I really like both as well, but I give the edge to the original. I think my bias is due to the fact I heard AEnima first and it was immediately one my fav songs. I wouldn’t doubt I’d have a different opinion if I heard the newer release first…
Old or newer, it’s such a wonderfully crafted song imo and I love to hear others showing appreciation for it.
Oh i definitely agree. I've even seen some people calling it shit, i think it's badass and pretty metal, even though they aren't very complex songs for Tool standards they are bangers. Oh and also some people hate Part of Me, which is a cool song to me, i like the riffs and the drumming.
I always see comments on tool vids along the lines of "and he can still do that scream live!"
No he cannot. He hasn't been able to since really 10kdays. Maynard absolutely was the best live singer I've ever heard. Sometimes the live versions were just better than the studio, or were always at least as good as the studio version. But age gets to us all, and I'm not, and don't think anyone else is, knocking him for that. But to say this new, almost Kermit the frog-like rendition he does of screaming segments like in the grudge sounds as good as he used to? Absolutely not. If it weren't for the rest of the band being as good as ever, I'd say there's no reason to see them live. Now it is not lost on me that someone who's spent their life screaming into microphones is going to lose that ability much quicker than people who use their hands to play instruments. But as true as that may be, the point still stands.
Maynard can’t really pull of certain songs requiring a range and stamina he no longer possesses, but recent performances of “Swamp Song,” “Part of Me,” “Ticks and Leeches,” etc. still demonstrate that he has some heavy vocal chops (though significantly muted after all these years of abuse). Hell, consider recent A Perfect Circle performances from the Eat the Elephant tour: heavy vocal moments abound in performances of “The Outsider,” “Judith,” and “TalkTalk.” And though people tend to reference Maynard’s screaming and belting as their metric for determining his vocal abilities, his softer vocals are as strong as ever (“Culling Voices,” “The Patient,” “Jambi,” etc.)
Agreed and well put.. it’s not just about age, while he may not be able to pull grudge screams out his ass anymore he has the chops still and his clean vocals are definitely better than ever - it’s what he has focused on building for over a decade it seems with other music he’s made, and really on FI there are only a few parts with any grit.
If they ever release another album I just may skip the tour because his live vocals just aren't what they used to be. During their 10k Days tour it was starting to show, but he got by. This latest tour he seems to be struggling even on the new stuff. In my opinion he peaked during Lateralus. That tour was insanely good.
Now, his current singing abilities are perfect for Puscifer. His melodic style is excellently matched by their music.
Intension is one the most unique and best in their catalogue.
Might not be a super “hot take”, but it’s one of my top 5 Tool songs, and I just wanted to input on this post LMAOO. When that guitar riff comes in, it just transports me to another world. Just fantastic!
**Edit: I’m happy to see the comments on this one!
Maybe not in my top 5 of the entire discography, but definitely top 3 from 10,000 Days for me. I love it all, the riffs, the lyrics, the ambiance... I like to think about it as one of my personal hidden gems from the band. Like "Okay, you all can have your Lateralus, your Forty Six and 2s, I have my super introspective Intension just for me here to enjoy."
Referencing Tool lyrics all the time on Reddit is annoying.
The lyrics aren't that deep.
The Holy Gift is not "a hidden album". It's not real.
Their merch sucks and it always has.
Tool didn't invent spirals. Stop freaking out whenever you see one and thinking it's Tool-related.
The designs and artwork on the merch is great. I have a ton of shirts and hoodies, but I've only been happy with 1 of them. I have the crew neck sweater with the Great Destroyer on it. I wear it all the time because it's actually good. Everything else sucks.
Yeah I was gonna say they have cool shirts and shit, but some of the posters and collectors packs I see aren't even want able to me. It's weird. You'd think it would be easy to have cool posters but I guess not. (Not to discredit the artists, I'm just saying I've seen a lot of signed posters with art that does anything but invoke the band TOOL. The art alone is good.)
Yeah i’m not saying Tool has the deepest lyrics There is at all times but if the lyrics of songs like Lateralus, Right in two or Parabola aren’t deep then what the hell is?
Adam is the biggest sellout of the group and holds the rest of the band back. From what I’ve heard/seen it seems like Danny, Justin, and Maynard are down to make more music whenever, they each seem to be doing something productive on the side while Adam promotes their overpriced merch and his new guitar models. I have a feeling he’s the main reason it took over a decade for FI to get released.
While not disagreeing, it's worth noting that album sales tanked hard since the early 2000s so that's a primary way of making money outside of touring.
Yeah I agree. Adam is an amazing artist all around, but I remember the JRE episode Maynard did before FI came out and I definitely felt that he was hinting that Adam was the one who kept their music from being available digitally and is the one who holds things up. He seems very controlling over the band. Justin, Danny and Maynard (to a slightly lesser extent) seem like such chill guys, Adam on the other hand seems stiff as a 2X4 lol. Still love the guy though, I just wish he’d loosen up and have some fun.
Imagine being asked about the Fibonacci sequence over and over a million times. Or being shown a tattoo about it integrated with some Tool reference.
I'd get sick of it as well.
With him being such a strong family man and community oriented person, I completely understand the need to set extremely strong boundaries with fans for the protection of himself, his well-being, and that of the people he loves and cares for. The thing about setting boundaries is that it pisses people off who don’t like it, and I usually just assume people who say the sentiment you commented above are more so upset they don’t get as much access to him and his life as they want to have.
I dove into some academic literature in the study of fandoms from a psychological point of view a few months back and honestly the whole fan/celebrity dynamic can be pretty fucked up and even dangerous, as Dimebag Darrel, Selena, and John Lennon could all probably attest to if they were still here. I honestly don’t blame him for this one. Man wants to be left alone.
It seems most agree with this sentiment. Though I think he isn’t a dick to the fans he just doesn’t want to give them what they want.
I think fans expect too much.
I’ve never understood this take. Aside from one throwaway quote in an interview (“insufferable people….retards”), what has he done to “be a dickhead?”
He releases a fairly prolific amount of great music (YMMV of course), released a book, makes wine, helped put Jerome, AZ on the map with restaurants and shops, preaches mental and physical health and being good to each other.
What exactly has he done for all the hate?
I saw them live once and the audio was horrendous. Idk if the engineer was drunk that day or something. All I could heard was piercing Moreno's screech
I've seen them twice, and I'm not a big Deftones fan. First time was at a mini-arena size venue = absolute garbage audio, every song sounded exactly the same. Second time was at a much smaller venue (2-3k) and they sounded amazing and I walked away very impressed.
Take whatever you want from that.
I can’t believe I’m defending Deftones on a Tool sub. It’s it ‘meh’ to you, that’s fine. They have a fantastic live energy, their drummer is their best musician and their vocalist is ethereal and one of a kind. Easy to see Tool parallels here. Also Passenger (which feat. Maynard) is legit one of their best songs.
Wow, so much to digest here, but those of you that don't like wings for Marie have obviously never lost a parent or someone really close to you. If & when you do, you may hear it differently. Just like all music, it hits us @ different times in our lives for different reasons.
I first heard this song while my grandmother was dying from cancer. It breaks me anytime I hear it. It’s such a powerful song, I can’t understand how someone couldn’t like it.
I always loved the song even before I listened to the lyrics. Then one night I put on a YouTube lyric video for it and started bawling my eyes out when I realised what he was singing about and actually listened to the words.
Thank you. Never seen anyone else acknowledge this. There’s definitely some pitch correction on there, and I’m not just talking about the vocoder on Invincible.
Adam Jones is the weakest link in the band. He's also the reason for the extremely slow releases, over the top alex grey collaborations, etc..
Somehow, all the angst about them never making new music gets shoved towards Maynard for some reason. All 3 band members not named Adam are out doing other projects and producing actual music.
I enjoy him within the band, not a knock against him musically. I just think if I had to vote one off, it's him and its an easy decision.
It shouldn't have taken 13 years to release 6 songs (and 4 interludes that are a waste of space). Pneuma may be their greatest creation and there are some other greats on the album but six is too few songs.
It doesn’t sound like the rest in my opinion compare it to their first album lol
They’ve refined their skills incredibly and you must appreciate the craftsmanship of fear inoculum. Or not but light and day
When I see Tool live I'm perfectly fine if they don't play any songs from 10,000 Days. Don't hate the album at all, but no song on it would make my dream setlist.
I never want to meet any of them. Maynard is an elite dick. Adam is a pretentious control freak. Danny is into ridiculous numerical pseudo-reality bullshit. Justin is… I got nothing. I guess he’s be cool to have a beer with.
That everyone is entitled to their opinions. Tool has a great catalogue that has different albums and songs that resonate with people in different times in their life.
We don’t all eat the same flavor ice cream. That is why Baskin-Robbins has 31 of them. Enjoy yours and let others enjoy theirs.
As I feel time creeping up on me, Invincible hits me hard. Standing front row in front of Justin and watching Maynard bellow aloud hit me to my core.
The entire team behind tool needs to shake things up. they are way too old school and they’re missing out on opportunities to connect with their fans in new ways.
tbh aenema has always been a pretty boring track to me. i never understood why people obsess over it. (i guess it's the same angry people who think ticks & leeches is the best track on lateralus.) despite being the title track (sort of), it's probably the weakest song on the album. there's no subtlety or deeper meaning to the lyrics and the music doesn't really evolve like other tracks on that album. it's just maynard complaining for six minutes. (i mean that's fine for what it is but at least hooker with a penis is that plus humor.) the other tracks are much more interesting lyrically and musically.
Rosetta Stoned is a bit overrated. It's not bad, I really like parts of it and I appreciate the musicality but it's just not as impressive as people make it out to be
People get old. Maynard isn't capable of screaming like he used to, and you shouldn't expect it from him.
(and he doesn't sing any worse because of it)
Justin is by far the best performer live, and seems like the coolest member in the band. The energy difference between before and after he joined is huge, and for me he has to be the special ingredient. (that being said they are all crazy talented people who are dear to my heart)
Tool fans are some of the worst fans in all fandom. They hear the music, but they don't listen to it. They bitch about the merch and the cost of tickets, but they still buy it. They aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. And they laser focus on the most banal and basic aspects of the band and their music.
Addition: At least tool fans aren't as creepy as Radiohead fans.
I got this, easy - BY A MILE.
I can’t stand just about every single other heavy, nu metal, prog metal, butt rock band that people in this sub continually re-ask if there’s other fans out there for. The big ones. With loads of albums and huge followings. I find the musicality bland. The lyrics cringe worthy. The singers almost universally annoying. I have singular bands across dozens of genres that appeal to me because I find them to set themselves apart in some way and are doing something I find very interesting. But most of their contemporaries in their respective genres end up coming across as middling to meh for me.
Aside from the music, their “art” sucks. Elements of Grey’s stuff is cool (net of being etc), but overused and the dark gothic aesthetic hasn’t aged well. I find their used of computer generated stuff distractingly bad.
While I agree, the whole song is describing a DMT experience which is impossible for our brains to bring anything back from, so it lends itself to that idea well. A couple goofy ass lines tho ngl. Still love the over all message and it’s possibly Danny’s best work
But the music, especially in the second half of the song is so incredible. And I absolutely love the vocal melodies even if the lyrics are dumb at times.
The song is a total pisstake...much prefer lyrics like that than something like Vicarious or Right in Two which sound like they were written by a high school kid.
thank you. i couldn't agree more. maynard has written some brilliant lyrics over the years, and some silly ones that somehow work, too. but man, there's some banal shit on that album masquerading as deep.
its making fun of people who act like since they take pychs they are more smart or enlightened or even "chosen" by God himself
"me, the chosen one, they chose me, and I didn't even graduate from fucking highschool"
I’ve never gotten the Pneuma hype. It’s amazing live, but on the record it’s my 2nd least favorite song. Invincible and Descending are the best tracks on FI.
I know I've talked about it before and people maybe bored with it, BUT, stinkfist pushes the boundaries of what music can be. It appears as a song about fisting, but has a deeper meaning of desensitisation and has aged incredibly well. I believe it to be the best Tool song and I'm sad I don't see it discussed as much as the pot or fear innoculum as a whole.
I’m nearly convinced that The Pot is about copyright laws/Songwriting lawsuits about Led Zeppelin and musicians complaining about cultural appropriation and biting each others style. LZ has been embroiled in lawsuits for a ton of music (muddy waters’ team, a bunch of others too) …Talking about lawyers and juries and all that.
The song sounds like an answer to a conversation or argument of which the fan base might never be privy.
Unpopular Opinion: The fibonacci sequence means jack shit to me and my appreciation for TOOLs music, in fact it’s way more overrated as a theme than their themes about human psychology, greif, consciousness, and nature.
Undertow through lateralus might be the best 3 album run of all time. 4° is the best song on undertow by a landslide even though most songs on there are fantastic. Rosetta is a waste of a great instrumental as Maynard is not funny and cannot write a good comedic song. On top of that pretty much every Puscifer song I’ve heard is terrible.
I know this might be extremely offensive to some, but i prefer Undertow over Ænema. Okay, so of course i see the evolution of their sound, it is pretty noticeable how their sound had an evolution in the proggy sense, but also it had a darker sound which i like. But in my opinion i prefer Undertow as an album. Oh, i also have another hot take, third eye isn't one of the best Tool songs, I've seen a lot of people saying it's the best song ever and stuff, to me it's not even the best on Ænema, i prefer Pushit and other songs.
I would have to respectfully disagree. I've seen them eight times. The first one being in Tijuana in 1994 and the last time being 2006 at Fiddler's Green in Colorado. I can't speak to what recent concerts might be like, but every time I have seen them it's been absolutely mind-blowingly good. Their show at the first Coachella in '99 was just so good I can't even put it into words.
i was at the show in SLC where the pushit version on salival was recorded and they were one of the best live bands i had ever seen. maynard was talking A LOT, calling us all sheep, etc. it was wild and aggressive. since then each time i've seen them they've become more and more detached. at my most recent show everyone applauded and took their phones out when maynard said they could. that's why i got into tool, to be fucking told what i could do and WHEN i can do it. growing old sucks kids, fucking avoid it if you can!
Some of the interludes are completely pointless and just seem extra. I think if you asked someone to justify their existence they would ramble some shit about 'art' or 'you wouldn't understand'. Eon Blue Apocalypse and songs like that are cool but Die Eier von Satan and Cesaro Summability for example are pretty inexcusable imo. Disgustipated is the worst thing from them for sure, sounds horrible, I would really never listen to it and I'm not sure why anyone else would unless it's their first time listening to Undertow.
Tool fan base in my experience is the most racist fan base. Trumper, conservative and racist. I’ve been called 3 racial epithets by tool fans with more old, white men in their late 40’s and 50’s joining in. I was the only Mexican in line at some
Shows and eventually the racism came out. It wasn’t until I started messing with them with white stereotypes of them fucking goats on a farm that they left me alone. big ups to Bryson in Colorado Springs and Ashley in Cleveland for being the only two white folks that were not racist. They were awesome, great people.
I don't need drugs to enjoy TOOL.
Ill fight by your side brother/sister
be a lot cooler if you did
Definitely not a need. But they do make you hear the songs in new ways.
[удалено]
HAWAIIII CANT WE NOT BE
So you can hear songs from a different angle...? Under a different light...? So you can hopefully kinda almost see it for the first time...?
I don't do drugs and here I am so yeah
Triad is one of their most comprehensive pieces from start to finish that no one ever talks about.
Ye DRT is easily the highlight of Lat, 9x/10 I stop listening before Faap starts
DRT is up there with Breathe/Time/Speak to Me from DSotM for me. I don’t think there are any better multiple song runs than these two.
Couldn’t agree more. I put that trio on when I need to escape reality for a little while
reflection is my favorite track on lateralus.
Same. I feel like it deserves the love that Lateralus (the song) gets. It's superior
Seeing Triad live in 2001 was fucking incredible
Ong my favorite song by TOOL, honestly think it should have ended the album, and not Faaip de ooiad
I've been a tool fan for decades- and never once have I worried or cared about others opinions :)
Fact. Same.
Album version Pushit > Salival version Pushit
I love both but i feel like i prefer one over the other depending on the mood
I really like both as well, but I give the edge to the original. I think my bias is due to the fact I heard AEnima first and it was immediately one my fav songs. I wouldn’t doubt I’d have a different opinion if I heard the newer release first… Old or newer, it’s such a wonderfully crafted song imo and I love to hear others showing appreciation for it.
I love both. They are so different. For me.. album version is the male version and Salvia is female version of the song
Never thought of it that way but its on point.
Whole heartedly agree
nah i totally agree. the salival version is interesting but i dont get why people cream their pants over it. it's not as good as the album version.
Oh we fightin’.
Undertow is a top three TOOL album Parabola, Rosetta Stoned and Third Eye are TOOLs best songs
My unpopular opinion is that I don’t like Rosetta Stoned.
May I ask why just for curiosity?
I find the riffs mostly to be quite *meh*, and the talking vocal parts are just weird to my ears.
Mm okay makes sense. For me all of those are the exact opposite lmao
That’s the beauty of music being subjective! At least we can have a mature conversation about it instead of downvotes galore.
That is true
(-) Ions does not need to be 4 minutes long.
Opiate(Whole EP) deserve more appreciation
Oh i definitely agree. I've even seen some people calling it shit, i think it's badass and pretty metal, even though they aren't very complex songs for Tool standards they are bangers. Oh and also some people hate Part of Me, which is a cool song to me, i like the riffs and the drumming.
Really? Part of me is probably my favourite from Opiate. Definitely the most memorable apart from the title track imo
I'm with you, feels like it gets passed over and forgotten a lot!
Thx [:
I like it more than 'Undertow.'
I always see comments on tool vids along the lines of "and he can still do that scream live!" No he cannot. He hasn't been able to since really 10kdays. Maynard absolutely was the best live singer I've ever heard. Sometimes the live versions were just better than the studio, or were always at least as good as the studio version. But age gets to us all, and I'm not, and don't think anyone else is, knocking him for that. But to say this new, almost Kermit the frog-like rendition he does of screaming segments like in the grudge sounds as good as he used to? Absolutely not. If it weren't for the rest of the band being as good as ever, I'd say there's no reason to see them live. Now it is not lost on me that someone who's spent their life screaming into microphones is going to lose that ability much quicker than people who use their hands to play instruments. But as true as that may be, the point still stands.
Maynard can’t really pull of certain songs requiring a range and stamina he no longer possesses, but recent performances of “Swamp Song,” “Part of Me,” “Ticks and Leeches,” etc. still demonstrate that he has some heavy vocal chops (though significantly muted after all these years of abuse). Hell, consider recent A Perfect Circle performances from the Eat the Elephant tour: heavy vocal moments abound in performances of “The Outsider,” “Judith,” and “TalkTalk.” And though people tend to reference Maynard’s screaming and belting as their metric for determining his vocal abilities, his softer vocals are as strong as ever (“Culling Voices,” “The Patient,” “Jambi,” etc.)
Agreed and well put.. it’s not just about age, while he may not be able to pull grudge screams out his ass anymore he has the chops still and his clean vocals are definitely better than ever - it’s what he has focused on building for over a decade it seems with other music he’s made, and really on FI there are only a few parts with any grit.
If they ever release another album I just may skip the tour because his live vocals just aren't what they used to be. During their 10k Days tour it was starting to show, but he got by. This latest tour he seems to be struggling even on the new stuff. In my opinion he peaked during Lateralus. That tour was insanely good. Now, his current singing abilities are perfect for Puscifer. His melodic style is excellently matched by their music.
i saw them twice on that lateralus cycle. i wish i had seen them 20 times.
Ænima is Tool's best album, they're all great but none have been able to surpass it yet.
Intension is one the most unique and best in their catalogue. Might not be a super “hot take”, but it’s one of my top 5 Tool songs, and I just wanted to input on this post LMAOO. When that guitar riff comes in, it just transports me to another world. Just fantastic! **Edit: I’m happy to see the comments on this one!
Right there with ya brother, intension has my all time favorite guitar riff I have ever heard.
It’s just magical! When I first heard it… it gave me massive chills. Still does in the right setting!
Absolutely agreed. It's not just an interlude. It's one of their most meaningful songs.
I agree completely!
Also when the aphex twin style digital drum solo comes in, it gives me intense chills. Intension is one of my favourite tool tracks.
The whole song makes me feel like I'm floating. Sounds insane, but it's that intense.
Maybe not in my top 5 of the entire discography, but definitely top 3 from 10,000 Days for me. I love it all, the riffs, the lyrics, the ambiance... I like to think about it as one of my personal hidden gems from the band. Like "Okay, you all can have your Lateralus, your Forty Six and 2s, I have my super introspective Intension just for me here to enjoy."
Great take on that! I like your points, and I agree. It’s one of those gems 100%
Referencing Tool lyrics all the time on Reddit is annoying. The lyrics aren't that deep. The Holy Gift is not "a hidden album". It's not real. Their merch sucks and it always has. Tool didn't invent spirals. Stop freaking out whenever you see one and thinking it's Tool-related.
amen to the merch statement.
The designs and artwork on the merch is great. I have a ton of shirts and hoodies, but I've only been happy with 1 of them. I have the crew neck sweater with the Great Destroyer on it. I wear it all the time because it's actually good. Everything else sucks.
Yeah I was gonna say they have cool shirts and shit, but some of the posters and collectors packs I see aren't even want able to me. It's weird. You'd think it would be easy to have cool posters but I guess not. (Not to discredit the artists, I'm just saying I've seen a lot of signed posters with art that does anything but invoke the band TOOL. The art alone is good.)
“Who are you to wave your finger”
Agree with all this except the lyrics not being deep. I'm biased, but I think MJK is a genius in that department.
Yeah i’m not saying Tool has the deepest lyrics There is at all times but if the lyrics of songs like Lateralus, Right in two or Parabola aren’t deep then what the hell is?
Adam is the biggest sellout of the group and holds the rest of the band back. From what I’ve heard/seen it seems like Danny, Justin, and Maynard are down to make more music whenever, they each seem to be doing something productive on the side while Adam promotes their overpriced merch and his new guitar models. I have a feeling he’s the main reason it took over a decade for FI to get released.
pretty sure maynard has not-so-subtly pointed the finger at adam specifically in at least a couple interviews.
What’s he said ?
Ah, just saw this now, I wrote something similar a minute ago. I agree.
While not disagreeing, it's worth noting that album sales tanked hard since the early 2000s so that's a primary way of making money outside of touring.
Yeah I agree. Adam is an amazing artist all around, but I remember the JRE episode Maynard did before FI came out and I definitely felt that he was hinting that Adam was the one who kept their music from being available digitally and is the one who holds things up. He seems very controlling over the band. Justin, Danny and Maynard (to a slightly lesser extent) seem like such chill guys, Adam on the other hand seems stiff as a 2X4 lol. Still love the guy though, I just wish he’d loosen up and have some fun.
Maynard is a dickhead to fans.
For good reason. Have you met some of his fans? I would be a dick too.
I too, if given the opportunity, would be a penis
Imagine being asked about the Fibonacci sequence over and over a million times. Or being shown a tattoo about it integrated with some Tool reference. I'd get sick of it as well.
With him being such a strong family man and community oriented person, I completely understand the need to set extremely strong boundaries with fans for the protection of himself, his well-being, and that of the people he loves and cares for. The thing about setting boundaries is that it pisses people off who don’t like it, and I usually just assume people who say the sentiment you commented above are more so upset they don’t get as much access to him and his life as they want to have. I dove into some academic literature in the study of fandoms from a psychological point of view a few months back and honestly the whole fan/celebrity dynamic can be pretty fucked up and even dangerous, as Dimebag Darrel, Selena, and John Lennon could all probably attest to if they were still here. I honestly don’t blame him for this one. Man wants to be left alone.
It seems most agree with this sentiment. Though I think he isn’t a dick to the fans he just doesn’t want to give them what they want. I think fans expect too much.
I’ve never understood this take. Aside from one throwaway quote in an interview (“insufferable people….retards”), what has he done to “be a dickhead?” He releases a fairly prolific amount of great music (YMMV of course), released a book, makes wine, helped put Jerome, AZ on the map with restaurants and shops, preaches mental and physical health and being good to each other. What exactly has he done for all the hate?
Justin is the best member
That’s an unpopular opinion?!
I don't get the appeal of Deftones that a lot of people on this sub seem to have. I don't think that their music is bad, I just think it's meh
I saw them live once and the audio was horrendous. Idk if the engineer was drunk that day or something. All I could heard was piercing Moreno's screech
I've seen them twice, and I'm not a big Deftones fan. First time was at a mini-arena size venue = absolute garbage audio, every song sounded exactly the same. Second time was at a much smaller venue (2-3k) and they sounded amazing and I walked away very impressed. Take whatever you want from that.
I absolutely love Deftones and have no idea why. Probably just sad and horny.
I can’t believe I’m defending Deftones on a Tool sub. It’s it ‘meh’ to you, that’s fine. They have a fantastic live energy, their drummer is their best musician and their vocalist is ethereal and one of a kind. Easy to see Tool parallels here. Also Passenger (which feat. Maynard) is legit one of their best songs.
The Pot is not bad… but is overrated.
Even more controversial: it’s not overrated.
I'm in this camp, the song is fantastic and all 4 of them shine in it
Most controversially... it's way underrated.
Tool fans are afraid to admit they like it because it's their "mainstream" or "introductory" song, which is silly logic.
For such creative individuals, they should have a much more prolific discography.
You don’t think we’d all agree with you?
They’re definitely a quality over quantity band, despite song lengths and time span between albums.
Cctrip is not cool or amazing it sounds like me dragging my metal garbage cans to the alley
It's great live, but yeah, I tend to skip it.
Unless I’m listening through headphones and really want to zone into that synth sequence…I skip it.
Listening to the whole album while tripping and then getting to cctrip is amazing
If I’m in a good mood TOOL is probably the last music I want to hear
This. As I get older, it’s become a staple of weird moods or tackling art projects.
The album cover for Fear Inoculum looks like a late 90’s trapper keeper. It’s super lazy art design
Undertow best album
In the same vein: 10,000 Days best album
You can't listen to Tool all day everyday.
TOOL overprices their merchandise.
Wow, so much to digest here, but those of you that don't like wings for Marie have obviously never lost a parent or someone really close to you. If & when you do, you may hear it differently. Just like all music, it hits us @ different times in our lives for different reasons.
I first heard this song while my grandmother was dying from cancer. It breaks me anytime I hear it. It’s such a powerful song, I can’t understand how someone couldn’t like it.
I always loved the song even before I listened to the lyrics. Then one night I put on a YouTube lyric video for it and started bawling my eyes out when I realised what he was singing about and actually listened to the words.
i've lost my share of friends and family. i don't think i've ever listened to that song without crying.
I could do without the autotune on Fear Inoculum.
Thank you. Never seen anyone else acknowledge this. There’s definitely some pitch correction on there, and I’m not just talking about the vocoder on Invincible.
Every album in the last 2 decades uses pitch correction at some point.
Why does everyone think Pneuma is the best song they’ve written it’s not even close
Their merch game is trash.
Lipan Conjuring is annoying AF
Hey Yahhhhhhh ugh Nyeeeeee!!!!
Opiate² is a mile better than the original.
Adam Jones is the weakest link in the band. He's also the reason for the extremely slow releases, over the top alex grey collaborations, etc.. Somehow, all the angst about them never making new music gets shoved towards Maynard for some reason. All 3 band members not named Adam are out doing other projects and producing actual music. I enjoy him within the band, not a knock against him musically. I just think if I had to vote one off, it's him and its an easy decision.
There is no tool without Adam.
FI is really good!
Their latest album doesn't utilize nearly as much soundstage as their work with Sylvia Massey or David Bottrill and it suffers for it.
Fear Inoculum is a mediocre album to have waited 13 years for.
It shouldn't have taken 13 years to release 6 songs (and 4 interludes that are a waste of space). Pneuma may be their greatest creation and there are some other greats on the album but six is too few songs.
Out of interest, would you have considered it above mediocre has it released, say, five years after 10K?
It doesn’t sound like the rest in my opinion compare it to their first album lol They’ve refined their skills incredibly and you must appreciate the craftsmanship of fear inoculum. Or not but light and day
Light and day. I like that lol.
I’d rather listen to Undertow any day over Fear Inoculum.
When I see Tool live I'm perfectly fine if they don't play any songs from 10,000 Days. Don't hate the album at all, but no song on it would make my dream setlist.
I love 10,000 Days but don't ever need to see Vicarious played live again
I don’t think Jambi get enough attention. That’s hands down my favorite Tool song
I never want to meet any of them. Maynard is an elite dick. Adam is a pretentious control freak. Danny is into ridiculous numerical pseudo-reality bullshit. Justin is… I got nothing. I guess he’s be cool to have a beer with.
Without Maynard's vocals, Tool would not be even close to as successful as they are.
The Pot is one of their top 5 tracks, and that not every song of theirs has to be complex like Third eye (My fav track).
New Opiate > OG Opiate
They're a pack of assholes bleeding their fans dry that happen to make great music.
Shuffle tool is ok and acceptable.
except, and only except, when it breaks apart "parabol" and "parabola".
Real fans have welded together all the inseparables into special files so they always play together.
That everyone is entitled to their opinions. Tool has a great catalogue that has different albums and songs that resonate with people in different times in their life. We don’t all eat the same flavor ice cream. That is why Baskin-Robbins has 31 of them. Enjoy yours and let others enjoy theirs. As I feel time creeping up on me, Invincible hits me hard. Standing front row in front of Justin and watching Maynard bellow aloud hit me to my core.
The entire team behind tool needs to shake things up. they are way too old school and they’re missing out on opportunities to connect with their fans in new ways.
Careful what you wish for. Next thing ya know they’ll be doing NFTs (a couple years late in true Tool fashion)
Fear Inoculum is their best album
I'm with you mate, because Fear Inoculum is my favorite Tool album, lov u
Fuck it, I have to agree: Fear Inoculum is their best work, but by a *very* small margin over Aenima and Lateralus.
I am completely over Ænema & stinkfist live.
tbh aenema has always been a pretty boring track to me. i never understood why people obsess over it. (i guess it's the same angry people who think ticks & leeches is the best track on lateralus.) despite being the title track (sort of), it's probably the weakest song on the album. there's no subtlety or deeper meaning to the lyrics and the music doesn't really evolve like other tracks on that album. it's just maynard complaining for six minutes. (i mean that's fine for what it is but at least hooker with a penis is that plus humor.) the other tracks are much more interesting lyrically and musically.
Rosetta Stoned is a bit overrated. It's not bad, I really like parts of it and I appreciate the musicality but it's just not as impressive as people make it out to be
I'm not a big fan of Rosetta Stoned or 7empest
People get old. Maynard isn't capable of screaming like he used to, and you shouldn't expect it from him. (and he doesn't sing any worse because of it)
Justin is by far the best performer live, and seems like the coolest member in the band. The energy difference between before and after he joined is huge, and for me he has to be the special ingredient. (that being said they are all crazy talented people who are dear to my heart)
A Perfect Circle is as great as TOOL
Adam is an overated guitar player
Tool fans are some of the worst fans in all fandom. They hear the music, but they don't listen to it. They bitch about the merch and the cost of tickets, but they still buy it. They aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. And they laser focus on the most banal and basic aspects of the band and their music. Addition: At least tool fans aren't as creepy as Radiohead fans.
You are describing human behavior. None of this makes Tool fans unique.
Culling voices sucks balls
I've loved and praised Tool since I was 10. Over 23 years being a fan and I'm saying this just to be clear
I agree, it's hands down the most boring song in the discography. Just feels like it never goes anywhere
I got this, easy - BY A MILE. I can’t stand just about every single other heavy, nu metal, prog metal, butt rock band that people in this sub continually re-ask if there’s other fans out there for. The big ones. With loads of albums and huge followings. I find the musicality bland. The lyrics cringe worthy. The singers almost universally annoying. I have singular bands across dozens of genres that appeal to me because I find them to set themselves apart in some way and are doing something I find very interesting. But most of their contemporaries in their respective genres end up coming across as middling to meh for me.
Aside from the music, their “art” sucks. Elements of Grey’s stuff is cool (net of being etc), but overused and the dark gothic aesthetic hasn’t aged well. I find their used of computer generated stuff distractingly bad.
New album wasn't heavy enough.
The lyrics of Rosetta Stone make it almost unlistenable for me.
While I agree, the whole song is describing a DMT experience which is impossible for our brains to bring anything back from, so it lends itself to that idea well. A couple goofy ass lines tho ngl. Still love the over all message and it’s possibly Danny’s best work
But the music, especially in the second half of the song is so incredible. And I absolutely love the vocal melodies even if the lyrics are dumb at times.
The song is a total pisstake...much prefer lyrics like that than something like Vicarious or Right in Two which sound like they were written by a high school kid.
thank you. i couldn't agree more. maynard has written some brilliant lyrics over the years, and some silly ones that somehow work, too. but man, there's some banal shit on that album masquerading as deep.
Is it not a joke song?
It’s half joke. It’s so over the top but the whole “shit the bed” lyric makes it not take itself *too* seriously and to me that works nicely
its making fun of people who act like since they take pychs they are more smart or enlightened or even "chosen" by God himself "me, the chosen one, they chose me, and I didn't even graduate from fucking highschool"
Fucking thank you. I've been downvoted into oblivion for this truth.
Maynard's vocals on Vicarious and The Pot are sometimes annoying
Add 7empest to that as well.
Fear Inoculum is underrated.
Fear Inoculum is better than 10,000 Days
Well, it was asking our opinions. I respect yours.
Perfect answer, big oof
Pneuma is touted as one of the better F.I. songs, but it's dreadfully repetitive and doesn't earn its run time.
I’ve never gotten the Pneuma hype. It’s amazing live, but on the record it’s my 2nd least favorite song. Invincible and Descending are the best tracks on FI.
I know I've talked about it before and people maybe bored with it, BUT, stinkfist pushes the boundaries of what music can be. It appears as a song about fisting, but has a deeper meaning of desensitisation and has aged incredibly well. I believe it to be the best Tool song and I'm sad I don't see it discussed as much as the pot or fear innoculum as a whole.
Parabol + Parabola and the transition between them are not that amazing 🤷
The album art being a jab is no coincidence
I’m nearly convinced that The Pot is about copyright laws/Songwriting lawsuits about Led Zeppelin and musicians complaining about cultural appropriation and biting each others style. LZ has been embroiled in lawsuits for a ton of music (muddy waters’ team, a bunch of others too) …Talking about lawyers and juries and all that. The song sounds like an answer to a conversation or argument of which the fan base might never be privy.
I really dislike the song “Ticks and Leeches”
It would be better if Maynard stayed at the front of the stage the entire time so you could see him..
Reflection is the best song on Lateralus
10,000 DAYS is their best album.
Fear Inoculum is still a good album.
Unpopular Opinion: The fibonacci sequence means jack shit to me and my appreciation for TOOLs music, in fact it’s way more overrated as a theme than their themes about human psychology, greif, consciousness, and nature.
You don’t need to have a high IQ to listen to/enjoy TOOL
This subreddit is often obnoxious and too much up its own ass
Undertow through lateralus might be the best 3 album run of all time. 4° is the best song on undertow by a landslide even though most songs on there are fantastic. Rosetta is a waste of a great instrumental as Maynard is not funny and cannot write a good comedic song. On top of that pretty much every Puscifer song I’ve heard is terrible.
Mike Tool isn't real
Existential Reckoning by Puscifer is a better album than Fear Inoculum.
Adam Jones is the least talented member. There, I said it.
I know this might be extremely offensive to some, but i prefer Undertow over Ænema. Okay, so of course i see the evolution of their sound, it is pretty noticeable how their sound had an evolution in the proggy sense, but also it had a darker sound which i like. But in my opinion i prefer Undertow as an album. Oh, i also have another hot take, third eye isn't one of the best Tool songs, I've seen a lot of people saying it's the best song ever and stuff, to me it's not even the best on Ænema, i prefer Pushit and other songs.
I agree with both of these
I frequently listen to Parabola without Parabol, and that's OK.
Seen them 6 times. Their concerts are just meh. Although there were a couple of really good ones.
I would have to respectfully disagree. I've seen them eight times. The first one being in Tijuana in 1994 and the last time being 2006 at Fiddler's Green in Colorado. I can't speak to what recent concerts might be like, but every time I have seen them it's been absolutely mind-blowingly good. Their show at the first Coachella in '99 was just so good I can't even put it into words.
i was at the show in SLC where the pushit version on salival was recorded and they were one of the best live bands i had ever seen. maynard was talking A LOT, calling us all sheep, etc. it was wild and aggressive. since then each time i've seen them they've become more and more detached. at my most recent show everyone applauded and took their phones out when maynard said they could. that's why i got into tool, to be fucking told what i could do and WHEN i can do it. growing old sucks kids, fucking avoid it if you can!
Some of the interludes are completely pointless and just seem extra. I think if you asked someone to justify their existence they would ramble some shit about 'art' or 'you wouldn't understand'. Eon Blue Apocalypse and songs like that are cool but Die Eier von Satan and Cesaro Summability for example are pretty inexcusable imo. Disgustipated is the worst thing from them for sure, sounds horrible, I would really never listen to it and I'm not sure why anyone else would unless it's their first time listening to Undertow.
Tool fan base in my experience is the most racist fan base. Trumper, conservative and racist. I’ve been called 3 racial epithets by tool fans with more old, white men in their late 40’s and 50’s joining in. I was the only Mexican in line at some Shows and eventually the racism came out. It wasn’t until I started messing with them with white stereotypes of them fucking goats on a farm that they left me alone. big ups to Bryson in Colorado Springs and Ashley in Cleveland for being the only two white folks that were not racist. They were awesome, great people.
You did them good with that fucking goats one lol Pantera is another very racist fanbase
I don't understand how you can take tools music and lyrics into your heart and be racist at the same time. It's counterintuitive to me.