Tool's music is a cultural touchstone for many '90s kids. All-night MTV music-video binges forever seared the nightmarish imagery of "Prison Sex" and "Sober" into their fragile teenage psyches (but in a good way). In a generation that honed its spirit on sarcasm and prided itself on being jaded, Tool routinely inspired the pre-text version of "WTF?"
But the band was always much more than a shock-value phenomenon. In a grunge era when stripped-down, deliberately simple songs were the trend, Tool emerged with some of the most musically and lyrically complex popular music ever made. They made us rock out, yes, but they also made us think, and buried beneath all the darkness seemed to be something hopeful - not in a trite or vacuous way, but in a profound and substantive way that few dared to be in those most cynical of times.
Don't just call me pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't welcome any change, my friend
-"Aenima"
The 2019 release of Fear Inoculum displayed the band's amazing staying power. Coming off a 13-year hiatus, the band topped sales charts across the world once again despite releasing a collection of songs that for anyone else would be far too long and weird for popular listening. Middle-aged guys who hadn't found a minute to themselves in over a decade flocked to digital stores to get their copies and attend the church of Tool once more.
They're a pretty good band. Now, let's see how well you can you separate Tool fact from fiction?
Here are the Tool SongfactsBut the band was always much more than a shock-value phenomenon. In a grunge era when stripped-down, deliberately simple songs were the trend, Tool emerged with some of the most musically and lyrically complex popular music ever made. They made us rock out, yes, but they also made us think, and buried beneath all the darkness seemed to be something hopeful - not in a trite or vacuous way, but in a profound and substantive way that few dared to be in those most cynical of times.
Don't just call me pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't welcome any change, my friend
-"Aenima"
The 2019 release of Fear Inoculum displayed the band's amazing staying power. Coming off a 13-year hiatus, the band topped sales charts across the world once again despite releasing a collection of songs that for anyone else would be far too long and weird for popular listening. Middle-aged guys who hadn't found a minute to themselves in over a decade flocked to digital stores to get their copies and attend the church of Tool once more.
They're a pretty good band. Now, let's see how well you can you separate Tool fact from fiction?
September 29, 2019
More Fact or Fiction
