History Music / Tool

* CreatorBacklash: After Maynard blew out his voice recording "Ticks and Leeches", he said that he would never perform it live. Since then, it ''has'' been played a few times, using heavy vocal effects that keep Maynard from having to strain his voice with the actual screams.
* FollowTheLeader: Inspired a wave of similar-sounding acts in, oddly enough, the PostGrunge genre. Most of them didn't achieve much success.
* ReclusiveArtist: The band rarely make public appearances outside of live performances.
* SeriousBusiness: For a lot of Tool's more extreme fans.

!!Tool's music and videos provide examples of the following tropes:
* AlienAbduction:
** Addressed...sort of...in "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" / "Rosetta Stoned".
** "Faaip de Oiad" also mentions it.

* BlackSheepHit: "The Pot." Maynard's vocals, especially in the beginning, are much higher than normal and barely sound like him, and it's one of Tool's "poppier", more radio-friendly songs.

* DeathOfTheAuthor: Comes standard with their heavy use of TheWalrusWasPaul and TrueArtIsIncomprehensible.

* GoodFeelsGood: "The Patient" suggests that being a kind and loving person is its own reward, even when it's difficult.

* LyingCreator: Tool is known to spread misinformation about themselves as a way of preserving their mystique. One of their most famous fibs was claiming to subscribe to a philosophy called "Lacrymology," the study of crying, from a book called ''The Joyful Guide to Lacrymology'' published in the 1940s. Lacrymology doesn't actually exist.
* MoodWhiplash: Can be induced by the middle tracks of ''Ænima'', from the introspective "Forty Six & 2" to the head-scratching "Message to Harry Manback" to the venomous snark of "Hooker With a Penis" to the bouncy, cheerful "Intermission", which is the main guitar riff of "Jimmy" played on an organ.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: Like you wouldn't believe, if [[http://www.peteofthestreet.net/sayz/C1151806467/E1494764863/ this]] is any indication.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: A lot of Tool's lyrics can be summed up as "Maynard exploring his childhood traumas", ''especially'' his relationship with his invalid mother. Some of his earlier songs included military slang, due to his brief involvement in ROTC.

* AGoodNameForARockBand -- [[DontExplainTheJoke "Tool" means "penis"]]. WordOfGod is that this is only one interpretation, but some of the licensed artwork definitely goes down that particular route.
* AlternativeMetal / ProgressiveMetal -- Their sound is hard to categorize.
* CreatorBacklash -- After Maynard blew out his voice recording "Ticks and Leeches", he said that he would never perform it live. Since then, it ''has'' been played a few times, using heavy vocal effects that keep Maynard from having to strain his voice with the actual screams.
* FollowTheLeader -- Inspired a wave of similar-sounding acts in, oddly enough, the PostGrunge genre. Most of them didn't achieve much success.
* ReclusiveArtist -- The band rarely make public appearances outside of live performances.
* SeriousBusiness -- For a lot of Tool's more extreme fans.

* BlackSheepHit -- "The Pot." Maynard's vocals, especially in the beginning, are much higher than normal and barely sound like him, and it's one of Tool's "poppier", more radio-friendly songs.

* CoverVersion -- "No Quarter" by LedZeppelin, "Demon Cleaner" by {{Kyuss}}, and "You Lied" by Peach, Justin Chancellor's previous band.
* ClusterFBomb -- Several songs, especially "Hush", "Hooker with a Penis" and "Ænema". "Rosetta Stoned" alone should have earned ''10,000 Days'' a Parental Advisory label, but the heavy distortion and layering on the vocals may have fooled the ratings board.
* DeathOfTheAuthor -- Comes standard with their heavy use of TheWalrusWasPaul and TrueArtIsIncomprehensible.
* EpicRocking -- A large percentage of their discography consists of this; notable examples are "Pushit", "Third Eye", "Reflection", "Wings for Marie" (both parts), and "Rosetta Stoned".
* GoMadFromTheRevelation -- "Lost Keys" / "Rosetta Stoned" has a lot of fun with this. The subject may have had a sanity-breaking encounter with aliens, or he may have just OD'd on hallucinogens.
* GoodFeelsGood -- "The Patient" suggests that being a kind and loving person is its own reward, even when it's difficult.

* GratuitousItalian -- "Message to Harry Manback" (both versions).
* HumansAreBastards -- "Right In Two", the demo version of "Rosetta Stoned".
* IndecipherableLyrics -- A lot of "Rosetta Stoned"'s lyrics are heavily layered and electronically slurred, and are almost incomprehensible. The first lyrics of "Forty Six & 2" and sections in the middle of "Stinkfist" and "Eulogy" are buried underneath the music, also making them difficult to decipher.

* MoodWhiplash -- Can be induced by the middle tracks of ''Ænima'', from the introspective "Forty Six & 2" to the head-scratching "Message to Harry Manback" to the venomous snark of "Hooker With a Penis" to the bouncy, cheerful "Intermission", which is the main guitar riff of "Jimmy" played on an organ.
* Music/{{Instrumentals}} -- The interludes on ''Ænima'', ''Lateralus'' and ''10,000 Days'' are this, plus "Triad" for a normal-length tune.
* IntercourseWithYou -- "Maynard's Dick", the hidden track on the CD of ''Salival''.

* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan -- ''Self-admitted'' in "Hooker with a Penis," which then [[TakeThatAudience mocks the listener for assuming otherwise]].

* MadnessMantra -- From "Disgustipated" - "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis This. Is. Necessary.]] Life Feeds on life..."
* MetalScream -- Maynard really likes this, particularly the 25-second scream in "The Grudge" and pretty much all of his singing in "Ticks & Leeches".

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness -- Generally a 6 or 7, they can also go as low as 4/5.
* PrecisionFStrike -- "Pushit", "Ticks and Leeches" (it's actually the only song on ''Lateralus'' that has any cursing), "The Pot".
* ProtestSong -- "Right in Two".
* RefugeInAudacity -- A few examples. For one, they have a song called "Maynard's Dick". Plus there's the band's name.
* {{Reincarnation}} -- Arguably a theme to "H".

* SpokenWordInMusic -- "Faaip de Oiad", "Disgustipated", "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)", "Bottom" and "Third Eye" all use this. "Bottom" even drags Henry Rollins in for a cameo.
* TakeThat -- A good chunk of their earlier catalogue is built on this ("Hush", "Eulogy", "Hooker with a Penis", "Ænema", and others).
* TooDumbToLive: Not the bandmembers themselves, but [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-wE5LtDKPU&feature=related a fan]]. When you run onto a normal stage, security will take you down. When you run onto a stage where Tool plays, [[BewareTheNiceOnes Maynard James Keenan himself]] will take you down, ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome and keep on singing while he holds you down]]''.
* UncommonTime -- Many of their songs, namely "Schism", which [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_%28song%29#Time_signature has up to 47 meter changes]].
* ViewersAreGeniuses -- Like you wouldn't believe, if [[http://www.peteofthestreet.net/sayz/C1151806467/E1494764863/ this]] is any indication.

* WriteWhatYouKnow - A lot of Tool's lyrics can be summed up as "Maynard exploring his childhood traumas", ''especially'' his relationship with his invalid mother. Some of his earlier songs included military slang, due to his brief involvement in ROTC.
* WordSaladLyrics -- Most of their songs mean something, but it's usually pretty oblique.

[[redirect:Creator/{{Tool}}]]

[[quoteright:347:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tool347_6454.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:347:Clockwise from lower left: Danny Carey (drums), Justin Chancellor (bass), Maynard James Keenan (vocals), and Adam Jones (guitar).]]
[floatboxright:
Influenced by:
+ KingCrimson, TheMelvins, {{Metallica}}, FaithNoMore, MikePatton, JanesAddiction, Music/{{Slayer}}, {{Queensryche}}, NineInchNails, Music/BlackSabbath, Clutch, {{Helmet}}, LedZeppelin, {{Danzig}}, Biohazard, PinkFloyd, Prong, Therapy?, Neurosis
]

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool is a ProgressiveRock/[[ProgressiveMetal Metal]] group mostly known for their use of unconventional time signatures and rhythms, [[EpicRocking long songs]], MindScrew-tastic imagery, and emphasis on personal interpretation of their music. Like many bands in the 90's music scene, Tool started out as an underground group, and was signed by a record company after only three months of playing as a group. On March 1992, their first EP ''Opiate'' was released. Since then, four studio albums have been released, all of which have gone platinum and have achieved widespread success worldwide.

Tool incorporates many different styles and influences in their music, but the one theme they keep constant is the importance of personal interpretation of their songs, making it possibly the only band that runs ''solely'' on TheWalrusWasPaul. To emphasize this even more, Tool does not release official lyrics with any of their albums, so that what the lyrics ''actually'' mean (or even ''are'') never gets in the way of what the listener ''thinks'' they mean.

Confused yet? Good.

A few factors remain constant throughout their work however. They love using weird time signatures that shift throughout the song, and one track ("Lateralus") even has the rhythm and syllables of the lyrics arranged in a Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13). The members of the group have unique styles, and Maynard James Keenan's vocals are instantly recognizable, not only for his voice but for his skill with the MetalScream (a full 25 seconds in "The Grudge", for example.) Danny Carey is also one of the most acclaimed contemporary drummers going, and Adam Jones's guitar tone on ''Opiate'', ''Undertow'' and ''Lateralus'' is just as iconic as Keenan's vocals. Not to mention Justin Chancellor's strong bass lines (and on ''Opiate'' and ''Undertow'', Paul D'Amour), which often make a Tool song instantly recognizable.

Another important part of the band's music is the inclusion of collaborated works of art and music videos that echo themes presented in their songs and albums. These pieces of art usually involve imagery straight out of the [[NightmareFuel Nightmare]] [[UncannyValley Valley]], and aren't necessarily supposed to tell an actual story, but evoke certain feelings from the viewer. They [[MindScrew succeed]] [[NightmareFuel very]] [[DerangedAnimation well.]]

Over the band's career they've addressed many diverse topics as religion, the music industry and media censorship, child abuse, drug use, transcendence, and even FanDumb ''from their own fans'' who started complaining that ItsPopularNowItSucks. This various subject matter has also made Tool the subject of much controversy and censorship, including one incident with their song "Stinkfist", which was renamed and edited to run on MTV, due to "Offensive connotations", as well as WalMart not selling their first LP ''Undertow'' with the original cover art. Despite (or possibly because of) that controversy, they have remained a hugely successful group and continue to actively tour both in the United States and internationally.

Three of the group's songs ("Schism", "Parabola", and "Vicarious") also appeared on ''GuitarHero: World Tour'' as playable tracks.

'''Discography:'''

* 1992 -- ''Opiate'' (EP)
* 1993 -- ''Undertow''
* 1996 -- ''Ænima''
* 2000 -- ''Salival'' (box set with an 8-song CD and a DVD or VHS with the videos for "Sober", "Prison Sex", "Stinkfist", "Ænema", and on the DVD version, "Hush")
* 2001 -- ''Lateralus''
* 2006 -- ''10,000 Days''

'''Grammy Awards'''

* 1998 Best Metal Performance ("Ænema")
* 2002 Best Metal Performance ("Schism")
* 2007 Best Recording Package (''10,000 Days'')

----
!!Tool provides examples of the following tropes:

* AGoodNameForARockBand -- [[DontExplainTheJoke "Tool" means "penis"]]. WordOfGod is that this is only one interpretation, but some of the licensed artwork definitely goes down that particular route.
* AlternativeMetal / ProgressiveMetal -- Their sound is hard to categorize.
* CreatorBacklash -- After Maynard blew out his voice recording "Ticks and Leeches", he said that he would never perform it live. Since then, it ''has'' been played a few times, using heavy vocal effects that keep Maynard from having to strain his voice with the actual screams.
* FollowTheLeader -- Inspired a wave of similar-sounding acts in, oddly enough, the PostGrunge genre. Most of them didn't achieve much success.
* ReclusiveArtist -- The band rarely make public appearances outside of live performances.
* SeriousBusiness -- For a lot of Tool's more extreme fans.

!!Tool's music and videos provide examples of the following tropes:
* AlienAbduction:
** Addressed...sort of...in "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" / "Rosetta Stoned".
** "Faaip de Oiad" also mentions it.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence:
** Sort of the point of "Forty Six & 2", which combines Jungian philosophy with an eccentric take on human evolution.
** ''Lateralus'' as a whole is heavily influenced by transcendentalism.
* BilingualBonus:
** "Die Eier von Satan" features vocals by Marko Fox delivered in an angry tirade of German. It features a heavy industrial production and a roaring crowd in the background, making it sound something like a Nazi rally. The lyrics are actually Fox's grandmother's recipe for brownies with Turkish hashish. She called them Die Eier Von Satan, which means The Eggs of Satan, with "eggs" being common German slang for testicals. The chorus is "und keine Eire," which means "and no eggs." The Eggs of Satan contain no eggs.
** "Message for Harry Manback" features quite a lot of extravagant swearing in Italian, though you can assume as much based on the rest of the message, delivered in English.
* BlackSheepHit -- "The Pot." Maynard's vocals, especially in the beginning, are much higher than normal and barely sound like him, and it's one of Tool's "poppier", more radio-friendly songs.
* TheCameo:
** Singers: HenryRollins in the breakdown of "Bottom", Marko Fox on "Die Eier von Satan", Statik on "Disgustipated" and "Triad" and Lustmord on "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)".
** Musicians: On ''Salival'', additional musicians include: [[TheMelvins King Buzzo]] on "You Lied", Vince [=DeFranco=] playing synths on "Third Eye", Alotte Duka playing tabla on "Pushit", producer/keyboardist David Bottrill on "Message to Harry Manback II", and the DVD version contains a live version of "Hush" with additional vocals by Music/ToriAmos.
* TheChosenOne: Subverted in "Rosetta Stoned" - the narrator describes being abducted by aliens, who have chosen him to deliver a message to the human race...but he forgot to bring his pen to write it down.
* ConceptAlbum: Regardless of whether or not the band views any of their record as such, ''10,000 Days'' is cited as an example all the same.
* CoverVersion -- "No Quarter" by LedZeppelin, "Demon Cleaner" by {{Kyuss}}, and "You Lied" by Peach, Justin Chancellor's previous band.
* ClusterFBomb -- Several songs, especially "Hush", "Hooker with a Penis" and "Ænema". "Rosetta Stoned" alone should have earned ''10,000 Days'' a Parental Advisory label, but the heavy distortion and layering on the vocals may have fooled the ratings board.
* DeathOfTheAuthor -- Comes standard with their heavy use of TheWalrusWasPaul and TrueArtIsIncomprehensible.
* EpicRocking -- A large percentage of their discography consists of this; notable examples are "Pushit", "Third Eye", "Reflection", "Wings for Marie" (both parts), and "Rosetta Stoned".
* GoMadFromTheRevelation -- "Lost Keys" / "Rosetta Stoned" has a lot of fun with this. The subject may have had a sanity-breaking encounter with aliens, or he may have just OD'd on hallucinogens.
* GoodFeelsGood -- "The Patient" suggests that being a kind and loving person is its own reward, even when it's difficult.
** Most of the ''Lateralus'' album appears to be hinting that the alternative (choosing to be bitter) won't make things any better.
* GratuitousItalian -- "Message to Harry Manback" (both versions).
* HumansAreBastards -- "Right In Two", the demo version of "Rosetta Stoned".
* IndecipherableLyrics -- A lot of "Rosetta Stoned"'s lyrics are heavily layered and electronically slurred, and are almost incomprehensible. The first lyrics of "Forty Six & 2" and sections in the middle of "Stinkfist" and "Eulogy" are buried underneath the music, also making them difficult to decipher.
* LyingCreator: Tool is known to spread misinformation about themselves as a way of preserving their mystique. One of their most famous fibs was claiming to subscribe to a philosophy called "Lacrymology," the study of crying, from a book called ''The Joyful Guide to Lacrymology'' published in the 1940s. Lacrymology doesn't actually exist.
* MoodWhiplash -- Can be induced by the middle tracks of ''Ænima'', from the introspective "Forty Six & 2" to the head-scratching "Message to Harry Manback" to the venomous snark of "Hooker With a Penis" to the bouncy, cheerful "Intermission", which is the main guitar riff of "Jimmy" played on an organ.
* Music/{{Instrumentals}} -- The interludes on ''Ænima'', ''Lateralus'' and ''10,000 Days'' are this, plus "Triad" for a normal-length tune.
* IntercourseWithYou -- "Maynard's Dick", the hidden track on the CD of ''Salival''.
* [[LastNoteNightmare Last Song Nightmare]]:
** "Disgustipated" from ''Undertow''
** "Faaip de Oiad" from ''Lateralus''
** "Viginti Tres" from ''10,000 Days''
* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan -- ''Self-admitted'' in "Hooker with a Penis," which then [[TakeThatAudience mocks the listener for assuming otherwise]].
--> I sold my soul to make a record, dipshit, and then you bought one.\\
[=*later*=]\\
Shut up and buy - buy - buy my new record // Buy - buy - buy - send more money!
* MadnessMantra -- From "Disgustipated" - "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis This. Is. Necessary.]] Life Feeds on life..."
* MetalScream -- Maynard really likes this, particularly the 25-second scream in "The Grudge" and pretty much all of his singing in "Ticks & Leeches".
* MindScrew
* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness -- Generally a 6 or 7, they can also go as low as 4/5.
* PrecisionFStrike -- "Pushit", "Ticks and Leeches" (it's actually the only song on ''Lateralus'' that has any cursing), "The Pot".
* ProtestSong -- "Right in Two".
* RefugeInAudacity -- A few examples. For one, they have a song called "Maynard's Dick". Plus there's the band's name.
* {{Reincarnation}} -- Arguably a theme to "H".
* ShoutOut:
** The most prominent is to BillHicks in ''Ænima'': inner artwork, clips of Hicks in the intro to "Third Eye", and the song "Ænema" being based on Hicks' "Arizona Bay" routine, with a TitleDrop in the chorus.
** The live version of "Third Eye" on ''Salival'' replaces the Bill Hicks material with clips of Timothy Leary.
** "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" is a nod to Albert Hofmann, the creator of LSD.
* SpokenWordInMusic -- "Faaip de Oiad", "Disgustipated", "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)", "Bottom" and "Third Eye" all use this. "Bottom" even drags Henry Rollins in for a cameo.
* TakeThat -- A good chunk of their earlier catalogue is built on this ("Hush", "Eulogy", "Hooker with a Penis", "Ænema", and others).
* TooDumbToLive: Not the bandmembers themselves, but [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-wE5LtDKPU&feature=related a fan]]. When you run onto a normal stage, security will take you down. When you run onto a stage where Tool plays, [[BewareTheNiceOnes Maynard James Keenan himself]] will take you down, ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome and keep on singing while he holds you down]]''.
* UncommonTime -- Many of their songs, namely "Schism", which [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_%28song%29#Time_signature has up to 47 meter changes]].
* ViewersAreGeniuses -- Like you wouldn't believe, if [[http://www.peteofthestreet.net/sayz/C1151806467/E1494764863/ this]] is any indication.
** Somebody figured out that if you take the songs "Viginti Tres" and "Wings for Marie, Pt. 2" and play them in that order WHILE playing "Wings for Marie, Pt. 1", [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFjEp79zaNw they sync up into one super-song]].
* TheWalrusWasPaul
* WriteWhatYouKnow - A lot of Tool's lyrics can be summed up as "Maynard exploring his childhood traumas", ''especially'' his relationship with his invalid mother. Some of his earlier songs included military slang, due to his brief involvement in ROTC.
* WordSaladLyrics -- Most of their songs mean something, but it's usually pretty oblique.
----

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool is a ProgressiveRock/[[ProgressiveMetal Metal]] group mostly known for their use of unconventional time signatures and rhythms, [[EpicRocking long songs]], MindScrew-tastic imagery, and emphasis on personal interpretation of their music. Like many bands in the 90's music scene, Tool started out as an underground metal group, and was signed by a record company after only three months of playing as a group. On March 1992, their first EP ''Opiate'' was released. Since then, four studio albums have been released, all of which have gone platinum and have achieved widespread success worldwide.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness -- Generally a 6 or 7, they can also go as low as 4/5 or as high as 8-9.

* EpicRiff -- ...and not just on the guitar. The bass intros to "Sober" and "Schism" are probably the best-known. It's pretty fair to say most Tool songs are built around an epic bass riff, with the guitar and drums adding a whole lot of texture and atmosphere.

** "Die Eier von Satan" features vocals by Marko Fox delivered in an angry tirade of German. It features a heavy industrial production and a roaring crowd in the background, making it sound something like a Nazi rally, the lyrics are actually Fox's grandmother's recipe for brownies with Turkish hashish. She called them Die Eier Von Satan, which means The Eggs of Satan, with "eggs" being common German slang for testicals. The chorus is "und keine Eire," which means "and no eggs." The Eggs of Satan contain no eggs.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool is a ProgressiveRock/[[ProgressiveMetal Metal]] group mostly known for their use of unconventional time signatures and rhythms, [[EpicRocking long songs]], {{Mind Screw}}-tastic imagery, and emphasis on personal interpretation of their music. Like many bands in the 90's music scene, Tool started out as an underground metal group, and was signed by a record company after only three months of playing as a group. On March 1992, their first EP ''Opiate'' was released. Since then, four studio albums have been released, all of which have gone platinum and have achieved widespread success worldwide.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool is a ProgressiveRock/[[ProgressiveMetal Metal]] group mostly known for their use of unconventional time signatures and rhythms [[EpicRocking long songs]], {{Mind Screw}}-tastic imagery, and emphasis on personal interpretation of their music. Like many bands in the 90's music scene, Tool started out as an underground metal group, and was signed by a record company after only three months of playing as a group. On March 1992, their first EP ''Opiate'' was released. Since then, four studio albums have been released, all of which have gone platinum and have achieved widespread success worldwide.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool is a ProgressiveRock/[[ProgressiveMetal Metal]] group mostly known for their use of unconventional time signatures and rhythms, strong social messages, {{Mind Screw}}-tastic imagery, and emphasis on personal interpretation of their music. Like many bands in the 90's music scene, Tool started out as an underground metal group, and was signed by a record company after only three months of playing as a group. On March 1992, their first EP ''Opiate'' was released. Since then, four studio albums have been released, all of which have gone platinum and have achieved widespread success worldwide.

* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan -- ''Self-admitted'' in "Hooker with a Penis," which then [[YouSuck mocks the listener for assuming otherwise]].

* MetalScream -- Maynard really likes this, particularly the aforementioned 25-second scream in "The Grudge" and pretty much all of his singing in "Ticks & Leeches".

* BilingualBonus -- "Die Eier von Satan". Sung entirely in German, and with a heavy industrial production and a roaring crowd in the background, it sounds something like a Nazi rally, but is actually a cookie recipe from the singer's[[hottip:*:It's not Maynard]] grandmother, in which, instead of eggs, she used Turkish hashish. She called them Die Eier Von Satan, which means the Eggs (or Balls, depending on your translation) of Satan.

** Somebody figured out that if you take the songs "Winds for Marie, Pt. 2" and "Viginti Tres" and play them in that order WHILE playing "Wings for Marie, Pt. 1", [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFjEp79zaNw they sync up into one super-song]].

** Musicians: On ''Salival'', additional musicians include: [[TheMelvins King Buzzo]] on "You Lied", Vince [=DeFranco=] playing synths on "Third Eye", Alotte Duka playing tabla on "Pushit", producer/keyboardist David Bottrill on "Message to Harry Manback II", and the DVD version contains a live version of "Hush" with additional vocals by ToriAmos.

* EpicRiff -- ...and not just on the guitar. The bass intros to "Sober" and "Schism" are probably the best-known.

+ KingCrimson, TheMelvins, {{Metallica}}, FaithNoMore, MikePatton, JanesAddiction, {{Slayer}}, {{Queensryche}}, NineInchNails, Music/BlackSabbath, Clutch, {{Helmet}}, LedZeppelin, {{Danzig}}, Biohazard, PinkFloyd, Prong, Therapy?, Neurosis

* MadnessMantra -- 'I know the pieces fit' in "Schism"

Over the band's career they've addressed many diverse topics as religion, the music industry and media censorship, child abuse, drug use, transcendence, and even FanDumb ''from their own fans'' who started complaining that ItsPopularNowItSucks. This various subject matter has also made Tool the subject of much controversy and censorship, including one incident with their song "Stinkfist", which was renamed and edited to run on MTV, due to "[[CompletelyMissingThePoint Offensive connotations]]", as well as WalMart not selling their first LP ''Undertow'' with the original cover art. Despite (or possibly because of) that controversy, they have remained a hugely successful group and continue to actively tour both in the United States and internationally.

+ KingCrimson, TheMelvins, {{Metallica}}, FaithNoMore, MikePatton, JanesAddiction, {{Slayer}}, {{Queensryche}}, NineInchNails, BlackSabbath, Clutch, {{Helmet}}, LedZeppelin, {{Danzig}}, Biohazard, PinkFloyd, Prong, Therapy?, Neurosis

** Somebody figured out that if you take the song Winds for Marie, Pt. 2 and Viginti Tres and play them in that order WHILE playing Wings for Marie, Pt. 1, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFjEp79zaNw they sync up into one super-song]].

* PrecisionFStrike -- "Ticks and Leeches" (it's actually the only song on ''Lateralus'' that has any cursing), "The Pot".

[[redirect:{{Tool}}]]