Tool isn’t your run of the mill metal band. Sure, they have the heavy instrumentation and dark lyrics you expect from the genre, but they don’t put it all together the way other groups do. They’re kind of like System of a Down in that aspect – you never know what kind of musical patterns to expect when they put out a new song. They’re also known for their music videos, as a band of the 90s. While they weren’t featured on MTV or VH1 often (not the right niche), they still capitalized on the music video obsession with their unique style.

Putting Tool Together

Maynard James is the mastermind behind Tool, or, at least, he was the one that got the group together back in 1991. He found Adam Jones to play guitar, Paul D’Amour for bass, and Danny Carey to play drums. With everyone in place, they got to work on their first offering, an EP named Opiate. It was a release full of self-hatred, which is one reason so many 90s teens found a new favorite in the band. One of the things people love about metal is that the song lyrics don’t shy away from difficult topics. Tools’ songs are no exception. Their song “Prison Sex,” which is one of their most well known, is proof.

Undertow and Beyond

Their first major record, Undertow, made it to platinum status. That was pretty impressive, as they’d been playing together for less than 2 years. Their next record, Aenima, surpassed the success of Undertow and is now their most-popular record of all time. Aenima came out in 1996, while their next record wasn’t released until 2001. The band takes their time making music for their fans, as they didn’t put out their fourth album until 2006. Tool is picky about which shows they perform, so seeing them is a big deal.