Arguably their finest album, this follow-up to Opiate showcases Tool at their best, assisted by clean, crisp production, without the muddiness of Aenima. Edgy guitar riffs are complemented... read more

Arguably their finest album, this follow-up to Opiate showcases Tool at their best, assisted by clean, crisp production, without the muddiness of Aenima. Edgy guitar riffs are complemented by spitting, heavy bass, especially on "Sober" and "Crawl Away". Lyrically, Tool are at their vitriolic best, targeting religious hypocrisy ("Intolerance," "Sober"; always a popular theme), the loss of innocence and its consequences ("Prison Sex"), and deliberate ignorance ("Swamp Song"). Henry Rollins makes a guest appearance on "Bottom," which, along with "4 Degrees," deals with questions of identity. Undertow is also Tool's most musically adventurous album, lacking the occasionally numbing sameness of Aenima, and with considerably more sophistication than their previous work. Very highly recommended. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound... read more

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound is focused heavily on texture, with vocals and guitars layered one atop the other, and heart-pounding drums underlying everything. There's not a whole lot of variety on Tool's second full-length album--most of the songs start off fairly low-key, kicking into high gear for the chorus, and repeat--but Maynard James Keenan's distinctive voice, the prog-rock stylings over a heavy metal base, and a supremely unhealthy dose of vitriol make this the perfect album to bang your head to. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

Everything about Tool's fourth album is an experience, starting with the packaging, which consists of liner credits printed on a translucent plastic sleeve over the CD and a... read more

Everything about Tool's fourth album is an experience, starting with the packaging, which consists of liner credits printed on a translucent plastic sleeve over the CD and a booklet that layers anatomical representations atop one another--the first page pictures musculature and blood vessels; the next, bones; the third, internal organs; and so on. It's worth describing the packaging of Lateralus because it says much about the astonishing music within. Maynard James Keenan and company understand the expectations riding on this much-anticipated release and they've delivered the goods! While it remains in the Tool tradition of trance-inducing progressive metal, Lateralus is tighter, clearer, crisper, and all around a notch above their admirable previous releases. Aenima was marred by muddy production and a certain predictability. Undertow had a cleaner sound but wasn't as confident or adventurous. With Lateralus, Tool have raised an already lofty bar still higher by coming up with a collection that kicks major ass. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

Sonically relentless and visually groundbreaking only begin to describe the Tool experience. Formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1990, Tool has cemented themselves in today's hard music community... read more

Sonically relentless and visually groundbreaking only begin to describe the Tool experience. Formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1990, Tool has cemented themselves in today's hard music community with uncompromising attitude and vision. With just one EP and three album releases over a 15-year span, Tool has created a loyal and even rabid fan base, selling over 10 million albums and half a million videos in the U.S. alone.

More from Tool

Aenima	Lateralus	Undertow
Opiate	Parabola (DVD)	Schism (DVD)

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As the title of Tool's 1992 debut implies, they're none too impressed by religion, though other targets--fear ("Cold and Ugly"), hypocritical moralizing ("Jerk-Off"), nonconformity ("Hush")--get their time in... read more

As the title of Tool's 1992 debut implies, they're none too impressed by religion, though other targets--fear ("Cold and Ugly"), hypocritical moralizing ("Jerk-Off"), nonconformity ("Hush")--get their time in the spotlight as well. Opiate is a collection of heavy, aggressive, cynical music (though the tail end of the title track sounds more like acid rock), packaged in songs noticeably shorter than on their later efforts (Undertow, 1993, and Aenima, 1996). While not as impressive as Undertow, arguably their finest effort, Opiate has a definite appeal. If ear-crunching riffs and enraged lyrics are what you go for, check this one out. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound... read more

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound is focused heavily on texture, with vocals and guitars layered one atop the other, and heart-pounding drums underlying everything. There's not a whole lot of variety on Tool's second full-length album--most of the songs start off fairly low-key, kicking into high gear for the chorus, and repeat--but Maynard James Keenan's distinctive voice, the prog-rock stylings over a heavy metal base, and a supremely unhealthy dose of vitriol make this the perfect album to bang your head to. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound... read more

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound is focused heavily on texture, with vocals and guitars layered one atop the other, and heart-pounding drums underlying everything. There's not a whole lot of variety on Tool's second full-length album--most of the songs start off fairly low-key, kicking into high gear for the chorus, and repeat--but Maynard James Keenan's distinctive voice, the prog-rock stylings over a heavy metal base, and a supremely unhealthy dose of vitriol make this the perfect album to bang your head to. --Genevieve Williams (hide)

Long derided by critics as unoriginal and uninspired, Saliva has gained popularity among legions of rock & roll fans eager to celebrate good times with a bottle of... read more

Long derided by critics as unoriginal and uninspired, Saliva has gained popularity among legions of rock & roll fans eager to celebrate good times with a bottle of domestic beer at their sides and their fists thumping high, high in the air. Blood Stained Love Story seems unlikely to change critical minds--much of the album, including "Ladies and Gentlemen," "Never Gonna Change" and the unimaginatively titled "Twister" comes off like warmed-over '80s hair metal. While it's true that the record features blazing guitar leads and drumming that'll hasten the beats of the average rock-starved heart, it seems unlikely that it--or the band that created it--will make an entry into the pantheon of timeless rock & roll. Thoroughly disposable. --Jedd Beaudoin (hide)

One disc of this deluxe two-disc set serves up 74 minutes (eight songs) of live material and outtakes; the other offers a DVD (in Surround 5.1) of Tool's... read more

One disc of this deluxe two-disc set serves up 74 minutes (eight songs) of live material and outtakes; the other offers a DVD (in Surround 5.1) of Tool's four grotesquely artistic videos, plus the bonus clip, "Hush," from their 1992 Opiate EP. Although there's little that's new here, it's put together with as much intensity and attention to detail as the quartet's other releases. The musical high point is the driving but delicate take on "Pushit." It's also entertaining to hear singer Maynard James Keenan in a Neil Young kind of mood on "Lame." This elaborately packaged set is really just a reminder of how creative and powerful this hard rock group can be. --Janiss Garza (hide)