Tooool!!!

Laserface

dia duit

sorry if there is another monstrous thread on Tool..i can't seem to find any if there is with the poxy search function.

Is there anyone else here that needs a 12 step program to stop listening to their latest album 10,000 Days???

<snip>
and it's getting much worse.
the more i listen to the tracks the more i hear they are very very simalar to irish trad riffs in ways..particularly the 2nd hald of the title track.

In my humble opinion they are the only band around these days that are doing anything exciting, anything worth talking about/starting a thread on.
A lot of people complained that the latest album does not stand up next to their 2001 album Lateralus.
I personally think the band are getting better and better and better.

"what are we gonna do when the rivers overrun...other than tremble incessantly?"

anyone else find their stuff mesmerising?

Zapp Brannigan

I'd guess they're more suited to the Rock & Metal forum rather than Alt/Indie. There's been a few threads there anyway.

Yeah tool rock but ya can't talk about the gig...

John

Please don't discuss MCD gigs on boards. Moved to Rock/Metal as I feel Tool are more at home there.

Karl Hungus

Laserface wrote:

In my humble opinion they are the only band around these days that are doing anything exciting, anything worth talking about/starting a thread on.

Oh, I think you're dead wrong there. There's a hell of a lot of bands out there doing interesting and original things, they're just more underground.

Zapp Brannigan

Karl Hungus wrote:

they're just more underground.

I believe the correct term is "undergrounder"

mp3guy

Tool aren't underground, they're a pretty popular metal band today, especially after 10,000 Days (Which I found to be a huge let down btw).

Karl Hungus

mp3guy wrote:

Tool aren't underground, they're a pretty popular metal band today, especially after 10,000 Days (Which I found to be a huge let down btw).

Nobody said Tool were underground. I said that there was plenty of interesting bands other than Tool, but that those bands are underground.

Ph3n0m

Guess I must be the minority - really don't like Tool at all

Zapp Brannigan

Ph3n0m wrote:

Guess I must be the minority - really don't like Tool at all

Nah I know loads of people who just don't dig tool. Nothing wrong with it, they're sort of a specialised taste.

mp3guy

Karl Hungus wrote:

Nobody said Tool were underground. I said that there was plenty of interesting bands other than Tool, but that those bands are underground.

I just took Zapp Brannigan's post "I believe the correct term is "undergrounder""

As meaning that the other bands are more underground than tool, which in turn would mean he's says that tool are underground, but the bands you're talking about are more underground than them, that's all, misunderstanding caused by limitations of text based communication.

Yeah, underground bands, like akercocke and meshuggah

lordgoat

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

I believe the correct term is "undergrounder"

I believe this is the correct term as well Captain Brannigan.

Lower, lower, lower, too low, lower...

Zapp Brannigan

lordgoat wrote:

I believe this is the correct term as well Captain Brannigan.

Lower, lower, lower, too low, lower...

You are now my Kiff.

S.M.B.

Laserface wrote:

A lot of people complained that the latest album does not stand up next to their 2001 album Lateralus.
I personally think the band are getting better and better and better.

I don't see the progression to be honest. Apart from Wings for Marie/10,000 days I found the album a bit of a let down.

Still better than 99% of what's out there at the moment though!

LightofDarkness

Meh. Tool are OK, nothing particularly amazing IMO. They're quite boring to me, especially if it's an extended listening period. And as far as them being the only band doing anything interesting now or being better than 99% of what's out there, I couldn't disagree more. Plenty of bands are doing amazing things these days, not to mention the plethora of outstanding acts that stand up as well today as they did when they were intitially debuted. Tool, as most of my friends know them, are more of a gateway act that introduced them to the idea of more intellectual and alternative approaches to music, and half of them can't listen to them anymore as they have found more acts/music suited to their taste that make Tool seem weak and watered down, although they still respect the band for having introduced them to the wild and wonderful world of music beyond the mainstream (despite Tool being quite mainstream as far as the alternative music scene goes).

Alucard II

mp3guy wrote:

Tool aren't underground, they're a pretty popular metal band today, especially after 10,000 Days (Which I found to be a huge let down btw).

Tool arent metal.

anywho, 10kD is good. its very good, Tool havent released anything i dont enjoy immensely, but nothing the band have or will do will ever touch Lateralus. IMO, thats the greatest piece of music that has been created, anywhere, ever. its a prog rock masterpiece.

mp3guy

Alucard II wrote:

Tool arent metal.

Double bass, down tuned distorted guitars, screaming, solos, sounds like metal to me :rolleyes:

thewing

LightofDarkness wrote:

Meh. Tool are OK, nothing particularly amazing IMO. They're quite boring to me, especially if it's an extended listening period. And as far as them being the only band doing anything interesting now or being better than 99% of what's out there, I couldn't disagree more. Plenty of bands are doing amazing things these days, not to mention the plethora of outstanding acts that stand up as well today as they did when they were intitially debuted. Tool, as most of my friends know them, are more of a gateway act that introduced them to the idea of more intellectual and alternative approaches to music, and half of them can't listen to them anymore as they have found more acts/music suited to their taste that make Tool seem weak and watered down, although they still respect the band for having introduced them to the wild and wonderful world of music beyond the mainstream (despite Tool being quite mainstream as far as the alternative music scene goes).

Name a few bands doing better stuff?

mp3guy

thewing wrote:

Name a few bands doing better stuff?

Whether or not a band is doing "better stuff" than tool is personal opinion, so asking that question is pointless

Zapp Brannigan

One thing I really like about tool is the complex elements to their songs. Weird time sigs, rhythm etc. That Danny Carey knows his stuff.

I also love the Virgini Tres, Wings for Marie & 10,000 days mega track.

Laserface

Jaysis...the only person in here making sense is thewing

thewing wrote:

Name a few bands doing better stuff?

Could you please name some of these better bands than Tool??
please??
would help me a lot more if i knew who you were talking about.
I'm not being smart either..i'm open to all music.
On my personal travels Tool seem to be the best I can scrape out of the vaseline covered metal barrel we call life.

Tool aren't rock&metal to me, but I don't have any mod privilages.

Karl Hungus

Laserface wrote:

Tool aren't rock&metal to me, but I don't have any mod privilages.

I'd consider Tool a prog rock band, would you not?

0ubliette

Tool have only one 5 star album: Lateralus.
Everything else is bogged down with duff tracks and filler. Aenemia or however you spell it has about 4 good songs, the rest is 'quirky' crap or just plain crap. Undertow is distinctly average, only good songs on it are the singles, and 10,000 days was good but now id never lsiten to it again as its just pretty damn boring, aside from vicarious, which just sounds like a lateralus outtake.

Mr. CooL ICE

I only have Aenima and Lateralus, and I must say, Lateralus is an absolute masterpiece. I generally stay away from bands with such basic and generic (excluding the time sigs) riffage, but theres just something about the Lateralus album that always makes me want to listen to it again and again. The songs are extremely well constructed, atmospheric, and have their well-placed highs and lows, never minding the mind-blowing lyrical content. Videos kick bottom too.

But as for Aenima - meh. As said before, it has a handful of good songs, but the fillers seem like they are just trying to be prog strange for prog sake. Haven't listened to 10KD or Undertow so i can't comment.

I also find it interesting reading the comments on the Tool videos on youtube. As with every other video on the site, retarded comments are rife, but every so often, someone gives their interpretations and/or views on the videos and it gives the lyrics a whole new dimension. Last week, I spent about 2 hours researching the 7 chakras of the body's relationship with the pineal gland of the brain as a result of reading the comments after Parabola

flogen

Laserface wrote:

the more i listen to the tracks the more i hear they are very very simalar to irish trad riffs in ways..particularly the 2nd hald of the title track.

Funny you should say that - I've always imagined that 10,000 Days (particularly part 2) would sound really well if played on an acoustic guitar, bodhrán and fiddle (with maybe something else thrown in there). Thought I was just thinking crazy thoughts!

Maybe over time I'll assemble a group to play it at a family session or something!

S.M.B.

flogen wrote:

Funny you should say that - I've always imagined that 10,000 Days (particularly part 2) would sound really well if played on an acoustic guitar, bodhrán and fiddle (with maybe something else thrown in there). Thought I was just thinking crazy thoughts!

Maybe over time I'll assemble a group to play it at a family session or something!

I always thought Maynard's vocals (in part 2) sounded very similar to something Christy Moore would do.

It wasn't me!

Must say, I think I prefer Aenima to Lateralus a lot of the time. Find it a richer album in terms of feeling, personally, less polished, rawer, darker to my mind. Just a personal thing, but I love that album.

LightofDarkness

Well...

King Crimson
Opeth
Death
Cynic
Atheist
Pat Metheny
Charles Mingus
Pavor
Coprofago
Necrophagist (just for the technicality)
Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Bad Plus
Enslaved
Strapping Young Lad (when I think of Alien and City)

There's plenty more, that was more of a general starting point that covers most of the bases. I had another post in here a while back that had even more recommendations from several genres.

Karl Hungus

LightofDarkness wrote:

Well...

King Crimson
Opeth
Death
Cynic
Atheist
Pat Metheny
Charles Mingus
Pavor
Coprofago
Necrophagist (just for the technicality)
Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Bad Plus
Enslaved
Strapping Young Lad (when I think of Alien and City)

There's plenty more, that was more of a general starting point that covers most of the bases. I had another post in here a while back that had even more recommendations from several genres.

Definetly a lot of great bands there.

I think King Crimson are definetly a band everyone should check out. I got into them a few years ago, with the albums Red and In The Court Of The Crimson King, so I nabbed the Eyes Wide Open DVD, and I was amazed at how much the band had evolved. It was still astonishing stuff, but it was crazy to see how much they changed and experimented. Trey Gunn is quite a musician.

I wouldn't have mentioned Necrophagist, or Strapping Young Lad in reference to Tool though. Don't get me wrong, they're exceptionally good, but hardly very progressive. I'd probably give more mention to the Devin Townsend Band, Synchestra was an incredible piece of music that's a lot more progressive than what Devy is doing in SYL.

LightofDarkness

Yeah, I mention SYL for the heavy and groove-ish aspect, and Necrophagist for the sheer technicality, both of which are mentioned by many Tool fans (or should i say fanboys, as they are the deluded variety of fan) as central aspects to the band's sound and "greatness." But yes, they are not directly linked with Tool, although they are heavily focused on technicality and heaviness.

Zapp Brannigan

Opeth are better than Tool. Simple fact.

mp3guy

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Opeth are better than Tool. Simple fact.

Not fact. Both are excellent bands, you don't want to stir the tool fanboys

Karl Hungus

mp3guy wrote:

Not fact.

I'll be as absolutely blunt as I can. Opeth are easily my favourite band. They've done far more stuff that has effected me on a personal level than anything Tool have ever done. The phenominal music, lyrics, vocals, everything is perfection about Opeth.

But I agree with mp3guy, there's no way it's "Fact."

Shiminay

Has anyone mentioned Meshuggah...?

You need a bigger box for them cause they're a heavier Tool

mp3guy

Kharn wrote:

Has anyone mentioned Meshuggah...?

You need a bigger box for them cause they're a heavier Tool

I did earlier on, seriously great band, probably my favorite at the moment, they're one of the most unique sounding bands out there today.

Zapp Brannigan

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Opeth are better than Tool. Simple fact.

Source??:o


Oh wait, has "opinion" become "fact" these days?! Where have I been!!



I love Opeth, Ghost Reveries is one of my favourite albums, but to dismiss Tool is stupid.


One thing I will say about Tool is that it tales a while to get into them. If u dont have the perserverence for it then you probably wont think much of them. Mudvayne are another example of this, they often get overlooked cos of the "nu-metal" tag and the makeup they used to wear but the truth is theyre also a great band, very technical and progressive, if a little dark for some people.

Zapp Brannigan

^read the stickies in every forum.

I didn't dismiss Tool I still like them but I think Opeth are better by a big margin.

thewing

Ghost Reveries is not as good as 10,000 days....

Think there's a few people here determined to have a pop at Tool...

They're top notch band, with excellent music, live shows, album artwork, videos - everything they do is genius.

I also have an acoustic album of most of their songs - really shows in the intricacy of their songs.

But as someone said previously, this is all opinion - we all have different tastes on music. Only difference is I won't have a pop @ Opeth just cos I don't think they're better, they still have some great stuff - I just know which I'd prefer in my car, that's all.

Zapp Brannigan

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

^read the stickies in every forum.

I read it but it doesnt say WHY MCD would care about people discussing concerts.......

As for the above poster, I agree, people love havin a go at TOOL.

JæKæ

Cos you cant be dissin festivals held on racecourses man. No freedom of speech here

Ph3n0m

thewing wrote:

excellent music, live shows,

Have to disagree - saw Tool at Ozzfest some years ago, when Ozzy cancelled and they closed the show - good grief I was bored beyond belief, truely if they are usually great on stage, they let themselves down (IMO) with a piss poor performance

LightofDarkness

thewing wrote:

Ghost Reveries is not as good as 10,000 days....

Think there's a few people here determined to have a pop at Tool...

They're top notch band, with excellent music, live shows, album artwork, videos - everything they do is genius.

I also have an acoustic album of most of their songs - really shows in the intricacy of their songs.

But as someone said previously, this is all opinion - we all have different tastes on music. Only difference is I won't have a pop @ Opeth just cos I don't think they're better, they still have some great stuff - I just know which I'd prefer in my car, that's all.

No one was having a pop at Tool, you're over reacting. Which, if I may be cynical here, is a common trait amongst Tool die-hards. If someone makes a negative comment (which to most of them is any comment that isn't along the lines of "TOOL IS TEH BEST" ) about the band they get personally offended somehow, as if it were an insult to their intelligence. They'll usually either say something like "don't hate them because they're brilliant" or "you're just not intelligent enough to get them, Maynard's written songs about idiots like you." I kid you not, meeting a Tool fanboy on-line or off-line (usually on-line, they haven't the gall to back up their statements in person in most cases) can be a mentally poisonous experience. Yes, this can be said of many fanboy circles, but it must be said that Tool have a more deluded and robust circle of fanboys than most.

Note that the main body of that text was not a personal attack on you, more a commentary on the common variety of Tool fanboy.

Don1

Love Tool. Only moving into this kind of area so not into the likes of Opeth etc (yet) 10,000 Days is good but there's a fair ammount of rubbish towards the end imo. Lateralus and AEnima are way better, but I can't decide on a favourite between them, as it switches every other day! Undertow is very raw and unpolished. Don't like it at all really apart from one or two songs. I think the sound even gets to me.
Nothing I enjoy more than blasting out a few tunes on my G&L through the GT-6 set to Mesa Boogie on heat, then into the trusty Marshall!! Thank god the speakers are 100 watt each and the amp is only rated to 100 watt rms is all I'll say!!

P.S. that last paragraph is probably more suited to the instruments forum but hey, it's about Tool at the end of the day! :rolleyes:

I think the extreme knee jerk reactions to negative comments are made in general by people the likes of which are the subject of "Hooker With a Penis". I find it funny that even the front man of a band hates the vast majority of the "fans". Record companies idiotic marketing eh?!

Alucard II

mp3guy wrote:

Double bass, down tuned distorted guitars, screaming, solos, sounds like metal to me :rolleyes:

you've either listened to very little Tool or very little metal. Tool have never detuned extensively. unless im mistaken...drop D on most songs (1 string), drop B on one (1 string), eBGDEB (2 strings) and standard on one song.
there is also not much screaming in the overall scheme of things, and what screaming is found has more in common with rock music than metal.

double bass is found in a wide range of genres, from metal to jazz, and if solos means metal then you're clearly a ****ing idiot. there is VERY little about Tool that is "metal". Dannys drumming at times, yes, tho its more influenced by 70s and 80s prog bands. Adams guitar style is very simplistic, definitely not very metal. one or two Meshuggah influences on 10kD, but thats about it.
if you call MJK a metal vocalist i really dont know where to begin pointing out how wrong you are.

metal :rolleyes:

Don1

QFT

Hard/Prog Rock most defo.

Fad

i would have considered them progressive metal was listening to laterlus quite recently.

Opeth: i havent really listened to properly but every time i hear The Grand Conjuration, they kinda grow on me (yes its probably not a great idea base my idea of a band on one song)

actually werent Tool number 5 or so in the charts when 10000 days came out

Karl Hungus

I'll be honest here... I still didn't get around to getting 10,000 days.

S.M.B.

I wouldn't consider Tool to be metal at all and that's a good thing IMO.

I've very little time for the majority of metal music at the moment. The post-metal scene is about all that interests me at the moment.

Alucard II

^ i hate that phrase. post metal is such a bull**** genre. lots of good music, dont get me wrong, but the phrase is crap. almost all "post metal" bands can be put into proper genres.

also, theres some excellent metal out there, if you look hard enough
unfortunately, metalcore is whats at the forefront nowadays, and thats, for the most part, complete ****. cant think of one metalcore band i can stand.

S.M.B.

Alucard II wrote:

^ i hate that phrase. post metal is such a bull**** genre. lots of good music, dont get me wrong, but the phrase is crap. almost all "post metal" bands can be put into proper genres.

also, theres some excellent metal out there, if you look hard enough
unfortunately, metalcore is whats at the forefront nowadays, and thats, for the most part, complete ****. cant think of one metalcore band i can stand.

Ah I know it's a **** term to define the genre. It isn't a genre really, but the only metal I seem to like these days has a lot in common with the post-rock genre.

The fact that metalcore is to the forefront has kind of made me shy away from the metal genre completely!

Karl Hungus

What are these 'Post-Metal' bands you're speaking of, S.M.B.?

S.M.B.

Boris
Isis
Jesu
Pelican
Sun O)))
Red Sparrowes

I know a lot of bands like these can be thrown into different metal genres like Doom/Drone/Sludge/Stoner etc but the similarities with these bands and bands from the post rock genre is pretty evident.