Where should I start?

There's not much out there. YOu could listen to all of it in an afternoon.

I think you can certainly see (as you can will all bands) their progression when you listen in chronological order. Lateralus is widely held as their masterpiece so I guess if you are going to just listen to one, that is the best.

Nope. Undertow is what will get you hooked (if it's to happen).
Play that album a few times and if your interest isn't peaked, then they're not for you.
Lateralus and so many other of their albums have 'filler' bull**** that can turn a new listener off really quick.
Undertow is nonstop Tool. Maybe not all of their best stuff, but it's the album to get you on the train.

I would say push*t. Listen a couple times, and then read the lyrics.

Speaking of lyrics,

'Rosetta Stoned' is one of my favorite epic Tool songs just for that reason (and the primal marathon scream segment marching with guitar and atomic drumming).

BennyBlancoFromTheBright said:

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Nope. Undertow is what will get you hooked (if it's to happen).
Play that album a few times and if your interest isn't peaked, then they're not for you.
Lateralus and so many other of their albums have 'filler' bull**** that can turn a new listener off really quick.
Undertow is nonstop Tool. Maybe not all of their best stuff, but it's the album to get you on the train.

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Nope! j/k

They are all great. Depends on your personal taste which one you like the most. There is no such thing as BS filler in tool albums. Everything is there for a specific reason.

Apologies

Even looking back on it, I just think that if all albums were optioned to me as a new listener, 'Undertow' would be the one that hooked me more than the others.

And yes, once you find out you're a Tool fan, the 'fillers' do mean something and are pretty fun.

I know the haters will jump on the pretentiousness of this, but a lot of their stuff takes an 'understanding' to appreciate . Every album after getting hooked is the reward (incoming).

Lateralus was my introduction and still my favorite. So good

Opiate or GTFO. Some classic songs and sound on that album. Plus, you can get the EP cheap. Do it.

*Undertow's a close second.

mazag08 said:

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Undertow is great but definitely shows its age.

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Come on, it's only 26 years old

AEnima was also my starting point and loved it (46&2 for sure) but Undertow is also a good start, if undertow also watch the sober and prison sex music videos for full Tool 90s experience, they were pretty groundbreaking and awesome

I also think a good avenue to take is to watch some of the historical music videos from classic MTV. Took video making into an art form.

Listen to schism. If that riff and bass line don't make you want to get up and thrash around then metal isn't for you.

So after listening to the whole discography (admittedly at work, so just kind of half tuning in), I got to say Lateralus is what hooked me in the most.

They are pretty great though. Kind of like if you mixed Pink Floyd and Chevelle together. Can't believe I had never listened to them before.

Every Tool album is pretty unique from the others while still sounding unmistakably like Tool (if that makes any sense whatsoever).

Starting from the beginning is always a solid idea but don't feel like you have to - you can't really go wrong:

• Their really early stuff is more straightforward musically, angrier, less complex, heavier
• Aenima is the turning point - more complex musical elements introduced, still angry but very funny
• Lateralus is what many consider their high-point - more mature, introspective, very complex musically
• 10,000 Days feels like a combination of Aenima and Lateralus to me

Welcome to the rabbit hole

The Chevelle comment is interesting. If nothing else, they actually formed after Tool, so...

I agree very much w the Pink Floyd comment. While maybe a bit lazy, Tool could very easily described as the love child of Sabbath & Floyd. The heavyness and guitar tunings certainly evoke Sabbath, but the spacey weirdness def remind you of Floyd.

I also think they are very Zeppelinesque in that all four members are top shelf musicians seperately and they mix their stuff alot like Zep used to from the standpoint of all four members getting equal mix, if you will.

Fell asleep with the TV on 1999/2000 with MTV channel still on. Woke up to what I thought was a new Tool song. Nope, new band I'd never hear of -- Chevelle, who has since talked about the influence Tool has on them. This was the song



Months later actually ended up in a Christian gift shop with my girlfriend, she was looking for something specific and I'd never been there. So music CD Benny (used to be my thing to do -- go to Warehouse in Houston or CD Exchange here in SA) saw a small bin with some albums. "Hey, Chevelle - I know them! Hmmm, faith-based rock? Give it a try." Hooked since then.

Looking forward to seeing them in Sept touring. And TOOL soon, hopefully.

Macarthur said:

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The Chevelle comment is interesting. If nothing else, they actually formed after Tool, so...

I agree very much w the Pink Floyd comment. While maybe a bit lazy, Tool could very easily described as the love child of Sabbath & Floyd. The heavyness and guitar tunings certainly evoke Sabbath, but the spacey weirdness def remind you of Floyd.

I also think they are very Zeppelinesque in that all four members are top shelf musicians seperately and they mix their stuff alot like Zep used to from the standpoint of all four members getting equal mix, if you will.

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I wasn't implying that Tool was influenced by them, but it probably was the other way around. The way they both sing especially.

And agreed about talent. There is something distinct about every member of a band just rocking the **** out of their respective instrument that is able to make the song sound that much better. It makes it way more fun to listen too.

Just follow her..

Now those hills were alive with the sound of music

Pftek for life

Good old fashioned b+ and golden teachers and 30-40g fresh off the cake.

AggieFanatic09 said:

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Listen to schism. If that riff and bass line don't make you want to get up and thrash around then metal isn't for you.

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as a (former) bassist, the bass lines in schism and 46 and 2 are what got me into tool early on. went down the rabbit hole from there.