Tool — Music Videos

Patient, intricate heavy rock

Tool make heavy music in which repeating figures, shifting accents and long developments matter as much as the chorus. Maynard James Keenan’s voice, Adam Jones’s guitar textures and Danny Carey’s drumming give the group a highly recognizable character. Bassist Justin Chancellor became a central part of their later sound, following the earlier work of Paul D’Amour. Their recordings invite close attention to how the instruments move together and sometimes appear to pull in different directions.

From Sober to Schism

Sober, from the 1993 album Undertow, offers a comparatively compact introduction to the band’s tension and weight. Schism, from Lateralus in 2001, begins with an intricate bass idea that grows through a carefully arranged sequence of sections. Neither recording relies only on speed or volume. The sense of pressure comes from repetition, small rhythmic changes and the timing of a release.

Hearing the whole arrangement

Carey’s percussion often adds another layer of movement rather than simply marking the beat, while Jones uses guitar sound as both a riff and an atmosphere. Keenan’s delivery can remain measured even when the instruments become forceful. Tool connect alternative metal with the extended forms and detailed interplay associated with progressive rock, making them especially rewarding when heard as complete recordings.