Sept. 7th, 2006. Never forget.

[Dooz]

Hello everyone. I just want to say that last night was the most unforgetable, incredible, out of this world experience I've ever had. For you see, I was at the Staples Center watching.... TOOL. Now I know you might be thinking "Hey! Get outta' here! What's this post doing here?", but man, I don't give a damn. I am still shaking off the disbelief and amazement of the experience.

Folks lemme' tell you, if you've never been to a TOOL show, and have the opportunity, do not think twice. GO! Quickly! You will not forget it. I just... I don't know how to express my happiness.... I've been in a daze the past 24 hours. The second show is actually going on right now, again at the Staples Center. Just 24 hours ago, I was in the perfect seats with the perfect friends in the perfect situation with a perfect crowd watching a perfect spectacle. It's unreal.

There's too much emotions and whatever else running through me now, I musn't try and convey it anymore, for it will only end in unimitigated failure. So instead, I'll share you find folks some of the pictures I took on a crappy camera phone.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Rammstein = 10x better

[Dooz]

Rammstein = 10x better

That's not cool man.

[naut]

I'm glad you liked it. Next April I'm going to two Chili Pepper concerts.

[Scurvy]

Blind Guardians next week :

[L'Impresario]

TOOL, that's one band I'd pay triple digit monies to see live. And they must be one of the very few ones that deserve that, since adulthood that is.

A strange thing is that concert pics are the type of picure that is most bound to fail. That's why I prefer going with the "freaks up front" heh

[LeftEyeNine]

I'm glad you liked it. Next April I'm going to two Chili Pepper concerts.

How about adopting a brother?

[Scurvy]

TOOL, that's one band I'd pay triple digit monies to see live.

no bands good enoguh for triple figures

I saw them in hammermith and they okay, but certainly not my favourite

[Alexanderofmacedon]

That's not cool man.

Alright, alright, I'm sorry.

[L'Impresario]

no bands good enoguh for triple figures

I saw them in hammermith and they okay, but certainly not my favourite

Well, if you aren't into the spiral, then you ain't, dear Scurv
Tool music has a fascinating "third dimension", and that's not something many artists can attain

[Scurvy]

I like my music to be 2 dimensional, that way i can understand it

[Dooz]

Indeed Tool is something special. The show was spectacular. On the titantron, all throughout the show were animations and stuff synced with the music, amazing stuff. And of course the stage lights and everything, really cool stuff. And let's not forget the 3d laser show. Yes, 3d laser show. So damn awesome.

And lemme' tell you, I'm a misanthrope, hate social environments and so on and so on, but man, at this show I loved every single person in the arena, all 60,000. The vibe was incredible, the energy, woo. Except the damn security or attendants or whoever the hell they are. Wayyy to anal about the smoking policy. But you do what you gotta' do and yeah.

[Divinus Arma]

I saw tool with rage against the machine at lalapalooza about seven years ago. There were other bands, but I spent most of the concert drunk on my back in the grass. Fortunately, I had a lookout to ensure I wouldn't be stepped on.

Tool was good, as was rage. I have to admit. This new Tool album is special. Song number 5 ( I think. The one all over the radio) is some soulfull stuff. The one that goes like: who are you to wag your finger, etc... Great album.

Edit: I just noticed that wonderland used the word "special" in the post before mine. I didn;t even red his post. I can't think of a better word. Unique doesn't cut it. Nor does great or spectacular. In fact, this is one of the few times I have found a use for the word "special" without referring to nature's clowns.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Tool was good, as was rage. I have to admit. This new Tool album is special. Song number 5 ( I think. The one all over the radio) is some soulfull stuff. The one that goes like: who are you to wag your finger, etc... Great album.

Ah, cool! I hear all these songs I like on the radio but can never remember the lyrics when I get home. So that was tool huh.

[doc_bean]

This new Tool album is special. Song number 5 ( I think. The one all over the radio) is some soulfull stuff. The one that goes like: who are you to wag your finger, etc... Great album.

Hmm I might have to check it out then. I was a huge Tool fan back in the Aenima days, but Lateralus was a huge disappointment to me...

[L'Impresario]

Hmm I might have to check it out then. I was a huge Tool fan back in the Aenima days, but Lateralus was a huge disappointment to me...

Blasphemy!!!
...well, the general consensus agrees that Lateralus is their magnum opus but it's reasonable for a few dissidents to prefer the "rawer" Aenima. I just find Lateralus more "challenging" in so many ways, really deep stuff.

[doc_bean]

Blasphemy!!!
...well, the general consensus agrees that Lateralus is their magnum opus but it's reasonable for a few dissidents to prefer the "rawer" Aenima. I just find Lateralus more "challenging" in so many ways, really deep stuff.

I found Lateralus to be more of a stylistic exercise, admittedly in a style they themselves created. It lacked the emotional depth of Aenima (Stinkfist ! Eulogy ! Pushit !) but lyrically and musically. Several songs felt 'drawn out' for no apparent reason, while on Aenima every song just took as much time as it needed. Lyrics about spirals and parabols and all that don't interest me that much either.
From Opiate to Aenima I felt there was a fast progression with their music, every album was a revolution (granted that only makes for two revolutions) while Lateralus felt a lot like an Aenima two (but without the emotional depth). Now you have the 'typical Tool sound' something that wouldn't have been said back in the day because you were wondering what their sound would change into next.

No, Aenima is their peak, it combines their raw talent with ambition, a strong drive and emotion. With many artists there comes a time when they've 'perfected' their craft, technically they are much better than when they started, but the result isn't often their most interesting work since it just lacks that 'need' to make art. But that's just my

BTW I don't know what the deal is with the Tool community now, but back in the day there was still a minority that preferred Undertow to Aenima (and later Lateralus), this led me to believe that for most people, the first Tool album they really get into will always be their favourite...

[L'Impresario]

I don't actually find Lateralus "a stylistic exercise", it's pretty obvious ofcourse it's less commercially oriented, even though "catchpenny" and "Tool" are words a bit hard to combine in one sentence heh

When you deliver "hard sound", you don't necessarily have to inject frustration, rage etc, although there's certainly a fair deal of that as well. In Lateralus you have an album which takes their artistic vision further, both musically/technically and conceptually. Because it's more complex, it requires more effort from the listener and in time it grows on you at more levels. Don't discard their lyrics as talking about "spirals" and "parabols" heh The work is an amazing feat of combining word and sound, has multiple readings and the way each part complement the other is staggering. They also weave symbols into their work like a Dan Brown junkie (yes, I know, this is an undeserved insult but it makes up with graphical content) and know their stuff profoundly.
This is not simple flirting with mysticism/math rock/prog rock etc. Accusations of pretentiousness are irrelevant when taking into account the scope and vision of such a masterpiece. I don't like labels and characterisations but I have to say that it's a mature work of solemn (meta?)spirituality with a strange aroma of incense, remaining incensed but sacrifising much of this anger for a chance at lucidity. And the music is always moving in those damned hypnotic cycles, like a devilish dervish. I must admit that sometimes listening to the album scares me and each time I push "play" I don't know what'll happen next (the only other album that has such an effect on me is Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, by GYBE).

[drone]

Tool is showing up in DC on September 30th. I really would like to see them, but it's just not going to happen, too much other stuff going on.

I always preferred Aenima to Lateralus. It definitely had a rawer feel. If "Hooker with a Penis" wasn't one of my favorite songs, I would have said that they sold out with Lateralus. It just feels more mainstream. 10,000 Days seems like an extension to the Lateralus style, but I think they did a better job with it and have just about burned the bits off the CD since I got it. Technically, it's one of the best albums I've heard. Listen to it with decent headphones for best effect (throw in drug of choice if that's how you like it...).

[Kanaric]

Tool is godlike, everyone i know around where i live thinks they kick ass.

[UglyandHasty]

Hey Wonderland, i'm jealous ! Glad you had a blast though. Tool is a top notch band !!

[IrishArmenian]

Hmm, best concerts I've been to were Social Distortion twice and Flogging Molly. Both Grate bands with grate energy. Very fun shows all of them. I reccomend going to any of those shows. I also don't like concerts that have seating arranjment. I like open seeting.

[Andres]

Hm, you guys should try a concert of Frans Bauer.

Great stuff!

Certainly after 10 pints...

[Zastrow]

I'm going a TOOL concert on Friday at Kemper Arena, oh yeah man am I pumped!!!

I know all friday at school I'll be a jack in the box with excite and go crazy when they start playing Jambi. Man that guitar is sexy at the start.

[doc_bean]

I always preferred Aenima to Lateralus. It definitely had a rawer feel. If "Hooker with a Penis" wasn't one of my favorite songs, I would have said that they sold out with Lateralus. It just feels more mainstream.

Aww, come on, neither Aenima or Lateralus can be called commercial, neither are easy albums, both contain songs which last far longer than the average person's attention span !
I understand screaming sell outs to bands selling their music to coca cola, or to bands which just follow hypes, but it's soooo overused...

[drone]

Aww, come on, neither Aenima or Lateralus can be called commercial, neither are easy albums, both contain songs which last far longer than the average person's attention span !
I understand screaming sell outs to bands selling their music to coca cola, or to bands which just follow hypes, but it's soooo overused...

I didn't say they were commercial, but Lateralus just (to me) felt like it was step towards the mainstream. Not in the content, it was also very technical, but in the style. With 10,000 Days, I'm very impressed how far they could go with their new style.

On a side note, their publisher must hate them. Their CD cases/cover art from Aenima on must seriously cut into the manufacturing profits.

[doc_bean]

I remember back in the Aenima days they said they exchanged royalties for artistic freedom, I don't think the publishers hate them, considering how they sell...

[L'Impresario]

Damn, this thread is now an affront to my bad luck; Tool will be here in December and I won't:P
And on top of that the Kaiser Chiefs will be performing here next month,and all that in my absence

Someone delete this thread

[Scurvy]

Hmm, best concerts I've been to were Social Distortion twice and Flogging Molly. Both Grate bands with grate energy. Very fun shows all of them. I reccomend going to any of those shows. I also don't like concerts that have seating arranjment. I like open seeting.

flogging molly were okay, i dont mind seating aslong as it reatins an atmosphere (i wouldnt dislike seats out of principle)

[GoreBag]

The only Tool song I like is Intermission.