic counterpoint, and general complexity of music. Jammyness implies more reptition of ideas


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 16, 2022)

Nonapod said:


> I'm a Tool liker. But I certainly understand the criticisms.
> 
> Their biggest fault musically, if it can be called a fault, might be what I'll call their "jammyness". You might ask what the heck do I mean by "jammyness"?
> 
> ...



Massive fan of jam bands. Tool is not - nor will ever be - considered a jam band. A repetition of ideas is the exact opposite of a jam. Your definition would make the Melvins a jam band and Buzzo would slap you for it.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 16, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Massive fan of jam bands. Tool is not - nor will ever be - considered a jam band. A repetition of ideas is the exact opposite of a jam. Your definition would make the Melvins a jam band and Buzzo would slap you for it.



There is a lot of crossover between stoner rock and jam bands, but we can't lay all of that at Buzzo's feet.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 16, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> Massive fan of jam bands. Tool is not - nor will ever be - considered a jam band. A repetition of ideas is the exact opposite of a jam. Your definition would make the Melvins a jam band and Buzzo would slap you for it.


Yeah i'd absolutely agree with this, Tool is the literal opposite of a jam band, in the same vein as meshuggah. Very very long sections meticulously timed out with tiny variations of each riff being done slightly differently at exact moments, jam bands are slightly different each time they play it and a lot of improvisations.


----------



## Giest (Mar 16, 2022)

To the pedestrian music fan Tool is _easily_ classifiable as a jam band. They have lots of extended incrementally building sections and most of their songs are a series of not so elaborate embellishments upon a single chord progression. Pretty jammy in my opinion, but sure maybe not trve kvlt jam or whatever.

Are they literally a jam band? No. Could most people be faulted for wondering all the same? I don't think so. I'm one hundred percent certain we all have better things to do than split hairs over genre typifying in any case.


----------



## Crungy (Mar 16, 2022)

Unless they know they're going to jam something with some loose framework, I could see Tool or Meshuggah do that and let the drummer go nuts on a "jam" 

I would rather listen to that than most jam bands and how much the burnout named Turtle next to me misses Jerry.


----------



## GunpointMetal (Mar 16, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Yeah i'd absolutely agree with this, Tool is the literal opposite of a jam band, in the same vein as meshuggah. Very very long sections meticulously timed out with tiny variations of each riff being done slightly differently at exact moments, jam bands are slightly different each time they play it and a lot of improvisations.


Except Meshuggah manages to make it interesting for at least 3/4 of each album (that doesn't take 13 years to put out).

Also, "jam band" music is equally as boring and even more awful than modern Tool...by a lot. Like A LOT a lot. Jam band music is the equivalent of watching someone with whiskey dick trying to jerk off and make it sexy. Not happening, and only good if you're even more fucked up than they are.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 16, 2022)

Giest said:


> To the pedestrian music fan Tool is _easily_ classifiable as a jam band. They have lots of extended incrementally building sections and most of their songs are a series of not so elaborate embellishments upon a single chord progression. Pretty jammy in my opinion, but sure maybe not trve kvlt jam or whatever.
> 
> Are they literally a jam band? No. Could most people be faulted for wondering all the same? I don't think so. I'm one hundred percent certain we all have better things to do than split hairs over genre typifying in any case.



To the pedestrian music fan, the Dead are the only jam band they could probably name. Not a single one would consider the Dead and Tool as musical cousins. Not in a million years. Ask your friends, your wife, your neighbor - hey, do Tool and the Dead have anything in common? "Lol, no."


----------



## Giest (Mar 16, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> To the pedestrian music fan, the Dead are the only jam band they could probably name. Not a single one would consider the Dead and Tool as musical cousins. Not in a million years. Ask your friends, your wife, your neighbor - hey, do Tool and the Dead have anything in common? "Lol, no."




That's a pretty linear analogy in my opinion, but probably not incorrect in and of itself. I'm speaking about superficial first time or brief listeners, they don't care some dude on the internet is gate keeping Jerry's claim to (arguably, case in point) proper improvisational prowess.

Now I didn't even say Tool was an archetype jam band, just that most first time listeners might not be idiots for noticing the band seems to get lost in the sauce of a few simple chords for upwards of six minutes at a time. It sounds like they're doing improvisational work, and while no they aren't and of course they're not Jerry Garcia that's still how it seems.

I still don't think any dichotomy is necessary. What genre is Tool? Go listen to them, that's what genre they are.


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 16, 2022)

Giest said:


> That's a pretty linear analogy in my opinion, but probably not incorrect in and of itself. I'm speaking about superficial first time or brief listeners, they don't care some dude on the internet is gate keeping Jerry's claim to (arguably, case in point) proper improvisational prowess.
> 
> Now I didn't even say Tool was an archetype jam band, just that most first time listeners might not be idiots for noticing the band seems to get lost in the sauce of a few simple chords for upwards of six minutes at a time. It sounds like they're doing improvisational work, and while no they aren't and of course they're not Jerry Garcia that's still how it seems.
> 
> I still don't think any dichotomy is necessary. What genre is Tool? Go listen to them, that's what genre they are.



You aren't going to confuse Phish with Benny Goodman either. Jam bands can dabble in many genres but they have certain musical tropes that define their sound and just because one improvises doesn't mean they suddenly check all the boxes. Heck, some bands even jam into a Tool track before they wind up in Margaritaville, but Tool just keeps pounding away for 20 minutes sounding like Tool.


----------



## Decapitated (Mar 16, 2022)

Can we please get back on topic and talk about how awesome Dokken is?


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 17, 2022)




----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 17, 2022)

Decapitated said:


> Can we please get back on topic and talk about how awesome Dokken is?



Sorry for the confusion, this thread is actually about U2's pre-2001 discography, all other conversation is off-topic.


----------



## Decapitated (Mar 17, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Sorry for the confusion, this thread is actually about U2's pre-2001 discography, all other conversation is off-topic.


Oh, right. My bad. Wrong thread.


----------



## cardinal (Mar 17, 2022)

I like a lot of Tool songs but hate how I have to skip over so much filler. I can't even just create a play list to avoid some of the junk; some of it is embedded in the songs. Some of my fav songs of theirs are Eulogy and Ticks & Leaches (?) I think, but there are huge portions of the songs that are just pointless. And at first blush it seems their new album is entirely like that?

But songs like Stinkfist, H, 46&2, Vicarious, The Pot, the Grudge, IMHO are just killer.


----------



## Strobe (Mar 18, 2022)

I am not sure I can add much to this thread, much of it is hilarious.

I will say, however, that I unashamedly love Tool. Do not care if Maynard is smart or not (*compared to Stephen Carpenter*, he's a genius - but I also really like the Deftones). I love Maynard's voice. I love the drums and complicated rhythms. Every musician in the band is solid. I really enjoy that their songs both can get stuck in my head, but also do not sound like everyone else (or perhaps anyone else). I have enjoyed every album so far - although Lateralus is a personal favorite.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 23, 2022)

Come on.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Mar 24, 2022)

BlackMastodon said:


> Come on.




All I can say is I hope he wasn't disappointed.


----------



## Crungy (Mar 24, 2022)

They could have slipped and gave him all of Wesley Willis' songs.


----------



## Kolaniak (Mar 24, 2022)

What a waste of technology:









Using a Brain Implant to Communicate, Completely Paralyzed ALS Patient Asks to Listen to Tool Album


The 36-year-old man pointed out that he wants it 'loud.'




www.ultimate-guitar.com


----------



## ArtDecade (Mar 24, 2022)

The patient actually requested Tool music while his brain was out and sitting next to the operating table. Once the new brain was implanted, he requested Dokken. #ModernScience


----------



## BlackMastodon (Mar 24, 2022)

I would've requested Crack the Skye so I could meet Rasputin.


----------



## neurosis (Mar 24, 2022)

"he pointed out he wants it loud".

I do not want to know what he asked for next.


----------



## Kolaniak (Mar 24, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> The patient actually requested Tool music while his brain was out and sitting next to the operating table. Once the new brain was implanted, he requested Dokken. #ModernScience



Dead lmao


----------



## WarMachine (Mar 27, 2022)

ArtDecade said:


> The patient actually requested Tool music while his brain was out and sitting next to the operating table. Once the new brain was implanted, he requested Dokken. #ModernScience


"Said my old brain had to stay
I had my reasons
You can't leave me satisified,
The way that Tool's feelin'"


----------

