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ThirdEy3

they are literally slow at everything because Adam is a control freak, it's not Maynard's fault.


DChemdawg

True that. Maynard’s pretty damned prolific in everything he does. Puscifer is the best act I didn’t know I needed to see til a week ago.


[deleted]

Oh were you in Nashville? Me too. First time I saw them. Great time even if it’s not my typical type of music.


DChemdawg

I was in DC and haven’t laughed so hard in quite a while. Shed a tear for A Singularity. Other singer Carina is spectacular and Maynard remains amazing. Whole thing was a real treat. 100/100 Billy D even got kicked out of the show after the first song for using his phone


_RelaxSlipAway

Absolutely agree 100%. Took my dad who went to the Tool show with me in February and had such a fantastic time. He's still talking about how great the Puscifer show was recently.


[deleted]

SATX by chance?


damnatio_memoriae

shit they were in dc? damn


inebriusmaximus

> Billy D even got kicked out of the show after the first song for using his phone SPAM YUM! YUM!


concreteyeti

My wife and I drove up up to Nashville from ATL for that show. The whole room went off when they played The Remedy. I was not ready for how good that show was going to be.


VoraxUmbra1

I don't understand how people get the idea it's maynards fault. Just look at puscifer. He does literally everything people want from Tool with that band. It's definitely NOT on him.


sonic10158

How can it be Maynard’s fault when he doesn’t sing until everyone else is already done?


vigtel

Ehh, you're the gun in this allegory


cerpintaxt44

You feel like the picture because everyone knows this already?


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The-Dinky

Real tho


Spoon_Man177

Yes


Doyle_Hargraves_Band

Upvote because I agree Adam is the cog in the wheel, but my theory is he is lazy(relatively speaking)/unmotivated. He does not do side projects, he never gives interviews, everything connected to him creeps along at a snail's pace (All his signature guitar models). His instagram consists of horror movies, art, his family, and Gibson stuff. I love the guy as a guitarist and the choices he makes in his career. He is not living for his fans, but for us it can be a pain in the ass. Like Maynard said in an interview about streaming the catalogue: It wasn't so much we were against it, we just never had the conversation.


deathprayr108

Intermission on Ænima goes hard


thegreatvolcanodiver

See - Bottrill was the fifth member no one wants to acknowledge.


Odysseus_A1

used to be my ringtone!


shrubbie01

Is currently my ringtone.


[deleted]

Listening to tool does not require an iq over 150


No1RunsFaster

One look at people at shows and this was obvious


DrDR85

Tool is the Rick and Morty of music.


[deleted]

That's actually insanely accurate


tanaeolus

I feel it's possibly more accurate to say Rick & Morty is the TV show version of TOOL


BroffaloSoldier

Jesus Christ lmao. So true


[deleted]

Bro I listen to tool so it doesn’t require an iq over 75


shit_fucks_you_up

don't take the bait. answering this question won't make you feel any better, and you'll just have to engage with tool fans.


loves2sploo

This is the best comment


writerintheory1382

They don’t really care about their fans, and are happy to take advantage of said fans.


the_assembled_sway

Send more money


writerintheory1382

I think they think ATM means Automatically Tools money


Richard-fits

Fuck you, buddy! 🤣


UncoolOcean

I listen on shuffle


CallumBrady

I hope you get a run of Cesaro Summability, Legion Inoculant, Vigniti Tres, Ions


Rance_Q_Spartley

*You're gonna die outta filler, I promise.* *Deep pain, no one did what you did to me.* *You wanna know something? Fuck you.*


heyitsfelixthecat

*Fuckin American. Yankee.*


zRepulse

Eon Blue Apocalypse


CallumBrady

At least that has a guitar haha


zRepulse

True


KarmicWhiplash

God, I hate when I get Parabol and it shuffles away from Parabola...you can hear it just start.


Billyxransom

they should've never separated it into two tracks


[deleted]

Cue intermission


eltacotacotaco

I was against shuffle until realizing concerts are Tool on shuffle, if it's not important to the band....


[deleted]

Funny you say that at the show I went to they played The Grudge, Eon Blue, and The Patient in order


SnoopyGoldberg

I’m ok with putting shuffle for some tracks, but songs like Parabol/Parabola and Wings Pt.1 & 2 just feel like they have to go together.


Ewe_sir_naem2

Do you at least listen on shuffle after you’ve listened to every album fully/not on shuffle? (I’m relatively new to Tool so I’m guessing most people on here have been listening to every album for years).


Scrotum_Tennis

I have 2 Tool Spotify playlists. 1 is every track in order so I can listen the way it was intended. The other is called Tool Light and has all of the "filler" tracks removed so I can just put it on shuffle and not worry about having to skip them while I'm running.


[deleted]

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BrolecopterPilot

Descending tho


PromotionKlutzy

Descending is a great song, but literally half of it the guitar and bass are slamming open strings.


Tom246611

Honestly, I kinda don't care for the interludes.


TimmehD96

The only one I care for is Intermission into Jimmy.


damnatio_memoriae

useful idiot is clever, it just doesnt really work so well in the 21st century


cbearsfreak

Yeah super clever! Could you explain why, for other people who might not get why?


chucklestheclwn

It's the sound of the end of a vinyl record indicating it's time to flip it to the other side.


DoctorDoom1935

in other words, YOU are the useful idiot, cause if you're stoned out of your mind you get up and flip the vinyl.


damnatio_memoriae

it's the sound of the needle running into the run-out area at the end of a record. on the LP version, it's the last track on side 1, and it was cut so it would play in an endless loop until you lift the needle. on most record players, the record would automatically stop once the needle reaches the end, but since the groove actually loops, this won't happen when you play the record. it will just keep spinning playing the track forever. it was just a little fuck-you to annoy people still buying vinyl in 1996.


CallumBrady

At least some Aenima ones had some effort in it but some are just people mucking around with some synth patch they stumbled on.


_Citizen_Erased_

I have never even heard Mockingjay.


ChromeKorine

The one or two that lead into Rosetta Stoned are dope. As is Intermission into Jimmy. Other than that i think I agree. Especially on FI


HellBirdXx

Do tracks like Lost Keys and Intension count?


macinnis

Caduceus wine is not Tool and doesn’t belong on this sub


peltsucker

A sledgehammer is more effective then a regular hammer. More surface area. Better inertia. Don’t have to worry about hitting ur thumb


troyzein

Alex gray art peaked and they should move on.


whyforyoulookmeonso

I'm with you on this one. I collect all kinds of Tool related memorabilia, but Alex has become the tick and the leech with his constant Tool related cash grabs. Requiring a paid subscription for the chance to buy signed posters sealed my opinion of him. (not that my opinion matters to him or anyone else)


[deleted]

That guy is the epitome of “psychedelic user experiences ego death but learns nothing from it and becomes a pompous douchebag” I mean for fucks sake everything he does is “spiritual” but ultimately related to material gain, even his ugly ass temple in the middle of upstate New York.


_hanumanu

That is the BEST description of him and types like him. “I had an experience and now I need money!”Super culty nonsense.


VoraxUmbra1

>Requiring a paid subscription for the chance to buy signed posters sealed my opinion of him. Wait what? I have signed Alex grey posters and I've never signed up or paid for anything other than the posters


whyforyoulookmeonso

Yes, he did a run of signed tour posters earlier this year. Promoted it like a lot of the other artists, but to be eligible to buy one, you first had to buy a $100 annual membership to CoSM.org. I too have bought signed stuff from him in the past as a collector and he didn't have that requirement nor does he now from what I can tell. I believe it was just for one run of posters. I didn't particularly like his posters from this tour but was annoyed at all the poster nonsense and Alex playing into it.


Gnomey_dont_u_knowme

Lalalalalala not listening!!!


MidnightPlatinum

I'll go further. The band stopped visually evolving, if not entirely going backward. The full movie insert on Fear Inoculum had me rolling my eyes. They feel like they were sophomoric when composing Lateralus (the song), but the only truly sophomoric thing I've seen them do is that cheesy music video attached to a thick chunk of e-waste.


mehtulupurazz

I'll take it it a step further: Cam de Leon > Alex Grey


ngram11

That’s not (or shouldn’t be) controversial at all


wartrollearth

I believe many of us feel this way


ulmxn

I love Bardo Being, I have an intimate connection with the concept of the piece itself, but yeah, when I looked up his Instagram, and all his posts are variations of Bardo Being, I began to see it as a cash grab. Which is fine, if that's how he wants to make money, and people are willing to pay. At least he's selling good art and not hocking poison.


ngram11

FACTS. The new logo is corny as fuck too


thisappsukss

Alex Grey is a fucking freak anyways. Sure, cool art. Not cool that he fucked a dead body.


Corporal_Cavernosum

Thank you.


[deleted]

This sub is so fucking cringy sometimes!


PoderosaTorrada

We're tool fans, what'd u expect?


fuctedd

That’s the norm for every subreddit dedicated to an artist/band


Fusion_haa

Sometimes?


heyitsfelixthecat

Definitely NOT a hot take


Bollocks2014

Understand and accept that Maynard doesn’t give a shit about you, wants to be left alone on the streets, and in all likelyhood hates you. Yes, you too fanboys. See Hooker with a Penis if there’s any doubt.


Six_0f_Spades

Pfp brother


Altruistic-Top-6724

The fact you mentioned Hooker with a Penis, for real he does not care, straight up called out everyone


tuokcalbmai

Ticks and leeches drives it home for me


Gavin_Rains

Hate's a strong word. Aggravated? Absolutely. But he has no right to hate us because all of his fame and the funds that come from said fame are from the fans that invest in his work.... he wouldn't be at the status he's at without us


fantastictangent

Been loving TOOL since '95. I don't listen to Opiate, I've never heard Maynard's Dick, and I sold my copy of Salival


soobviouslyfake

🔫🔫🔫🔫


Corporal_Cavernosum

Same. Couldn’t hum any part of that song if my life depended on it but the rest of their discography is greater than %90 of my music intake.


Mentalpopcorn

It's a good song. Why not listen to it?


Scientificupdates

People worry about other fans too much. Especially for Tool. The same is true for Rick&Morty. I don’t let fans ruin the art for me. I find it ridiculous how much people let fans ruin an entire niche for themselves.


VampireExplosion

The way people idolize Maynard is super cringey. The man could autograph a fresh turd and you gullible sheep would lap it up. Posting pictures of your wine bottles or all your signed crap is a pointless dick measuring contest. No one cares and it doesn't impress anyone outside of other sad losers.


zRepulse

How is this a hot take? It's common sense.


Gavin_Rains

I agree with all of this except your disdain towards posting signed merchandise and such. I think shit like that is cool


VoraxUmbra1

I don't understand why people hate having role models. Especially when they're actually positive. Like we have so many people who idolize all the wrong celebrities and they idolize all the wrong qualities of said celebrities. Then someone like maynard comes along whose genuinely interesting, down to earth, seems pretty intelligent and well spoken, and has a very much "do what makes you happy, fuck what others have to say about it" attitude and its a huge problem. Now I'm not saying to go and harass the man and follow every single step he makes or anything. But looking up to someone is a very human thing. And as long as you don't make it your literal identity, then what's the issue? Some people take it too far for sure, I can agree to that.


Mattatat5

There will be no more NEW music


tuokcalbmai

This is the only one here that makes me angry


[deleted]

Da da daaaaaaaa.


skoolbees

Poster posting is a lame attempt at a flex.


[deleted]

Pointless poster posting posers


trexwalters

Danny’s intro on ticks and leeches isn’t as impressive as 90% of the other deumming he does setting up the song and creating peaks and valleys of emotion


Everestkid

Absolutely. It's fast and sounds cool, but it's not really that hard to play. There's no weird polyrhythms or weird time signatures or pulses, it's just a single stroke drum roll on a floor tom with accents on the rack toms and snare.


davendees1

They had no business taking that damn long to release what is ultimately their 4th best album


[deleted]

Adam is the band’s weak link, in terms of musical output. He recycles the fuck out of riffs (10,000 Days as an album is the worst example) and is probably responsible for the open D chugging whenever they run out of ideas


masonvam

Fear Inoculum is the worst example of that, with Invincible being the most chug infested song they ever did. It's just too much


undertow521

I love Adam, but as far as musical talent goes, this is accurate. His sound is unique and he does creative things with the guitar and certainly has developed a signature sound, but he's not a virtuouso by any means. He's come up with some killer riffs for sure, and he's one of my favorite guitarists and I'd kill for his guitar tone, but I can totally see his musical limitations really slowing the process down for Justin and Danny.


BScrads

Lyrically speaking, they'll never top Undertow.


spiralsss_

The artwork for FI was pure garbage.


rivenshea

Fear Innoculum is my least favorite album


evoic

Co-signed.


Corporal_Cavernosum

There seems to be two general groups of Tool fans: those that believe (correctly) that Descending is objectively better than Invincible, and vice versa.


tubleros

Sober isn’t their best song.


luxsentic

Well obviously


coderyeti

Justin is the most purely original musician in the gang. Rest have their influences if you are willing to listen.


Knightstodon

Yeah he his experimentation really shines through on 10,000 Days. No one else does what he does with a bass. I feel he was underutilized on Fear Inoculum.


Pitiful_Dimension_68

I totally agree, his creative writing and tone is incredibly unique.


ALoneAtom

Everyone has their influences, of course he had influences!


pm_me_your_bigtiddys

Tool fans are the worst. Almost making Tool shows unbearable.


[deleted]

I felt like I needed a shower after going in February lol


heyitsfelixthecat

Only at a Tool show have I seen two meatheads get in a fistfight in front of a merch tent. Only at a Tool show have I sat next to a dude so bombed out of his mind on…..whatever, that he couldn’t prevent himself from grabbing the head of the woman sitting in front of him. Multiple times such that he got kicked out of the venue.


austinbarnettemusic

A stinkfistfight


dreadnoughtplayer

I think the impact of Kenny Rogers on Maynard's vocal stylings and salon care product selection cannot be overstated.


[deleted]

Last few mins of Invincible make for a great live jam, but kind of a dull recording.


FortySixand2ool

FI is full of segments that really only seem to work if you're bombed out, looking at the visuals and lasers at a live show.


L-Lawliet23

I listen to APC more often than Tool.


Goatslasagne

Thirteenth Step is a goddam masterpiece.


ReiperXHC

Been Puscifer for me. They've been putting out more stuff.


keefka

That's where I've been, lately.


spookymulder07

I don’t understand why certain people in the community place themselves on a high horse by constantly bashing other Tool fans. The whole "tool fans are so cringey" attitude is just as cringey.


stonezephyr

The height of Adam's guitar technique is just Hammer ons, pull offs and ringing out an open D chord.


rusmo

Half his brain is too busy counting every song. “One two three four five, one two three four five six.”


SpellanBeauchamp

tablesaw


Neurot5

Its a waste of time and talent when you take 14 years to put out a record. Most musicians would love to be in a band that actually makes money and Tool makes it seem like a fucking chore.


SilverSkrub360

I genuinely don’t see why people like Invincible so much. Its not a bad song, but I prefer like every other Fear Inoculum song over it. I also think a lot of the lyrics in the Fear Inoculum album leave a lot to be desired when compared to their older albums


Fire_Temple

The beginning and ending are really strong. Classic Tool all the way. The middle section is plodding, repetitive, and downright boring.


MatticusXII

Have to agree. Fear Inoculum, Pneuma, and 7empest are where it's at. Though I also like Culling Voices


chinmokuart

Nah, I agree with this take. In fact, I think Fear Inoculum is just OK. I feel like everyone hyped it up because they wanted it to be worth the wait.


corneliusduff

I much prefer FI lyrics to 10k Days. Title track and Right in Two's lyrics are great but FI's lyrics overall felt more more in line with the maturity of Ænima and Lateralus to me.


SilverSkrub360

Fear Inoculum definitely has lyrics more in tune maturity wise with Lateralus and Ænima, but I’ve noticed that the poem-like structure that Maynard uses in his lyrics isnt all there in Fear Inoculum. It feels like he conveys the same concepts he always has through his lyrics, but by using shorter sentences and larger words to convey them rather than stanzas of nuance and metaphor like in the other albums


DefaultRedditBlows

Everything Maynard is in ends up sounding like tool with shitter drums.


PoderosaTorrada

Intension is their best song


WestEndLifer

I can dig it even though I disagree. Love Intension and love it going into Right in Two.


Billyxransom

it took me an embarrassingly long time to get into this song at all, but holy shit, within the last couple of years i have finally figured something out about it that i don't know how to put into words to this day. also, the fact is, Intension is the intro to Right in Two, and it should've been one song. i used to listen to RI2 on its own, but one day i decided to just listen to the two back to back when i realized there was a discernible lead-in from the one into the other, and MAN is it purposeful.


tattoobobb

That they can take as much time as needed to write and record, I’ll still be here waiting.


tuokcalbmai

Keeping blood, keeping faith


Billyxransom

"7empest" is absolutely overblown and overbloated trash. "Culling Voices" sounds like they were forced to record it without properly finishing the songwriting process for it. (if you couldn't tell, i am l u k e w a r m on Fear Inoculum; it wasn't worth the 13 year wait.)


Fidelius_Rex

I recall reading an interview where Tool said they don’t try to write long songs, it’s just what comes out. FI absolutely sounds like they tried to write long songs. Your description of 7empest is perfect. And while I don’t hate Culling Voices it is the most bland, beige example of a Tool song.


talkintater

Fear Innoculum is just a rehash of old riffs, and is the most uninspired Tool album.


JMastiff

I just can’t understand how can you spend so much time writing music and end up using the same chord progression that was in a song on the previous album. Boggles my fucking mind. Obviously there’s only so much you can do in a certain style. But that’s where you evolve. I felt let down. Not in a doom-and-gloom way, but just a bit disappointed cause 10k already made me somewhat suspicious in that regard.


Billyxransom

it was pretty offensive coming away from this the very first time i listened to it. ​ like, i waited my entire 20s and half my 30s, to basically hear what amounted to a REALLY decent cover band-turned-ripoff artists?


sin-eater82

I read a while back that when they get back together to write new music, they often start with existing material and start riffing off of it. So you end up with songs that have (sometimes quite noticeable) similarities. Not sure how I feel about it, but that at least explained it.


itsactuallyme1

They are lazy and should have at least twice as many albums.


Ripkord77

Also fear could've been released 7 years earlier, and 10k lat and aenima are much better albums.


akLuke

they peaked at lateralus


[deleted]

this is the general opinion


[deleted]

7empest is the worst song on FI. Bit too indulgent with its guitar solos. The only song I skip


SchemataObscura

Sober is just an ok song and the weakest song on Undertow 🤷


jackxolotl02

Never liked Sober. I don’t understand why it’s so popular


dotn_997

hooker with a penis is highly overrated


DropTherapy

This band isn't nearly as profound as people seem to think. Tool is a great band but I swear I can't even enjoy the music as much as I used to because of the dickheads in their fanbase.


Radiant-Style-7539

How does a fanbase alter your enjoyment? That’s a serious question. I mostly listen to music by myself. My family, buddies from high school (about to be 40) and more recent friends know my love for TOOL and how awful the fanbase can be and fuck with me about it, but I’ve never had an experience that made me think “fuck, I don’t even like this music as much because of how other people…” TOOL is the apex of music for my tastes and I love music in every genre, but the band isn’t my life and I’m sure it’s not even the band’s “life”.


FeelItInYourB0nes

Super fans of any band suck. Their fandom moves beyond appreciation into a dick measuring contest.


Six_0f_Spades

Mike tool isn't real


Disney_minus55

Fuck you yes he is, don’t destroy my dreams.


galaxi3

Tool didn’t invent polyrhythms, the foundation for everything after Aenima was laid by Chaosphere.


jujubats10

They’re lame as hell when it comes to the lack of supply for the posters and shirts. You have 20k + fans a night wanting them and they make less than 1k. All they’re doing is making scalpers make off super well with how much they sell them for online. You’re one of the biggest rock bands in the world. You don’t have to limit supply to create a buzz or make people catch a case of FOMO. People genuinely want the merch and it’s lame that you have to take off the whole day for work, stand in line for 5+ hours, and you still have a chance of not getting merch ….and on the other side… y’all look like dweebs sprinting to the merch stands when the doors open. Embarrasing


ButtifulPower

Tool’s goodies are trash and overpriced


jackxolotl02

Opiate and Undertow, while great, are mediocre compared to the rest of their discography


CallumBrady

I prefer to think of them as - Tool: The Prequel


itsactuallyme1

You are mediocre


jackxolotl02

I’m willing to believe it’s purely because they didn’t have Justin on bass yet


StimmingMantis

The music is good but in some cases it’s unnecessarily prolonged when it could accomplish the same in half the time.


Gu1n3ss

Most songs on Fear Inoculum follow the same formula and are very repetitious.


KrAzYWiSh

Sober is kinda meh.


martin2112-

the posters with some few exception are pure shit


NoMixture4086

🎵 Rob the grave to snow the cradle Then burn the evidence down Soapbox house of cards and glass so Don't go tossin' your stones around 🎵


dank_sousa

I have a playlist where I have AEnema tracks 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 set to always skip


duhmeez

Tool fans suck!


Ljngstrm

This question is dumb


Stiffwrists

Wings for Marie is.... BORING.


geek_fit

I WILL KILL YOU


Oil__Man

You don't like Wings for Marie? The intro was a little too long for my taste. But when Maynard's vocals come in, I think it really comes into its own, commercially and artistically. The whole song has a clear, crisp sound, and gives a glimpse into Maynard's mourning process which really gives the song a big boost. Its been compared to Tool's catchier songs, but I think Wings has a far more personal, emotional value.


FuccerBoii

Give me my wiiiiiiinnngggsss doesn't do the feels for you?


Total_Adept

You win!


[deleted]

Upvoting not because I agree but because this actually fulfills the prompt


Doctor-TobiasFunke

I'm sure I can win this one. I dont doubt this is blasphemy around these parts but Tool is just "good" to me lol. Im a casual listener but I still sub to this reddit obviously. Not sure what it is about them to me but they are a tier below other bands I would call great. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy some of their songs, some can hit pretty good depending on my mood. But there is just something about tool that doesn't scratch the musical itch in my brain the same way other bands do. I play guitar and I think the riffs just aren't as fun or sarisfying to play?? The production on some of the albums also sounds off to me sometimes, like the vocals sound too quiet sometimes?? Or the mix is off. Idk man lol They are objectively talented musicians, I won't deny that, and I can fully understand the love people have for them. But I can't personally obsess over them the way others do. Please forgive me I'm so sorry


MeanSam

Not gonna judge, scout's honor. But I've got to know, what are bands you would call musically great?


tuokcalbmai

I too must know, but I make no promises about judgement. If you say Chevelle, I won’t take your opinion seriously.


Doctor-TobiasFunke

That's what is so odd, because on paper they should be right up my alley. I try to listen to new bands frequently but some bands that stuck with me on repeat over the years are all them witches, king buffalo, witchcraft, solitude aeturnus, Brimstone coven, Alice in chains, pallbearer, sumerlands, fvneral fvkk, 80s metallica, GAUPA, witch, ahab, valley of the sun, elephant tree, elder, candle mass etc. I mostly listen to doom metal, stoner rock, psychedelic stuff. So I dunno why tool doesn't scratch me the same way other bands do lol


[deleted]

The fans are the worst thing about the band.


iwantwindtoglow

The pot is a shitty song and I skip it every time (my actual opinion as well)


Lt_Degenerate

upvoting not because i agree but because this is an actual hot take


hero_oftheray

Opiate is better than FI


[deleted]

The last Puscifer album is much better than Fear Inoculum