Tool Merch for Progressive Rock Fans
Even in the fast-paced rock and metal genre, there are exceptional phenomena. Artists who consistently and effortlessly follow their own path. Luminaries who shape entire decades with their timeless sound and present their art in an irresistible way. Tool is part of this select circle. Led by
bass virtuoso Justin Chancellor, the quartet plays song after song in a true frenzy. The sometimes gentle, sometimes powerful voice of exceptional singer
Maynard James Keenan (also part of
A Perfect Circle and
Puscifer) always finds the perfect answer to the melancholic, thundering guitar riffs. Wrapped in a corset of unusual time signatures, surprising song structures, and breathtaking visual effects, the progressive alternative metal of the foursome is considered unique and influential.
A Meteoric Rise
In the late '80s, four young men meet in Los Angeles and decide to form a band. Just a year later, they are already touring with
Rage Against The Machine. The
debut EP OPIATE from 1992, and especially the single "Hush," earn the group considerable recognition. While the debut is relatively raw and hard, Tool develops a more nuanced sound on the 1993 album UNDERTOW. In the same year, the band plays for the first time at the world-renowned Lollapalooza Festival, quickly finding themselves on the main stage thanks to their rising popularity. After the subsequent tour cycle, Paul d’Amour decides to hang up the bass. His successor, Justin Chancellor, proves to be a true stroke of luck, significantly stamping his charismatic and extroverted bass playing on the multi-platinum album AENIMA. Tool gains worldwide fame, and the title track even wins a Grammy. The single "Stinkfist" also becomes a perennial favorite. The following years turn into a real test of endurance. First, a years-long legal battle with their label, Volcano Records, hinders work on their follow-up. Persistent breakup rumors then follow. In 2001, the long-awaited follow-up, LATERALUS, finally appears, storming to number 1 on the US Billboard Charts within its release week. With the main single "Schism," the group releases perhaps their most well-known hit, which, like "Aenima," wins a Grammy.
