Tool

It’s Tool Time!

Throughout the years, Tool’s musical creativity has paved the way for many of the other successful rock bands today. They have made a name for themselves all over the world, and on November 14 they are coming to Austin to rock the stage at the Frank Erwin Center!

First emerging in 1990, Tool exposed the world to a heavy metal sound. The American metal band consists of drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor, guitarist Adam Jones and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. With their first release, Opiate, they gained fans through popular singles like “Opiate” and “Hush.” The music video for “Hush” was created to promote the first single and the band’s negative view towards the PMRC’s censorship of music. They created a stir by appearing in the video with duct tape covering their mouths, wearing only parental advisory stickers. Their next album released, Undertow, was certified gold in 1993 and was named platinum a year later, despite the censorship album cover sold by certain distributors. The stop motion animation music video to this album’s hit single, “Sober,” won the band Billboard’s Best Video By A New Artist award.

Tool won their first Grammy award for their title track to the triple platinum album, Ænima. The album also appeared on the “Best Albums of 1996” lists in magazines such as Kerrang! and Terrorizer. In 2001, their next album, Lateralus, became a success around the world and reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart is its debut week. Another Grammy was awarded to Tool for the best metal performance of 2001 for the song “Schism.”

Tool’s most recent album, 10,000 days, shows a transition in their original style and sound of existential anger and angst. The album takes an approach towards more passion and introspection, which is said to be “complemented by intense emotion, brutal honesty and musical maturity.” The album’s title track “10,000 days (Wings pt 2),” is one written as an ode to Keenan’s late mother, who spent 27 years in paralysis after a stroke.

Tool follows a rather simple, disciplined formula, and works it to a tee. Whether it’s Danny Carey’s muscular drumming or Adam Jones’s underrated guitar prowess, Tool always gives the fans music they can really appreciate. Keenan’s voice, over the rest of the band’s powerful sound, seems to pull everything together, creating the intense music that fans can’t get enough of.

Tool has performed as headliners everywhere from Lollapalooza in 1997 to the Coachella festival this year. Don’t miss the chance to see them live, bringing their Grammy-sized talent to the Frank Erwin Center this fall!