Tool recommendations?

RobRoyMcCoy · Post by **RobRoyMcCoy** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:17 pm

I was watching Alt TV on the weekend and they played a Tool video. I really liked the tune (the video was awesome too). Any recommendations on an album of theirs?

Rob

AmpShop · Post by **AmpShop** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:39 pm

Undertow has several classic tracks, that's the album of theirs I know the best.

Aenima is generally acknowledged as their best, it certainly has the best of balance of the lushness and the riffiness IMHO

Jenesis · Post by **Jenesis** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:40 pm

Undertow, Aenima and Lateralus are all worth checking oot. Haven't heard the latest one yet.

AmpShop · Post by **AmpShop** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:45 pm

And actually, the EP before Undertow - Opiate - has at least one pretty killer track - I think the song may actually be called Opiate too.

Memory lane!

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:44 pm

yup - opiate, aenima and undertow are three I have and are class.. IMO opiate is more 'out there'/indulgent than the others, but I lean towards palatable music rather than fringe, and they're the more commercially viable ones.

also - cordless drill - a must have tool

Optimus_prime · Post by **Optimus_prime** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:09 am

I dislike your average Tool fan

silly people

jimi · Post by **jimi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:09 am

Opiate was thier 1st effort and is probably the closest to a straight up metal album / EP. Opiate and Jerk Off were the stand out tracks for me.

I think the best example of the current Tool sound is Aenima - This was the album where Justin Chancellor took over on Bass from Paul d'Amour and his bass sound is a major part of their sound in subsequent albums (though my personal preference is Opiate/Undertow - the Paul d'Amour era of Tool).

Lemmings · Post by **Lemmings** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:49 am

I'd have to go with the two latest albums being the greatest, Lateralus was the album that really got me interested. Aenima is great too. I've tended to avoid the earlier stuff, what i've heard seems a bit too generic metal.

Joshua_Zahn · Post by **Joshua_Zahn** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:16 am

Its all pretty good. I really like 10,000 days. (The new one)

If I was to recommend just one album to start with it would probably be Aenima.

Danger Mouse · Post by **Danger Mouse** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:32 am

Tool haven't exactly strayed very far from their successful formula and all their albums have been decent enough, so I'd personally say that any of them will be good choices.

I'll bring Aenima with me when we go down to check out the amp, you can have a listen and see what you think.

sambrowne · Post by **sambrowne** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:44 am

Aenima is definitely the one to get - anything after that album is arguably just a different take on the same thing. In spite of the seemingly complex nature of their music, Tool work within strict self-imposed guidelines - almost everything is in D, phrygian mode, same melodies from Maynard, unusual time signatures like 9/8 frequently employed, same guitar, bass and drum sounds.

I liked Lateralus next best personally.

sgt mukuzi · Post by **sgt mukuzi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:02 am

or try the Helmet album meantime

C^8 · Post by **C^8** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:24 am

Aenima

Opiate and Undertow are good too.
I found the last 2 albums difficult to get into - esp Lateralus

sambrowne · Post by **sambrowne** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:24 pm

sgt mukuzi wrote:or try the Helmet album meantime

Shit yeah, that rocks. If you like that, you should check out the self-titled album by Handsome (no, not Hansen). It was made up of members of Helmet (old guitarist who is not Paige Hamilton?), Cro-mags and some other bands. It is still a classic alt rock album - big riffs, great vocals, good songs. Think Helmet with a very good singer (as opposed to a terrible singer) and more focus on songs than riffs, and you're most of the way there.