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[Editorial] From Worst To Best: Tool

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on October 17, 2012 @ 9:15pm
Category: Music / Editorials

Tool is by no means meant for the casual listener. Their music defies traditional songwriting, dynamically surges from crushing distortion to soft beauty, plays with time signatures, bears some of the most interesting lyrics available, and doesn’t give a damn about song length to ensure radio play. Add to this list the band’s love of the occult and teasing fans with the possibilities that their lyrics and music hide a deeper meaning. Everything combined makes Tool one of the most challenging, well-respected and fascinating bands releasing music these days.

And so I decided that my love of the band should be used to rank their discography. Having listened to each album more times than I can count, I feel very comfortable in my decisions. Note that I am only doing the four full-length albums and I’m not including the Opiate EP nor the Salival release.

This is by no means an easy task. Having been a fan of Tool for more years than I can easily count, I realize that these albums each represent a different period of my life and I have certain memories associated with each one. Still, I’ll do my best to remain objective. So, join me below to find out my “From Worst To Best” with Tool. READ MORE

Retro Review: Tool ‘Undertow’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on October 01, 2010 @ 7:15am
Category: Music / News

1993 was a year in which Grunge was at its height and Nu-Metal hadn’t yet appeared. Some classic films released that year include Leprechaun, Cronos, Army of Darkness, Fire In The Sky, and, while not horror but still badass, Jurassic Park. Also that year were great music releases from Wu-Tang Clan (Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers), Depeche Mode (Songs Of Faith And Devotion), Candlebox (Candlebox), Sepultura (Chaos A.D.), amongst others. Overall, it was one hell of a year in terms of entertainment.

toolundertowcover Retro Review: Tool Undertow

Let’s be honest with each other; for all intents and purposes, Tool should probably not be as huge as they are. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tool and have been listening to their music since ‘Undertow’ came out. Growing up, the video for ‘Sober’ terrified me and gave me countless nightmares. However, their style, their album release pattern, their visuals, all combines to form a musical entity that should not be popular. And yet, something about Tool has people consistently begging for more and craving each album to enter yet another musical journey. Admittedly, I’m one of those people. Having seen Tool six times in concert, I can completely attest to the power of their music not only as an aural experience, but when coupled with their visuals, as a powerful, almost meditative force.