Tool is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. Its current lineup consists of vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced founding bassist Paul D'Amour in 1995. The band's music combines progressive metal, alternative metal, psychedelic rock and art rock, and is particularly known for complex rhythms, extended song structures and elaborate visual imagery.
Tool released the EP Opiate in 1992, followed by its first full-length album, Undertow, in 1993. The band achieved wider recognition with Ænima (1996), which included songs such as “Stinkfist” and “Ænema”. Its subsequent album Lateralus (2001) placed greater emphasis on long compositions, unusual time signatures and progressive structures; the song “Schism” won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
The band's fourth studio album, 10,000 Days, was released in 2006. It includes “Vicarious”, “Jambi”, “The Pot”, “Wings for Marie (Pt 1)” and “10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)”. The album's title is generally understood as a reference to the approximately 27 years during which Keenan's mother, Judith Marie, lived with paralysis following a cerebral aneurysm; the two-part “Wings” composition addresses her life and death. The album's stereoscopic artwork and packaging, directed by Adam Jones with artwork including contributions from Alex Grey, won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
After a thirteen-year gap between studio albums, Tool released Fear Inoculum in 2019. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200, and its track “7empest” earned the band another Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2020.
Style and influence
Tool's music frequently combines heavy guitar riffs with polyrhythms, changing metres, extended instrumental passages and gradual structural development. Lyrics written by Keenan address subjects including psychology, spirituality, personal transformation, religion and human behaviour, while Jones has played a major role in the band's album artwork, music videos and overall visual identity.
The band's approach draws from progressive rock and metal while retaining elements of the alternative metal scene in which it emerged. Over several decades, Tool developed a particularly devoted audience despite releasing relatively few studio albums and maintaining long intervals between releases.