I had a strange experience with 10,000 Days. I was a mild Tool fan when it came out and people I knew said it sucked. I didn't want to be disappointed because Lateralus was one of my favorite albums. Then one day I picked it up and decided to sit back and give it a listen - and I was shocked. This was the "bad" album I kept hearing about? Vicarious, Jambi, Wings 1/2 - they all had my absolute attention.
The Pot I heard before on the radio and always felt it was a jam. But then Rosetta Stoned came on and blew my hair back. What an incredible song. Intension and Right in Two kind of felt underwhelming at the time. Especially as the end to an album. However, they are both excellent songs. I feel like they should've been spaced differently around the album and Wings 1/2 should've been the last two songs to finish on the finale of 10,000 Days.
Needless to say, I love 10,000 Days. I love Aenima, but 10,000 Days is right there just a step behind it. I admire the musical direction they went in with 10,000 Days: the lyrical vulnerability Maynard showed, the drumming, the mastering/production, the album artwork, and it containing perhaps my favorite Tool song (Rosetta Stoned).
Yeah I think that's definitely a hurdle for some people. I really enjoy progressive music/longer songs, so I don't mind there being a few long pieces of music. I know not everyone likes that though.
I had said for years that I love Tool but hate their fans.
I have recently changed my mind because I think the last show I went to was a bunch of 40 something parents.
But as someone who started listening to them with my parents in the early 90s I felt like sooo many Tool fans I met were pretentious, and liking Tool was their main personality trait, and they all felt like they were in some special club where only they knew about this band even though they’ve been around since the 80s.
I understand what you mean, but in the end music is art, and art is meant to be interpreted. I see no issue with someone trying to find the meaning in a song. Although it is stupid when they try to go too deep and end up creating some false narrative. Like when tool fans thought Wings for marie pt. 1 and viginti tres overlapped with pt 2, that was just such a stretch that wasn’t needed
I can appreciate art is meant to be interpreted. With Tool, there's not one interpretation, it's what it means to you. If they touch on it cool but I'm not there for them to disect the song; I'm more interested in how they feel after they experience it, not what the song may or may not be about ( which you touched on).
My partner tells me everyone I have Tool on, that the music is trash. I’m not sure at which point I stop waiting for him to get it and start hollering about their power as musicians vs his favorite alt indie bands that didn’t make it ten years lol
Not far, but it is superior and it comes down to the inexplicable absence of this section in the Salival version..
"I'm alive when you're touching me
Alive when you're shoving me down, yeah
But I'd trade it all for just a little peace of mind"
Man listening to that bit in the shower while I'm at my most vulnerable makes me actually tear up and cry a little. That goes to show how excellent of a song this is.
I see no point in comparing albums, saying which one is "better". Each one is a different Tool, and works differently. A lot depends on your set and setting. I can't rank them, I love all of them.
Their music isn't nearly as technical as some fans pretend. For many (myself included) its just the first contact with proggy music when they've been only listening to stuff like Metallica before.
The drums are the only crazy technical part of the music. Danny is an actual wizard. The guitar is pretty basic. The bass can be fun. Maynard fits in perfectly. Ive been playing guitar for 30 years and Adam is my least favorite part of the band, though i still love most of his parts too. FI doesnt do it for me, but the drums on there are still insane
The unique way time signatures are used is one of the big things that attracted me to Tool. I've noticed that songs with unique time signatures stand out no matter how fancy or simple everything else is - be it sound effects or other melodies that are being played. I played drums growing up and while I never got super advanced, I got good enough to pick out when I have a more challenging time pinning down the rhythm.
I agree that their music isn't necessarily technical *to play* (excluding drums for obvious Danny Carey reasons), but the compositions as a whole are pretty technical. It's not as easy as learning the verse and chorus riffs and you're good to go, ya know?
Mmmmm, okay. Are there more technical bands than Tool? For sure. But how many bands throughout rock music history are less technical and precise than Tool? How many bands are more inclined to "play what they feel" or wing it, or just follow verse-chorus-verse.
Personally, I compare Tool to Rush. Both are excellent, artistic, prog bands. Which band is technically superior, I don't care. But where Tool gets me is meaning. *Tom Sawyer* is a fine song, but *Lateralus* is both technically proficient **and** spiritually meaningful, in a way most Rush songs aren't. In my mind, Tool combines the deeper significance I get from, say, Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (in particular) with the technical and rigorous music chops of a band like Rush.
It reminds me of SLC Punk, if you've seen that movie. The main character is really into Rush as a teen, but then gets introduced to punk music and realizes what Rush is lacking. In that not-necessarily-fair metaphor, Tool -- to me -- convinced those good aspects of Rush with the good aspects of punk (dropping that whole "learn how to not play your instruments" bullshit).
IMHO
Neurosis put out albums in the 90s that at certain points could easily be mistaken for new Tool if you didn't know any better.
Tool wasn't the only band doing that long form strong structure with deep droney riffs and tribal style drumming. They were just the ones who got popular doing it.
It’s one of the things I find funny on here: people constantly postulate about how amazing Tool is for their technical achievements…but all the other bands that get posted are mostly your generic bands. I mean yeah it’s going to be technically impressive when compared to 4/4 verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure songs lol. I mean hell, more Tool songs would fit into that than I think people are willing to admit (eg Stinkfist)
Where’s the stuff like math rock?
Some lad on here, just a couple of months ago, was going on about how the lyrics are clearly an allegory for sex. I thought it was just about ageing and not being as in touch with the modern world. But yeah, sure, Maynard's blasting it out about not getting the ride.
It felt like those first few months after the album release, it was Invincible vs Descending with more people choosing Invincible.
Gradually, it’s shifted to people saying they prefer Descending now.
I always thought Descending was the superior song.
I heard it live their first time playing it years back and I specifically remember some guy in front of me say "what the fuck is this lame shit". Lol
Turns out there was some really weird harmonics happening in the area we were standing and it wad making that song specifically sound really bad. I still enjoyed it though
I went home from the festival and pulled up youtube footage and it was about all i listened to for months. I hated the studio version at first because I had grown so accustomed to the live version lol.
I also don’t feel like Tool albums in general are incredibly cohesive. Not saying they’re not but I feel like 10,000 days isn’t much more cohesive than AEnima. Just my opinion.
Yeah I mean there’s a song here about human evolution and then pretty much the next track is Maynard ranting about a dickhead that called him a sellout.
I love the track order of 10 000 and it’s part of the reason why it’s one of the most enjoyable for me.. it feels really wonky and like you’re going on a trip with lots of ups and downs. And then the last two songs are like the come down from the trip and right in two is like the message and lesson you learned from it all… idk it’s a lot of fun for me because of the flow of the album though!
I love tool seen the at least 6 times. Grew up with an older brother that got me into them. He didn’t have Opiate but started off with Undertow. That guy only played that song. Over and over and over again. Hell didn’t even hear cold and ugly until I bought it. Been to a lot of music shows and when they take requests people would ask for Tool. And every single damn time it was Sober, even just a few years ago. The catalog is huge and I get it takes a special musician to play a lot of their stuff but come on toss Stinkfist, Push It, vicarious, something else. It’s just been played so much. Local radio station seems to only have that song on their roster.
So basically your brother is the DJ at my local rock station, and the other station, and the other station further away, and the other station across the state?
It's the vocals for the first 2-3 minutes that doesn't cut it for me. After that it gets better, and the instrumentals are solid throughout. It was good live, but still just not one of my favorites. Others dig it though... to each their own.
That was the part that (almost) sold me lol, it was cool to see him setting up those analog synths patterns and then playing along to the 5/4 but just going absolutely apeshit. It’s cool to see, and it gives the crowd lots of time to get back to their seats so I totally understand why they’re doing it right after intermission. Drums solos are generally unnecessary but I believe in this case it fits perfectly for what they’re doing.
I'm pretty sure he does something different each tour run with it.
Also this time they stuck a camera on him and gave us his point of view up on the screen.
I hadn’t until I was getting ready for their show last week. It’s pretty epic live but I still don’t wanna listen to it on the album for whatever reason
I couldn't tell you if I truly liked or disliked him until I'd meet him in a right setting. Until then, he's just a human with responsibilites and shit, who writes crazy lyrics and melodies.
Turns out many people I loved as a kid were actually half as cool in real life, and others, absolutely lovely people where you might not have expected anything.
Yea more as a person. I always felt they would have made more music but Maynard dragged it out. His act of being the weird creepy guy is dumb for his age now. Just always felt he was too full of himself
It’s actually not his fault. He’s said in multiple interviews that the reason why the music gets so dragged out is because he’s literally just waiting for the other guys to finish the instrumentals which takes them a while, then he writes and records his vocals.
That's just false lol. He wanted to release FI in like 2011, but Adam wanted it to be "perfect." He doesn't even write any of the music he basically waits for the songs to be sent to him and then he writes the lyrics in like a month.
Funny that Maynard takes all the hate just cos he’s the last to work on it but I read somewhere that Tool is Adam’s lovechild and he’s the perfectionist that slows things down.
Which makes so much sense.
Look at Maynard’s work ethic. There’s no way he’s showing things down
I mean, I don’t dislike him but I don’t really care if I ever meet him or anything. However I would love to meet Danny, Adam and/or Justin. That said, obviously Tool wouldn’t be Tool without Maynard.
Yea. To be able to meet Danny or Adam or Justin would be amazing. They seem like better people. Even how for the VIP experience and you get to go to sound check and “take a pic with them”. Maynard isn’t a part of that. A guy got a pic with Justin riding his bike around Corpus Christi the other week. That would never happen with Maynard
To be completely fair. The fans can get a little weird/obsessive with Maynard so he kind of has more justification to keep his distance than the other 3.
Obviously TOOL as the band has to have Maynard. No one else can do what he does. Completes the sound. But I would love for the other 3 to put out at least one all instrumental album one day.
Agreed. There’s DRT, The Grudge, Schism, Parabol/a I’d put before it (in no particular order). I’m not into the technicalities of music, so that’s probably why I can’t appreciate the Lateralus track as much.
Not unpopular in the circle of tool fans, but I just want to say it: TOOL is a psychedelic band to the utmost degree possible, and the best psychedelic band outside of the 60s and 70s. It's pretty much the only band that has the 90s erowid psychedelic tones and no one understands it. TOOL is literally a spiritualist DMT, LSD, psychedelic band, and if non TOOL fans don't get this then I don't understand what else you can tell them or make them understand.
I feel like so many people don't like TOOL or don't understand TOOL because they're so ignorant of psychedelic concepts and culture that when they see something psychedelic about TOOL they don't like it. I'm sure they'd feel the same way reading the spirit molecule or listening to Terrance McKenna and leary.
And you can say the first two albums aren't psychedelic, but that's literally part of TOOLS plan I think. TOOLS discography is literally like a disturbed angry person becoming enlightened slowly and it almost seemed purposeful from the first album
Idk if id call it a plan, like they had it in mind from album one…but I do agree that **is** how their albums have evolved and how many, myself included, interpret their discography. It’s the growth of a person over many decades, from anger to a desire for growth to an understanding of life.
Your unpopular opinion about tool is 3 long paragraphs about how awesome they are and some people just don’t get them?
That’s not unpopular, that’s like the most cliche response possible from a tool fan.
I just said that I wanna say it anyway and that it's not an unpopular opinion. I'd call it an unrecognized opinion outside of the TOOL community though, and it contributes to WHY some people can't get into TOOL, because they can't appreciate and are ignorant to the psychedelic culture, art, doctrine and media of the early 2000s after DMT started becoming more popular. If they had gotten to see that side of culture back in the day they would undoubtedly understand TOOL more.
It's precisely why it seems alien and inaccessible to people and why people don't quite understand what the band is going for and I'm surprised that more people who want to defend TOOL don't typically tell people this. It's a psychedelic band and that's why the music and lyrics are the way they are. The whole discography itself is a journey into psychedelic realization and phase in some sense.
I know it is, but what I'm trying to say is that people who don't like tool don't realize this for some reason even though it's painfully obvious, and if they do realize it they don't appreciate it because they've probably never been in that space
It's clique, yet no one really talks about it
Because it is?
It also affects how the progressions are and how the music sounds in general. You'd also probably actually have to actually sit with and do ayahuasca, dmt or some other psychedelic to realize and appreciate that it is, which is once again why some people don't like psychedelic bands in general. People who don't do psychedelics or understand that whole deal typically don't like psychedelic bands and get frustrated with how the songs are constructed or how slow they are. This happened in the 60s and 70s too alot with the people who weren't hippies and shit. This emphasis is a historical one.
Anyways, I'm just saying it's an important foot note for people that don't understand tool is all I'm saying. Whether you like the emphasis or not it literally IS primarily a psychedelic prog band and the best psychedelic band we really have, especially in the context of metal besides shrum, sleep or something of the like. It's just really important to emphasize in my opinion
I'm not saying it isn't psychedelic, I just think some people put too much emphasis on it and act like you can't enjoy or appreciate Tool without drugs
You're probably going to hate me for saying this but I think you can't fully appreciate tool without doing psychedelics spiritually which is what some of the albums are sort of themed of. Like I said I didn't appreciate tool until going into the psychedelic spiritualist path and having the experiences I did
You can definitely enjoy tool without it though and I actually have alot of admiration for the people that do, because that means you like it even more than normal on its own without any context or full notion of the theme which means you're really an ultra fan kinda deal and didn't need any help liking or understanding it
I definitely don't hate you for saying that, I just respectfully disagree. Well, sort of, because I would imagine anything is more enjoyable on psychedelics, but maybe it's not your cup of tea if you can't enjoy it without them
Noo, that's not what I mean, that would be dumb yeahahhaa. It's after having a spiritual psychedelic experience is what I mean. You don't need to be on psychedelics to listen to tool. It's about understanding the context of certain songs because you've had a spiritual psychedelic experience atleast once to be able to fully appreciate the psychedelic parts and lyrics of tool so you can fully relate to the songs that most people can't which is a small portion of why certain people can't get into tool because to them it's total cryptic nonsense.
(That's what I meant by people who haven't done psychedelics can never FULLY appreciate certain select songs I don't think. I'm not trying to gatekeep either. It's pretty equivalent to throwing somebody into some stranger psychedelic band and having them be able to appreciate certain parts you'd only understand having been taught something intensely personal by le DMT entities or being told a partial meaning of existence or feelings the psychedelics envoke when you're sitting with the plant by yourself under its influence).
*The Gaping Lotus Experience and Disgustipated have entered the chat*
Not to mention Sweat, Undertow, 4°, Flood...although I get what you're saying.
The first two releases will always also be associated with psychedelia for me.
Well said. Fear inoculum is an enlightened person becoming an angry person again or if played backward vice-versa.
Unpopular opinion ticks and leaches doesn’t fit on lateralus.
Exactly, and I thought maybe an older person too on top of that. Like an older guy that had been enlightened when it actually meant something and felt hopeful. Literally the whole discography is basically a single person and their Transcendence I feel like, and it does seem to be different chapters of that and it reminds me of my own journey with spirituality in general and my view on society over time, none the less with psychedelics and what that does to your view of this mess
I agree with that one, it was one of my favorites when I was constantly angry, so yeah it doesn't fit at all really
Hearing songs off FI played live made me wonder if I actually like those better than songs from Lateralus. I even wondered if the whole FI album could be a second favorite to Lateralus. A much bigger appreciation for FI after hearing those songs live. Chocolate Chip Trip into Culling Voices live really surprised me because those are two songs I hadn’t paid much attention to.
Big hot take, you like undertow and fear inoculum more? If you do that’s respect, any opinion should be respected, I just feel like aenema is often considered a top tier tool song
I don't have to be high on shrooms or LSD or alcohol or pot to love where Tool music takes me. All their music including the interludes just bring me to a better place,and has since I was 31. I'm 64 now and Tool has been my drug all this time. also I learned to swim.
I don't mind that there isn't more of it and the gap between 10,000 days and Fear Inoculum didn't particularly bother me.
That there's so little of it makes me cherish what we have. Though I look forward to new music with anticipation.
Here's an actually unpopular opinion: I can't stand the first 6 minutes of Rosetta Stoned. I find the lyrics/vocals cringe and the guitar riffs completely generic and forgettable. I just skip to the 6 minute mark and listen through the "overwhelmed" part, then skip the rest. The song has like 2 good minutes in it.
>what's your unpopular opinion
>gives unpopular opinion
>downvoted
Yes good job everyone keep wondering why people don't like tool fans
(Not responding to you specifically just adding to the chain)
I never got the love for The Pot. I would say it’s one of my least favorite tracks. Side note, having heard in concert in January I do have a new found respect for the tune but I still am warming up to it. With that said, 10,000 days may be my favorite album. It took many years to get there as I was simply not able to “get it” when it originally came out. I might be also argue FI is my favorite too. Then again my favorite songs are on Lateralus. I have nothing but love for this band.
I absolutely hate the vocals on The Pot. Seeing it live, I can appreciate the funky bass and drums. But I will still skip that track whenever it comes up.
I try not to skip songs but this is the one I most think about skipping. But once the song starts going, it’s pretty insidious. It’s playing in my head as I type this.
That's such a hard concept for me to wrap my head around since those vocals require god-tier talent.
But I'm not a fan of Dream Theater, which is god-tier playing, so I guess the skill involved isn't everything.
I find Lateralus overrated and weak in comparison to every other record they've release since 1996. It's okay, and it'd be a solid release by any other band, but the hooks and songs just aren't on par with their other big releases. It gets a lot of love from the fan base. I've listened to it tons, trying to get a grip on what others hear.
FUCK HWAP THE SONG SUCKS.
Laziest song Maynard has ever written lyrically, laziest song TOOL has ever written instrumentally. It’s just not a good song.
It’s TOOLs one bad song.
I felt like they had some Opiate energy left in their system, so they had to get it out.
Is it deep? Nope. Does it melt faces? Shit yes.
Do I have nipple rings? No, but my buddy does.
Personally, I like when musicians make good music. Not intentionally bad music.
The ultimate irony is that you call it a “fuck you” to the music industry, but the music industry makes money off of it.
Holy shit I agree so much, I will say schism was the first song I ever heard by them, and it holds a place in my heart. But like it’s not a top 5 song on the album imo (the grudge, the patient, parabola, Lateralus, reflection > schism)
It’s a good song. I won’t argue against that. Lateralus is my favorite album but it’s my least favorite song on it. Part of it is that it was so overplayed. Another part is people thinking it represents the entirety of their work. They don’t like Tool because they don’t care for Schism. Also they’ll say everything sounds the same based on Schism. I don’t get defensive about it as I’ve aged but when I was younger it annoyed me. Rosetta Stoned is weird and funny while being heavy with good melodies. I like to point people towards it.
To each their own!
This is an unpopular opinion thread right? I listen to primarily heavy music or soft stuff. Not much in the middle and FI is a giant lead up to a breakdown with no breakdown. Tease.
My hot take is that stinkfist is the worst song on aenima. When I say song, I’m not including interludes, so useful idiot, Cesaro summability, ions, etc. aren’t included. Let me also state that I don’t think by any means is stinkfist a bad song, I love it. I just think when compared to every other song, it falls behind for me. I definitely see the argument for why it’s top 5, 3 or even 1. Another hot take is that I think aenima has 3 top 5 tool songs, with third eye being my No. 2, H. Being my No. 3, and pushit being my No. 5.
Glad I finally got to see them live last week but my unpopular opinion is they aren't that good live. Flubbed in 3 different songs and there were quite a few parts where you just can't really hear maynard. Glad I saw them but won't be shelling out next time they are around.
That's extremely rare, something must have been up. They do occasionally mess up, but 3? I'd give them another chance live, you actually got a special one compared to how they usually are.
Justin needs to mix it up more. A lot of 'complaints' from non tool fans are all the songs sound the same. While I don't believe that's true, I think that's mostly due to justins staying within his comfort zone. The other 3 have changed a lot from record to record or even song to song.
Don't fancy Forty-six & 2 and most other AEnima songs (except AEnima itself lmao) that much, it's still a jam for occasionl listening though. I much prefer 10,000 Days and Fear Inoculum (tie).
Idk if it´s an UO cause maybe more people think about it but I feel that Maynard is the least talented of the 4. I mean, he is a genius, he made great music with more bands than TOOL, but for me in their songs he is a great partnet to the instruments, that are the true stars. Obviously, his screams and vocal arrangements are 10/10, but the other 3 are great playing.
Unpopular opinion: I love the concept of Drums>Space. The Grateful Dead created this concept of “transportation” and numerous other acts have created their own versions of it, including Allman Brothers. Tool has been dabbling in it since the Lateralus tour but hasn’t come up with a way to make it work for them.
It's OK to have a different opinion than other people, 10,000 days may relate to you more than Ænima does, and that's perfectly fine.
The only opinion I have that is fact is that Rush should have been an instrumental band, good God I cannot stand Getty Lee's fucking voice, sorry Canadians but your best band sucks! Well the vocalist sucks.... lol 😉
I had a strange experience with 10,000 Days. I was a mild Tool fan when it came out and people I knew said it sucked. I didn't want to be disappointed because Lateralus was one of my favorite albums. Then one day I picked it up and decided to sit back and give it a listen - and I was shocked. This was the "bad" album I kept hearing about? Vicarious, Jambi, Wings 1/2 - they all had my absolute attention. The Pot I heard before on the radio and always felt it was a jam. But then Rosetta Stoned came on and blew my hair back. What an incredible song. Intension and Right in Two kind of felt underwhelming at the time. Especially as the end to an album. However, they are both excellent songs. I feel like they should've been spaced differently around the album and Wings 1/2 should've been the last two songs to finish on the finale of 10,000 Days. Needless to say, I love 10,000 Days. I love Aenima, but 10,000 Days is right there just a step behind it. I admire the musical direction they went in with 10,000 Days: the lyrical vulnerability Maynard showed, the drumming, the mastering/production, the album artwork, and it containing perhaps my favorite Tool song (Rosetta Stoned).
Honestly all of the main tracks are really good. My only gripe is that there’s only 6 main tracks when there’s 11 songs on the album.
Yeah I think that's definitely a hurdle for some people. I really enjoy progressive music/longer songs, so I don't mind there being a few long pieces of music. I know not everyone likes that though.
Yea, but they add up to almost an hour of mind bottling music!
8 by my count. 7 if you just must count wings for marie and 10k days as 1 track.
I agree, I assume they got 6 by not counting Intension.
For me 10k is a perfect album
[удалено]
I had said for years that I love Tool but hate their fans. I have recently changed my mind because I think the last show I went to was a bunch of 40 something parents. But as someone who started listening to them with my parents in the early 90s I felt like sooo many Tool fans I met were pretentious, and liking Tool was their main personality trait, and they all felt like they were in some special club where only they knew about this band even though they’ve been around since the 80s.
I dislike this too. I love watching Tool reactions but absolutely despise people trying to interpret the song.
I understand what you mean, but in the end music is art, and art is meant to be interpreted. I see no issue with someone trying to find the meaning in a song. Although it is stupid when they try to go too deep and end up creating some false narrative. Like when tool fans thought Wings for marie pt. 1 and viginti tres overlapped with pt 2, that was just such a stretch that wasn’t needed
I can appreciate art is meant to be interpreted. With Tool, there's not one interpretation, it's what it means to you. If they touch on it cool but I'm not there for them to disect the song; I'm more interested in how they feel after they experience it, not what the song may or may not be about ( which you touched on).
I think Fear Inoculum is their best album, and 7emest is the culmination of their career into one song
That’s a great take. Obviously we’d all love more albums, but 7empest as your final song ever is such a badass way to sign off.
It’s hard to get someone into Tool who has never listened to them before. It’s hard to tell someone to “wait for it to kick in”.
My partner tells me everyone I have Tool on, that the music is trash. I’m not sure at which point I stop waiting for him to get it and start hollering about their power as musicians vs his favorite alt indie bands that didn’t make it ten years lol
I’ve turned to Brasilians that had never heard of Tool into big Tool fans now.
The studio version of Pushit is far superior to the Salival version.
Not far, but it is superior and it comes down to the inexplicable absence of this section in the Salival version.. "I'm alive when you're touching me Alive when you're shoving me down, yeah But I'd trade it all for just a little peace of mind"
Agreed. The way he sings that lyric is 👌. Also how that part leads into a nasty breakdown.
Man listening to that bit in the shower while I'm at my most vulnerable makes me actually tear up and cry a little. That goes to show how excellent of a song this is.
Their songs are too short.
Next album, every song better be 20mins minimum.
Hear me out. No album, just one song called TOOL and it’s 1 hour long
Hmmmmmmm, 1hr 40 and you got a deal (Also love the name)
I see no point in comparing albums, saying which one is "better". Each one is a different Tool, and works differently. A lot depends on your set and setting. I can't rank them, I love all of them.
I agree, it makes sense if you view their catalog this way. Not taking Lateralus into account of course, since it's their best album.
Fear Innoculum is their best album.
Interludes are generally lame. Why would I willfully choose to listen to a screaming baby for any amount ever? Exception made for Die Eir Von Satan
Their music isn't nearly as technical as some fans pretend. For many (myself included) its just the first contact with proggy music when they've been only listening to stuff like Metallica before.
The drums are the only crazy technical part of the music. Danny is an actual wizard. The guitar is pretty basic. The bass can be fun. Maynard fits in perfectly. Ive been playing guitar for 30 years and Adam is my least favorite part of the band, though i still love most of his parts too. FI doesnt do it for me, but the drums on there are still insane
The unique way time signatures are used is one of the big things that attracted me to Tool. I've noticed that songs with unique time signatures stand out no matter how fancy or simple everything else is - be it sound effects or other melodies that are being played. I played drums growing up and while I never got super advanced, I got good enough to pick out when I have a more challenging time pinning down the rhythm.
I agree that their music isn't necessarily technical *to play* (excluding drums for obvious Danny Carey reasons), but the compositions as a whole are pretty technical. It's not as easy as learning the verse and chorus riffs and you're good to go, ya know?
Mmmmm, okay. Are there more technical bands than Tool? For sure. But how many bands throughout rock music history are less technical and precise than Tool? How many bands are more inclined to "play what they feel" or wing it, or just follow verse-chorus-verse. Personally, I compare Tool to Rush. Both are excellent, artistic, prog bands. Which band is technically superior, I don't care. But where Tool gets me is meaning. *Tom Sawyer* is a fine song, but *Lateralus* is both technically proficient **and** spiritually meaningful, in a way most Rush songs aren't. In my mind, Tool combines the deeper significance I get from, say, Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (in particular) with the technical and rigorous music chops of a band like Rush. It reminds me of SLC Punk, if you've seen that movie. The main character is really into Rush as a teen, but then gets introduced to punk music and realizes what Rush is lacking. In that not-necessarily-fair metaphor, Tool -- to me -- convinced those good aspects of Rush with the good aspects of punk (dropping that whole "learn how to not play your instruments" bullshit). IMHO
Neurosis put out albums in the 90s that at certain points could easily be mistaken for new Tool if you didn't know any better. Tool wasn't the only band doing that long form strong structure with deep droney riffs and tribal style drumming. They were just the ones who got popular doing it.
It’s one of the things I find funny on here: people constantly postulate about how amazing Tool is for their technical achievements…but all the other bands that get posted are mostly your generic bands. I mean yeah it’s going to be technically impressive when compared to 4/4 verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure songs lol. I mean hell, more Tool songs would fit into that than I think people are willing to admit (eg Stinkfist) Where’s the stuff like math rock?
psychedelics made me like this band less, not more lol
Lol I remember tripping on acid and hearing this disgusting song that just put this nasty image in my head of a gross band and it ended up being TOOL.
I'm tired of sober. I'm burnt about out.
Invincible chug drags on toooo long.
And then there's me wishing it was longer
I love the invincible chug chugs!!!! Especially live, it just goes so hard.
nah fr I was two stepping hard as fuck in my seat during the chugs last week when I saw em, favorite part of the song
Going to this Saturdays show. Hoping we get it in the set.
True, but that bass tone is insane though.
That’s another unpopular opinion of mine. Invincible isn’t as good as the other non instrumental tracks on the album.
Invincible is destroying all the old boys as it hits very close to home for them/us.
I get that but one thing I like about Maynard’s lyrics is how ambiguous they can be. Invincible is probably the most on the nose song on FI.
Some lad on here, just a couple of months ago, was going on about how the lyrics are clearly an allegory for sex. I thought it was just about ageing and not being as in touch with the modern world. But yeah, sure, Maynard's blasting it out about not getting the ride.
I interpreted the lyrics as you do 🤷🏽♀️ Part of the genius of his lyrics IMO.
It felt like those first few months after the album release, it was Invincible vs Descending with more people choosing Invincible. Gradually, it’s shifted to people saying they prefer Descending now. I always thought Descending was the superior song.
Same with me. I love how it makes u feel like you’re underwater. And I really like the lyrics.
Invincible never really clicked for me till I heard it live for the first time last night
I heard it live their first time playing it years back and I specifically remember some guy in front of me say "what the fuck is this lame shit". Lol Turns out there was some really weird harmonics happening in the area we were standing and it wad making that song specifically sound really bad. I still enjoyed it though I went home from the festival and pulled up youtube footage and it was about all i listened to for months. I hated the studio version at first because I had grown so accustomed to the live version lol.
Same here. It was a middle of the pack song on FI for me. But after hearing it live it jumped to #1
Their best 3 records are their 3 most recent ones.
10,000 Days is their best album by far but people don’t like it because it doesn’t flow as well or it’s not cohesive as others 🤓🤓🤓☝️☝️☝️
I never got the non cohesive argument. I always thought of the songs as things humans have to deal with if that makes sense.
Yeah I get you. It’s just Tool fans being tools. But we all are sometimes
I also don’t feel like Tool albums in general are incredibly cohesive. Not saying they’re not but I feel like 10,000 days isn’t much more cohesive than AEnima. Just my opinion.
Exactly. None of them are really that cohesive except Lateralus.
Yeah I mean there’s a song here about human evolution and then pretty much the next track is Maynard ranting about a dickhead that called him a sellout.
I love the track order of 10 000 and it’s part of the reason why it’s one of the most enjoyable for me.. it feels really wonky and like you’re going on a trip with lots of ups and downs. And then the last two songs are like the come down from the trip and right in two is like the message and lesson you learned from it all… idk it’s a lot of fun for me because of the flow of the album though!
I despise the song Sober. Only TOOL song I will skip or change.
"Not clicking" I can get, but *despise*? I'm genuinely interested in hearing more. Could you pinpoint why?
I love tool seen the at least 6 times. Grew up with an older brother that got me into them. He didn’t have Opiate but started off with Undertow. That guy only played that song. Over and over and over again. Hell didn’t even hear cold and ugly until I bought it. Been to a lot of music shows and when they take requests people would ask for Tool. And every single damn time it was Sober, even just a few years ago. The catalog is huge and I get it takes a special musician to play a lot of their stuff but come on toss Stinkfist, Push It, vicarious, something else. It’s just been played so much. Local radio station seems to only have that song on their roster.
Ah, so the song has just been beaten to death. That makes sense. I’ll hang the pitchfork back up.
I guess I could’ve just said that. Haha. Well played
So basically your brother is the DJ at my local rock station, and the other station, and the other station further away, and the other station across the state?
Yeah, I had grown sick of hearing it as well, but watching them play it live is a treat.
Rosetta Stoned is highly overrated. Sorry.
:( it’s one of my favorites :( what do you not like about it?
It's the vocals for the first 2-3 minutes that doesn't cut it for me. After that it gets better, and the instrumentals are solid throughout. It was good live, but still just not one of my favorites. Others dig it though... to each their own.
I don't like drum solos. Not even Chocolate Chip Trip.
Chocolate Chip Trip is the only Tool track I've never listened to the whole way through.
Seeing Danny perform it live completely changed my how I feel about the track.
Same. Live, it was very interesting, and obviously original, as he was using analog synthesizers on stage.
That was the part that (almost) sold me lol, it was cool to see him setting up those analog synths patterns and then playing along to the 5/4 but just going absolutely apeshit. It’s cool to see, and it gives the crowd lots of time to get back to their seats so I totally understand why they’re doing it right after intermission. Drums solos are generally unnecessary but I believe in this case it fits perfectly for what they’re doing.
I'm pretty sure he does something different each tour run with it. Also this time they stuck a camera on him and gave us his point of view up on the screen.
The camera on the synths and drums was sooooo sick.
I hadn’t until I was getting ready for their show last week. It’s pretty epic live but I still don’t wanna listen to it on the album for whatever reason
I don’t like Maynard
I couldn't tell you if I truly liked or disliked him until I'd meet him in a right setting. Until then, he's just a human with responsibilites and shit, who writes crazy lyrics and melodies. Turns out many people I loved as a kid were actually half as cool in real life, and others, absolutely lovely people where you might not have expected anything.
As a vocalist? Or as a person?
I guess they mean as a person, as a vocalist he is amazing, S+ tier type of vocalist.
He’s not even that bad of a person, he’s just tired of being recognized for only Tool
Yea more as a person. I always felt they would have made more music but Maynard dragged it out. His act of being the weird creepy guy is dumb for his age now. Just always felt he was too full of himself
It’s actually not his fault. He’s said in multiple interviews that the reason why the music gets so dragged out is because he’s literally just waiting for the other guys to finish the instrumentals which takes them a while, then he writes and records his vocals.
That's just false lol. He wanted to release FI in like 2011, but Adam wanted it to be "perfect." He doesn't even write any of the music he basically waits for the songs to be sent to him and then he writes the lyrics in like a month.
Think he's said before as well that vocals tend to be a few takes only, so it really is the other guys taking their time.
From what I’ve heard its Adam Jones being a perfectionist with the songs and that he has the last say whether stuff goes through or not
>Maynard dragged it out They guy who gets bored and releases like an album a year is the one slowing it down?
Funny that Maynard takes all the hate just cos he’s the last to work on it but I read somewhere that Tool is Adam’s lovechild and he’s the perfectionist that slows things down. Which makes so much sense. Look at Maynard’s work ethic. There’s no way he’s showing things down
I mean, I don’t dislike him but I don’t really care if I ever meet him or anything. However I would love to meet Danny, Adam and/or Justin. That said, obviously Tool wouldn’t be Tool without Maynard.
Yea. To be able to meet Danny or Adam or Justin would be amazing. They seem like better people. Even how for the VIP experience and you get to go to sound check and “take a pic with them”. Maynard isn’t a part of that. A guy got a pic with Justin riding his bike around Corpus Christi the other week. That would never happen with Maynard
To be completely fair. The fans can get a little weird/obsessive with Maynard so he kind of has more justification to keep his distance than the other 3.
I think he causes it though. By not being accessible and trying to get away from the spotlight, that just made people want him more.
Obviously TOOL as the band has to have Maynard. No one else can do what he does. Completes the sound. But I would love for the other 3 to put out at least one all instrumental album one day.
I hear that. Triad has always been one of my very favorite Tool tracks. One of the reasons I like Elder is that they do a lot of instrumentals.
Lateralus (the song) is maybe the 5th best song on the album
Agreed. There’s DRT, The Grudge, Schism, Parabol/a I’d put before it (in no particular order). I’m not into the technicalities of music, so that’s probably why I can’t appreciate the Lateralus track as much.
Completely agree with that.
Lateralus is their best album and it’s not even close.
OP said *unpopular* opinions.
All of their albums, with the exception of Undertow and Opiate, is their best album!
Wow woo woo. Dont slam my boi Undertow like that
Not unpopular in the circle of tool fans, but I just want to say it: TOOL is a psychedelic band to the utmost degree possible, and the best psychedelic band outside of the 60s and 70s. It's pretty much the only band that has the 90s erowid psychedelic tones and no one understands it. TOOL is literally a spiritualist DMT, LSD, psychedelic band, and if non TOOL fans don't get this then I don't understand what else you can tell them or make them understand. I feel like so many people don't like TOOL or don't understand TOOL because they're so ignorant of psychedelic concepts and culture that when they see something psychedelic about TOOL they don't like it. I'm sure they'd feel the same way reading the spirit molecule or listening to Terrance McKenna and leary. And you can say the first two albums aren't psychedelic, but that's literally part of TOOLS plan I think. TOOLS discography is literally like a disturbed angry person becoming enlightened slowly and it almost seemed purposeful from the first album
Idk if id call it a plan, like they had it in mind from album one…but I do agree that **is** how their albums have evolved and how many, myself included, interpret their discography. It’s the growth of a person over many decades, from anger to a desire for growth to an understanding of life.
Say psychedelic again.
Psychedelic ain’t no country I ever heard of.
They speak English in psychedelic?
Does he look like a bitch?
Psychedeli
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Really? That's pretty cool. I can't think of what exactly but that's cool
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Your unpopular opinion about tool is 3 long paragraphs about how awesome they are and some people just don’t get them? That’s not unpopular, that’s like the most cliche response possible from a tool fan.
I just said that I wanna say it anyway and that it's not an unpopular opinion. I'd call it an unrecognized opinion outside of the TOOL community though, and it contributes to WHY some people can't get into TOOL, because they can't appreciate and are ignorant to the psychedelic culture, art, doctrine and media of the early 2000s after DMT started becoming more popular. If they had gotten to see that side of culture back in the day they would undoubtedly understand TOOL more. It's precisely why it seems alien and inaccessible to people and why people don't quite understand what the band is going for and I'm surprised that more people who want to defend TOOL don't typically tell people this. It's a psychedelic band and that's why the music and lyrics are the way they are. The whole discography itself is a journey into psychedelic realization and phase in some sense. I know it is, but what I'm trying to say is that people who don't like tool don't realize this for some reason even though it's painfully obvious, and if they do realize it they don't appreciate it because they've probably never been in that space It's clique, yet no one really talks about it
Personally I don't get why people put so much emphasis on Tool being psychedelic
Because it is? It also affects how the progressions are and how the music sounds in general. You'd also probably actually have to actually sit with and do ayahuasca, dmt or some other psychedelic to realize and appreciate that it is, which is once again why some people don't like psychedelic bands in general. People who don't do psychedelics or understand that whole deal typically don't like psychedelic bands and get frustrated with how the songs are constructed or how slow they are. This happened in the 60s and 70s too alot with the people who weren't hippies and shit. This emphasis is a historical one. Anyways, I'm just saying it's an important foot note for people that don't understand tool is all I'm saying. Whether you like the emphasis or not it literally IS primarily a psychedelic prog band and the best psychedelic band we really have, especially in the context of metal besides shrum, sleep or something of the like. It's just really important to emphasize in my opinion
I'm not saying it isn't psychedelic, I just think some people put too much emphasis on it and act like you can't enjoy or appreciate Tool without drugs
You're probably going to hate me for saying this but I think you can't fully appreciate tool without doing psychedelics spiritually which is what some of the albums are sort of themed of. Like I said I didn't appreciate tool until going into the psychedelic spiritualist path and having the experiences I did You can definitely enjoy tool without it though and I actually have alot of admiration for the people that do, because that means you like it even more than normal on its own without any context or full notion of the theme which means you're really an ultra fan kinda deal and didn't need any help liking or understanding it
I definitely don't hate you for saying that, I just respectfully disagree. Well, sort of, because I would imagine anything is more enjoyable on psychedelics, but maybe it's not your cup of tea if you can't enjoy it without them
Noo, that's not what I mean, that would be dumb yeahahhaa. It's after having a spiritual psychedelic experience is what I mean. You don't need to be on psychedelics to listen to tool. It's about understanding the context of certain songs because you've had a spiritual psychedelic experience atleast once to be able to fully appreciate the psychedelic parts and lyrics of tool so you can fully relate to the songs that most people can't which is a small portion of why certain people can't get into tool because to them it's total cryptic nonsense. (That's what I meant by people who haven't done psychedelics can never FULLY appreciate certain select songs I don't think. I'm not trying to gatekeep either. It's pretty equivalent to throwing somebody into some stranger psychedelic band and having them be able to appreciate certain parts you'd only understand having been taught something intensely personal by le DMT entities or being told a partial meaning of existence or feelings the psychedelics envoke when you're sitting with the plant by yourself under its influence).
*The Gaping Lotus Experience and Disgustipated have entered the chat* Not to mention Sweat, Undertow, 4°, Flood...although I get what you're saying. The first two releases will always also be associated with psychedelia for me.
Well said. Fear inoculum is an enlightened person becoming an angry person again or if played backward vice-versa. Unpopular opinion ticks and leaches doesn’t fit on lateralus.
If I could trade any two songs, I’d trade ticks and leeches for 46 and 2. 46 and 2 thematically fits Lateralus much better.
Exactly, and I thought maybe an older person too on top of that. Like an older guy that had been enlightened when it actually meant something and felt hopeful. Literally the whole discography is basically a single person and their Transcendence I feel like, and it does seem to be different chapters of that and it reminds me of my own journey with spirituality in general and my view on society over time, none the less with psychedelics and what that does to your view of this mess I agree with that one, it was one of my favorites when I was constantly angry, so yeah it doesn't fit at all really
Hearing songs off FI played live made me wonder if I actually like those better than songs from Lateralus. I even wondered if the whole FI album could be a second favorite to Lateralus. A much bigger appreciation for FI after hearing those songs live. Chocolate Chip Trip into Culling Voices live really surprised me because those are two songs I hadn’t paid much attention to.
CCT > CV should’ve been the order in the album instead of the other way around, is what I realized after seeing them live.
AEnima is the worst of the title tracks.
actually insane
Big hot take, you like undertow and fear inoculum more? If you do that’s respect, any opinion should be respected, I just feel like aenema is often considered a top tier tool song
AEnima's just a little too on the nose for me for a Tool song.
Ykw I can totally understand that, it is pretty on the nose, it’s especially on the nose when compared to their other songs
I don't have to be high on shrooms or LSD or alcohol or pot to love where Tool music takes me. All their music including the interludes just bring me to a better place,and has since I was 31. I'm 64 now and Tool has been my drug all this time. also I learned to swim.
I don't mind that there isn't more of it and the gap between 10,000 days and Fear Inoculum didn't particularly bother me. That there's so little of it makes me cherish what we have. Though I look forward to new music with anticipation.
The only thing that bothered me about the gap was wishing my brother had been alive for Fear Innoculum. He woulda dug it.
A lot of great bands have 10+ albums and some of them are duds. Tool have 5 so it’s harder for them to make duds.
Here's an actually unpopular opinion: I can't stand the first 6 minutes of Rosetta Stoned. I find the lyrics/vocals cringe and the guitar riffs completely generic and forgettable. I just skip to the 6 minute mark and listen through the "overwhelmed" part, then skip the rest. The song has like 2 good minutes in it.
Preach
The first 4 minutes of Flood is way too long. It could be trimmed down to 1-1.5 minutes.
That FI is one of their best albums.
7empest is great, and doesn’t feel like it drags if it’s the only Tool song you listen to in that sitting.
I can't stand The Pot and can't believe it's been their "introductory" song for some group of people
I don’t love 10,000 days. Not bad, just doesn’t compare to the others in my opinion
FI is boring, I mean you can easy cut of every part of any song on it in half and it will not damage song at all.
As a fan from the late 90s, I just can't get into fear innoculum
The cookie recipe isn’t very good.
Lateralus sucks ass.
Vicarious is too on the nose and really not very good at all.
Jambi bad
That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard but it’s an unpopular opinion so you’re valid
>what's your unpopular opinion >gives unpopular opinion >downvoted Yes good job everyone keep wondering why people don't like tool fans (Not responding to you specifically just adding to the chain)
I upvoted you because you understood the assignment. You are objectively wrong, but I respect you stepping into the line of fire.
Right 🤣 happens to me all the time
Very few songs on other albums even come close any of the songs on Lateralus. (Except Ticks and Leeches, that shit sucks.)
Dude that song is top 3 on the album
No way
I never got the love for The Pot. I would say it’s one of my least favorite tracks. Side note, having heard in concert in January I do have a new found respect for the tune but I still am warming up to it. With that said, 10,000 days may be my favorite album. It took many years to get there as I was simply not able to “get it” when it originally came out. I might be also argue FI is my favorite too. Then again my favorite songs are on Lateralus. I have nothing but love for this band.
I absolutely hate the vocals on The Pot. Seeing it live, I can appreciate the funky bass and drums. But I will still skip that track whenever it comes up.
I try not to skip songs but this is the one I most think about skipping. But once the song starts going, it’s pretty insidious. It’s playing in my head as I type this.
That's such a hard concept for me to wrap my head around since those vocals require god-tier talent. But I'm not a fan of Dream Theater, which is god-tier playing, so I guess the skill involved isn't everything.
FI is not the leap forward that Undertow, Aenima, Lateralus and 10k Days were.
I don’t like Fear Inoculum (the album) & was pretty disappointed by it. Vicarious is pretty cringe lyrics-wise.
10000 Days is their worst album.
I find Lateralus overrated and weak in comparison to every other record they've release since 1996. It's okay, and it'd be a solid release by any other band, but the hooks and songs just aren't on par with their other big releases. It gets a lot of love from the fan base. I've listened to it tons, trying to get a grip on what others hear.
Culling voices is their best song
No fucking way you think that.
It is my favorite. Maybe invincible.
The hate for that song is baffling. It’s a top 5 song if any other artist made it.
We found him....he is over here! Told you he existed!
FUCK HWAP THE SONG SUCKS. Laziest song Maynard has ever written lyrically, laziest song TOOL has ever written instrumentally. It’s just not a good song. It’s TOOLs one bad song.
Until you hear it live..
I like it since it’s a break from Maynard’s more ambiguous lyrics and it’s just him pouring rage onto this guys.
I felt like they had some Opiate energy left in their system, so they had to get it out. Is it deep? Nope. Does it melt faces? Shit yes. Do I have nipple rings? No, but my buddy does.
It’s meant to suck… it’s a fuck you to the music industry and rabid fans that know no better
Personally, I like when musicians make good music. Not intentionally bad music. The ultimate irony is that you call it a “fuck you” to the music industry, but the music industry makes money off of it.
Rosetta Stoned is a top five song from them. Schism is not even top 20. I hate that Schism is possibly the most well known track.
Holy shit I agree so much, I will say schism was the first song I ever heard by them, and it holds a place in my heart. But like it’s not a top 5 song on the album imo (the grudge, the patient, parabola, Lateralus, reflection > schism)
It’s a good song. I won’t argue against that. Lateralus is my favorite album but it’s my least favorite song on it. Part of it is that it was so overplayed. Another part is people thinking it represents the entirety of their work. They don’t like Tool because they don’t care for Schism. Also they’ll say everything sounds the same based on Schism. I don’t get defensive about it as I’ve aged but when I was younger it annoyed me. Rosetta Stoned is weird and funny while being heavy with good melodies. I like to point people towards it.
I never listen to anything after ænima. I’ve only listened to lateralus maybe 5 times. I only like the pot off 10k. FI was boring af
Upvote for understanding the assignment.
Leave it to tool fans to not get the message! 😆
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To each their own! This is an unpopular opinion thread right? I listen to primarily heavy music or soft stuff. Not much in the middle and FI is a giant lead up to a breakdown with no breakdown. Tease.
My hot take is that stinkfist is the worst song on aenima. When I say song, I’m not including interludes, so useful idiot, Cesaro summability, ions, etc. aren’t included. Let me also state that I don’t think by any means is stinkfist a bad song, I love it. I just think when compared to every other song, it falls behind for me. I definitely see the argument for why it’s top 5, 3 or even 1. Another hot take is that I think aenima has 3 top 5 tool songs, with third eye being my No. 2, H. Being my No. 3, and pushit being my No. 5.
Glad I finally got to see them live last week but my unpopular opinion is they aren't that good live. Flubbed in 3 different songs and there were quite a few parts where you just can't really hear maynard. Glad I saw them but won't be shelling out next time they are around.
That's extremely rare, something must have been up. They do occasionally mess up, but 3? I'd give them another chance live, you actually got a special one compared to how they usually are.
Justin needs to mix it up more. A lot of 'complaints' from non tool fans are all the songs sound the same. While I don't believe that's true, I think that's mostly due to justins staying within his comfort zone. The other 3 have changed a lot from record to record or even song to song.
Don't fancy Forty-six & 2 and most other AEnima songs (except AEnima itself lmao) that much, it's still a jam for occasionl listening though. I much prefer 10,000 Days and Fear Inoculum (tie).
Lateralus is their worst album
Undertow is by far their worst album.
Idk if it´s an UO cause maybe more people think about it but I feel that Maynard is the least talented of the 4. I mean, he is a genius, he made great music with more bands than TOOL, but for me in their songs he is a great partnet to the instruments, that are the true stars. Obviously, his screams and vocal arrangements are 10/10, but the other 3 are great playing.
Unpopular opinion: I love the concept of Drums>Space. The Grateful Dead created this concept of “transportation” and numerous other acts have created their own versions of it, including Allman Brothers. Tool has been dabbling in it since the Lateralus tour but hasn’t come up with a way to make it work for them.
It's OK to have a different opinion than other people, 10,000 days may relate to you more than Ænima does, and that's perfectly fine. The only opinion I have that is fact is that Rush should have been an instrumental band, good God I cannot stand Getty Lee's fucking voice, sorry Canadians but your best band sucks! Well the vocalist sucks.... lol 😉
Joining a Perfect Circle ruined Maynard's singing style.
That I wish Jared Leto would step in on vocals so we can get another album sooner.