Tool's sophisticated art-metal approach (some regard them as prog-metal) is marked by unrelenting aggression and focused intensity. The band's use of serpentine, syncopated rhythms, and tight staccato guitar riffs topped by singer Maynard James Keenan's passionate-but-controlled vocal style separates Tool from the slash-and-burn overkill approach of so many of their heavy rock contemporaries. The band first came to public attention in the waning days of the grunge boom, but have long outlasted that transient era with their dark, brooding vision.
Track: 9: Jimmy Media Type: CD Artist: TOOL Title: AENIMA Street Release Date: 10/01/1996 Domestic Genre: HEAVY METAL
Product Notes
With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound is focused heavily on texture, with vocals and guitars layered one atop the other, and heart-pounding drums underlying everything. There's not a whole lot of variety on Tool's second full-length album--most of the songs start off fairly low-key, kicking into high gear for the chorus, and repeat--but Maynard James Keenan's distinctive voice, the prog-rock stylings over a heavy metal base, and a supremely unhealthy dose of vitriol make this the perfect album to bang your head to. --Genevieve Williams
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