Biography
Tool forged a place among the United States’ most lasting and surprising bands through their constantly shifting approach to forceful yet consciousness-expanding sounds, an ironic wit, and an enigmatic visual style that drew an almost fanatical audience despite issuing only a small number of albums across many years. Their primary achievement lay in fusing shadowy underground metal with the scope of art rock, building multi-part, densely textured compositions in the manner of classical composers. At the same time they honored the unremittingly grim outlook of grindcore, death metal, and thrash, and although post-punk elements surfaced in their work, they delivered it with the sonic weight and scope of prog rock, shifting between extended, intricate instrumental passages and spoken-word tirades. Emerging in the early 1990s with Undertow, they were initially grouped with the nu-metal acts then dominant, which brought rock-radio success with their second album, 1996’s Ænima. They soon distanced themselves from those ties, moving past conventional structures and durations to create pieces frequently exceeding ten minutes on the albums Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006). Following a 13-year absence they resurfaced in 2019 with their fifth album, the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated Fear Inoculum. In 2022 they marked their 30th anniversary by issuing “Opiate²,” a re-recorded treatment of their debut single.
Percussionist Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, and original bassist Paul D’Amour assembled the group in Los Angeles. Tool proved adept at expressing the choked, suffocating tension that defined the early-’90s alternative scene, allowing them to enter that world in the post-Nirvana period. A prominent slot on the third Lollapalooza tour in 1993 propelled their first full-length, Undertow (Zoo Entertainment), to platinum certification, while renewed interest also returned their 1992 Opiate EP to the Billboard charts. During the recording of the follow-up, D’Amour left Tool on amicable terms and Justin Chancellor took his place. When the revised lineup released Ænima in late 1996, the alternative mainstream was prepared; the album reached number two on the Billboard charts and earned multi-platinum status within a decade. The singles “Stinkfist,” “Forty Six & 2,” and the Grammy-winning title track all reached the Top Ten on the U.S. Rock chart, aided by the unsettling videos directed by Jones. After sharing the Lollapalooza ’97 bill with Korn, Tool stayed on tour in support of Ænima through the following year.
As nu-metal reached peak commercial dominance at the decade’s end, Tool withdrew from view. During the break Keenan launched a side project with former Tool guitar technician Billy Howerdel; A Perfect Circle appeared in 2000, and their album Mer de Noms became an unexpected success whose sold-out tour intensified breakup speculation. To counter those rumors the band issued the interim B-sides/DVD collection Salival late that year. In the studio they pursued a still more independent direction, expanding their internal mythology so that tracks lengthened, lyrics grew more opaque, and artwork turned increasingly psychedelic. Retaining their heavy, metal foundation, the quartet broke from standard forms by exploring intricate time signatures, vast atmospheric layers, and classical methods of composition. The first sign of 21st-century Tool surfaced in January 2001 with the Grammy-winning single “Schism,” their initial entry on the Hot 100. Lateralus (Volcano) followed that May and topped the Billboard 200; later singles “Parabola” and “Lateralus” performed strongly on the U.S. Rock charts, and the album soon achieved multi-platinum status.
After another extended pause—during which Keenan rejoined A Perfect Circle—the band returned with yet another chart-topper, 2006’s 10,000 Days. Their most inward-looking statement to that point, the album yielded the singles “Vicarious,” “Jambi,” and the U.S. Mainstream Rock number one “The Pot.” Although it became their lowest-selling release, the record earned the group a third Grammy for Best Recording Package. Once touring concluded, Tool entered another prolonged hiatus. A brief summer run in 2009 offered only a temporary interruption; a full decade would pass before new music appeared. In the interim Keenan introduced his near-solo outlet Puscifer and completed a third album with A Perfect Circle, while the band remained entangled in litigation that was not settled until 2015. The following year they resumed limited U.S. dates, renewing fan speculation about fresh material.
After the 13-year interval between albums, Tool issued their fifth opus, Fear Inoculum, in 2019. Their third consecutive number-one set, it also contained their second Hot 100 entry, the ten-minute title track, which became the longest song ever to appear on that chart. Simultaneously the band placed their entire catalog on streaming services, sending earlier albums back onto the charts and setting new records. They launched a sold-out U.S. arena tour with Killing Joke and closed the comeback cycle with Grammy nominations for “7empest” and “Fear Inoculum”; the former earned them the 2020 Grammy for Best Metal Performance. In March 2022 they released “Opiate²,” a re-recorded version of their 1991 single “Opiate,” issued to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their debut EP.
Percussionist Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, and original bassist Paul D’Amour assembled the group in Los Angeles. Tool proved adept at expressing the choked, suffocating tension that defined the early-’90s alternative scene, allowing them to enter that world in the post-Nirvana period. A prominent slot on the third Lollapalooza tour in 1993 propelled their first full-length, Undertow (Zoo Entertainment), to platinum certification, while renewed interest also returned their 1992 Opiate EP to the Billboard charts. During the recording of the follow-up, D’Amour left Tool on amicable terms and Justin Chancellor took his place. When the revised lineup released Ænima in late 1996, the alternative mainstream was prepared; the album reached number two on the Billboard charts and earned multi-platinum status within a decade. The singles “Stinkfist,” “Forty Six & 2,” and the Grammy-winning title track all reached the Top Ten on the U.S. Rock chart, aided by the unsettling videos directed by Jones. After sharing the Lollapalooza ’97 bill with Korn, Tool stayed on tour in support of Ænima through the following year.
As nu-metal reached peak commercial dominance at the decade’s end, Tool withdrew from view. During the break Keenan launched a side project with former Tool guitar technician Billy Howerdel; A Perfect Circle appeared in 2000, and their album Mer de Noms became an unexpected success whose sold-out tour intensified breakup speculation. To counter those rumors the band issued the interim B-sides/DVD collection Salival late that year. In the studio they pursued a still more independent direction, expanding their internal mythology so that tracks lengthened, lyrics grew more opaque, and artwork turned increasingly psychedelic. Retaining their heavy, metal foundation, the quartet broke from standard forms by exploring intricate time signatures, vast atmospheric layers, and classical methods of composition. The first sign of 21st-century Tool surfaced in January 2001 with the Grammy-winning single “Schism,” their initial entry on the Hot 100. Lateralus (Volcano) followed that May and topped the Billboard 200; later singles “Parabola” and “Lateralus” performed strongly on the U.S. Rock charts, and the album soon achieved multi-platinum status.
After another extended pause—during which Keenan rejoined A Perfect Circle—the band returned with yet another chart-topper, 2006’s 10,000 Days. Their most inward-looking statement to that point, the album yielded the singles “Vicarious,” “Jambi,” and the U.S. Mainstream Rock number one “The Pot.” Although it became their lowest-selling release, the record earned the group a third Grammy for Best Recording Package. Once touring concluded, Tool entered another prolonged hiatus. A brief summer run in 2009 offered only a temporary interruption; a full decade would pass before new music appeared. In the interim Keenan introduced his near-solo outlet Puscifer and completed a third album with A Perfect Circle, while the band remained entangled in litigation that was not settled until 2015. The following year they resumed limited U.S. dates, renewing fan speculation about fresh material.
After the 13-year interval between albums, Tool issued their fifth opus, Fear Inoculum, in 2019. Their third consecutive number-one set, it also contained their second Hot 100 entry, the ten-minute title track, which became the longest song ever to appear on that chart. Simultaneously the band placed their entire catalog on streaming services, sending earlier albums back onto the charts and setting new records. They launched a sold-out U.S. arena tour with Killing Joke and closed the comeback cycle with Grammy nominations for “7empest” and “Fear Inoculum”; the former earned them the 2020 Grammy for Best Metal Performance. In March 2022 they released “Opiate²,” a re-recorded version of their 1991 single “Opiate,” issued to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their debut EP.
Albums
Singles
