Tool

Tool is a one-of-a-kind progressive metal band hailing from Los Angeles, California. Consisting of lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey, and bassist Justin Chancellor, the band has been making music since the early 1990s. Tool's unique blend of music and enigmatic lyrics have garnered them a massive following over the years, with fans drawn to their paradoxical belief system and their incorporation of mathematical and ritualistic themes in their music.

About Tool

Tool burst onto the music scene with their first (and only) EP, Opiate, back in 1992. It wasn't until their debut studio album, Undertow, released in 1993, that the band gained mainstream success by headlining Lollapalooza festivals. As the alternative rock scene faded from public interest, Tool transitioned into art rock and progressive rock, releasing their albums Ænima (1996), Lateralus (2001), and 10,000 Days (2006), which have gained worldwide critical and commercial acclaim. Their fifth studio album, Fear Inoculum, was released in 2019 after over a decade of anticipation from fans.

What sets Tool apart from other metal bands is their ability to incorporate complex time signatures into their music and arrange their instruments into intricate formations, as well as their use of the Fibonacci sequence in their song "Lateralus." Tool's approach to their music and their audiences is part conviction, part sarcasm, and their fans have become indoctrinated into their calculated mystique, questioning every bit of news the band puts out and taking it with a grain of salt.

While Tool's music and lyrics are often perplexing, their visual arts and album art are just as impressive. The band's music videos are made entirely from claymation, and they have won multiple Grammy awards for their album art, contributed by guitarist Adam Jones and artist Alex Grey. Tool's sound is most accurately described as a mix of progressive metal, psychedelic rock, and art rock.

Tool's relationship with the music industry has always been ambivalent, marked by censorship and their continued insistence on privacy. The band has stayed true to their enigmatic persona, offering artsy word-salad bios on their website that create an almost cult-like following for their music. Messages or news the band releases, whether directly from a band member or through the media, are meant to be questioned and taken with a grain of skepticism, adding to the band's mystique.

Although fans had to wait for years for Tool's music to be available for digital streaming and purchase, the band released all of their music on all streaming platforms in August 2019, giving fans across the world access to their impressive discography.

In short, Tool is a progressive metal band unlike any other - their complex music, paradoxical lyrics, intriguing visuals and calculated mystique have made them one of the most beloved and enigmatic bands in the business. With a fiercely loyal fanbase and a willingness to push the boundaries of music and art, Tool continues to redefine what it means to be a prog-metal band in the modern era and will undoubtedly continue to excite and perplex fans for years to come.