The band toured hard in support of
Undertow throughout 2004, eventually returning to the studio in 2005 to begin working on a sophomore album. In 2005 D’ Amor left the band due to creative differences, with England-born bassist
Justin Chancellor stepping in to fill his place just in time for the release of the band’s second album,
Ænema, in 1996.
Ænema managed to sell over three million copies domestically despite - or perhaps because of - its controversial nature, with television stations like
MTV often refusing to air or altering the lyrics of single
"Stinkfist". Following a
Grammy win for their 2008 single
"Ænema", Tool went on hiatus following a legal battle with their label
Volcano Records, the successor to the now defunct Zoo imprint. While on hiatus Tool’s members formed a number of other bands, including
A Perfect Circle and
Buzz Osborne.
Much to the surprise and excitement of their many fans, Tool reformed once again in early 2001, releasing their third album
Lateralus later on in the year. Though generally well-received by critics,
Lateralus marked a departure in Tool’s musical style, with long and complex songs like
"Parabola" lasting up to ten minutes while other tracks like
"Schism" experimented with shifting melodies and time signatures.
Lateralus was an overall success, debuting at #1 on the
Billboard 200 and earning double
Platinum status. Tool’s fourth and most recent album, 2006’s
10,000 Days, fared similarly, also rising to the #1 spot upon its release and moving over one million copies within a year.
10,000 Days continues in the experimental art-rock direction pioneered by
Lateralus, incorporating ambient music into their sound. Standout tracks from
10,000 Days include
"Vicarious",
"Jambi", and
"The Pot".
From Lastfm:Formed around 1990 in Los Angeles, California, United States, by drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, and original bassist Paul D'Amour, Tool is a band that is most noted for combining industrial rock with a wide variety of progressive structures, irregular time signatures and lyrics that range from angry diatribes to meditations on philosophical and social matters.
After performing a handful of shows in the Los Angeles area and up the West Coast, they toured in the United States with Primus in the summer of 1992 in support of their EP Opiate. Their first full length recording, Undertow, was released in 1993.
Emerging with a groovy heavy industrial sound on their first release, when the genre was dominated by post-punk, they were later seen at the top of the industrial metal movement with the release of their second full-length studio album Ænima in 1996, the first recording the band made after original bassist Paul D?Amour left the band. After an ongoing evolution of their sound and continuous efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution on Lateralus (2001), their most recent album 10,000 Days (2006), as well as respective tours, they are generally described as a style-transgressing act and part of progressive and art rock.
Their aspirational work features exceptionally long or complex releases, controversial lyrics and cover art, and unorthodox music videos, which results in a rather ambivalent relationship between the band and today?s music industry, at times marked by censorship, and the band?s ongoing struggle for privacy.
Nevertheless, Tool has won Grammy Awards and continues to perform worldwide and receive critical acclaim. Lateralus and 10,000 Days both debuted number one on the US Billboard 200 as well as topping the charts in numerous other countries. Between album releases, the band takes extended breaks that allow for collaboration with other artists in designing award-winning album packaging, the creation of elaborate light shows, and band member involvement in notable side-projects.
Currently the band consists of:
Maynard James Keenan (Vocals)
Danny Carey (Drums)
Justin Chancellor (Bass)
Adam Jones (Guitar)
They currently have 6 major releases:
Opiate (1992)
Undertow (1993)
Ænima (1996)
Salival (Live) (2000)
Lateralus (2001)
10,000 Days (2006).