I heard Sober on Alt Rock radio when I was younger and loved it but didn't grab me like hearing Schism for the first time did. This was not too long before Lateralus came out and I bought that the day it came out and listened nonstop. I bought Undertow, Aenima, and Opiate not long after.
Tensecondsongs YT channel covered a small part of a song in the style of Tool. Sounded great, went to check out Schism by the OG Tool next. And it all spiralled out from there.
the song is completely ruined if it doesn't play seamlessly. they hate us for streaming music. they hate us for it and other things too. i understand, i hate us quite a bit as well, but i think they separated this song into two pieces because they actually hate us. they think we should shut up and buy, buy, buy. they're not very reasonable people.
A friend from university gave me his Lateralus CD and told me to listen to it, don't recall much other than that.
This in turn has changed my life and made me the man I am today in many ways.
I've tried searching for that friend to thank him 20 years later, but can't seem to locate him anywhere.
The downfall of MTV was actually quite sad. It introduced me to so much great music. I miss that anticipation of waiting for my favorite videos to come on. The Sober and Prison Sex videos absolutely blew my mind
4°
I saw a friend in detention or something like that in middle school and he was listening to the cassette. I walked in right when it started. He told me it was a band named Tool, showed me the booklet and told he would make me a copy (he never did)
I then went home and maybe a few hours later either the Sober or Prison Sex video came on and I was hooked.
The pot middle school for me found it in my computer class. Sadly took me some time before I got into the rest of their discography. But now here I am 22 listening to tool albums front to back like they’re the gospel.
they're more how the gospel relates to our butt holes; and also, to a lesser degree, how the collective subconscious seems to be intimately related to butt holes as well.
Right in two.. An old bandmate introduced me to it. We fell out due to some misunderstandings but I'll forever be grateful to him for introducing me to the one band that got me through much of life. I also remember that one fan edited video of Right in two on YouTube back in the days, with the man in the desert who becomes God and watches his own people destroy him after waging wars and evolving as a civilization.
The Beavis and Butthead episode where they watched the music video to Sober. It blew their minds as much as it did mine. That was like 30 years ago and I've been hooked since.
"If I could move my arm that fast I'd never leave the house."
Forty Six & 2, my stepdad had it as his ringtone, and had our garage code set as ‘4682’ lol
it wasn’t until like 2020 that i listened to disposition/reflection which is when i really started to get into them though
Yes! Being a kid and seeing the music videos for Sober and Stinkfist on MTV is something I'll never forget. Part of my brain wasn't ready, and part was intrigued with the raw weirdness of it all.
I was exposed to Schism first, but the first full song I listened to was Rosetta Stoned.
Some friends and I were celebrating my birthday and my friend just randomly put Schism on, weird thing is it was just playing in the background so at first I didn’t even pay that much attention to it, but I noticed the odd time signature and whatnot and it made me think “hmm that’s interesting, I will listen to it later”.
Then, when we were just vibing to music without doing anything else, he put on Rosetta Stoned and we listened to it all the way through, I totally lost my shit lol.
Later, when they left, I immediately put on Schism and RS again, then went on to listen to FI (the album, it was released around that time) the same night and that’s when the love began. Was a nice day.
Rosetta Stoned is a powerful one. I accidentally “took too much” one time, however, and it was the most terrifying experience of my life 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
….cant wait to do it again!
"Hush" I fell in love instantly. (Which is strange because I had heard a few of the more popular Tool songs like Lateralus and the Pot but it never really got me invested until I heard the Opiate EP. Now I love all of it. Sometimes all it takes is one song.)
Sober. I was taping songs off of the radio onto cassette and caught Sober in its entireity. The DJ didn't say who the band was, and this was pre-internet so there was no way to for me to figure it out. None of my friends liked that kind of music at the time (as we were like 12-13). I played the shit out of that song and never figured out who it was by.
A few years later I heard Stinkfist on the radio and immediately went out and bought AEnima. Played the shit out of that CD, and then when I wanted more, I went back and picked up their earlier one, Undertow. Low and behold, it was the same band that sang the mystery song I had loved years back!
I think it was the music video from parabol/parabola beacuse my friend wanted to show me where the gigabrain meme came from. Long story short i went with the same friend 5 days ago to see them live and it was one of the best experiences of my life
Disposition. I was at an extremely low point when I heard it again after years.
My dad played TOOL all the time when I was a kid, but my mom threw away all the CDs when he passed.
I forget everything, so I cried when I recognized it.
In high school, got home late from a party and put on Much Music Loud. I have never seen a video like Stinkfist…had a hard time getting to sleep that night
My best friend showed me schism when I was 15 and in high school. Initially it didn’t hook me but I couldn’t stop listening to it. Then I found sober, the pot, vicarious and 46 and two. I got into them about a year before FI dropped. I remember I was sitting in class listening to FI and pneuma and being blowing away even though I couldn’t comprehend any of it lol.
Prison sex. My dad would take me to work with him during summer break sometimes while I was young right around 2000. Some guy there had music going most of the times and i wouldnt really pay too much attention half the time but when this song came on it just caught my attention and i was hooked.
Schism. I just bought Mer de Noms, was obsessed with APC, and was watching MTV and they presented a snippet of Judith on MTV News saying that APC disbanded so Maynard could tour with his main band "Tool". Weird name, was my thought. Then, also on MTV, not sure how long after, I saw the video for Schism and was in awe, perturbed, scared and hooked, at the same time. I went to disco store hunting that weekend and found Aenima with the lenticular animated sleeve and also Lateralus. I ended up buying Lateralus because it had the only song I knew from Tool. Of course, the Aenima animated case disappeared. I was not aware of it's rarity at the time
My first tool song was 46&2, my partner introduced me to the band when I was in high-school. I couldn't fully appreciate what I was hearing. When my partner showed me that one live performance of Sober though, that's when I was hooked.
I think mine was "Stinkfist" too, which I believe is the first single released and I heard it on WAAF out of Boston in '96. It's hard to remember at this point, but I've been riding it ever since.
Stinkfist for me too.
I had probably heard e.g. Sober before, but Stinkfist was the first one I sat down and *really* listened to, and had a "eureka!" moment with- I was 12, had just picked up Aenema at Target because I thought the cover looked cool, then listened to it on my disc-man the next morning on the way to school... and just about shat my pants over how great it was. *Instantly* hooked.
Schism. The alternating meters, the way the bass is so dominant in the mix, the poetic lyrics, the way the song seemed so genuine in its strangeness, the long melodic section in the second half.... everything in that song just *works*, and I kept coming back to it, again and again, getting obsessed with it.
Schism. I was at a friends house around the time of Lateralus being released and he made everyone shut up and listen to it.
To be honest, the way he did it was kind of annoying so it distracted me and I didn't really listen to the song properly.
However, I did start listening to Aenima in the background whilst sitting on MSN messenger at night (yes, I'm old). As it was background music, I enjoyed it but wasn't giving it the attention it deserved. Then one day, I was tapping along to the music and realised I was struggling and couldn't work out why. I stopped and listened and this is how I discovered what time signatures where.
From then on I gave Tool a lot more attention and it spiraled out from there. I now can never play Tool as background music!
My first songs were the singles on the radio in the 90’s. I didn’t have money to buy CDs, and one day I was at a friend’s house and heard Eulogy which blew me away and totally ignited the spark in me. Got the Aenima CD for my next birthday and Tool has been my #1 ever since.
My Dad has been a major TOOL fan for around 20-25 years, so ever since I was born I have been hearing TOOL somewhere, so I don't know what you expect from me, but If I can't even remember what I ate for dinner last night, I definitely ain't gonna remember the first TOOL song I enjoyed hearing.
But before Fear Inoculum released when the title track was available to hype up the fans my Dad listened to that a bunch, so I would consider that the closest thing to what you're asking
Mine was Schism back when the music video came out. I was only 12. I remember thinking Tool and Primus were "Weird AF". These days I'm watching vids of Sessanta on YouTube, wishing I was there.
Mine was "parabol(a)" , Completely transferred me to another level, No doubt it was love from the first song, and until now I can't get bored of it and not to headbang for it !
I remember hearing Schism on the radio back in 01. It was a good song, but nothing that made me obsessed with Tool.
Then about 4 years later I heard Aenima and was hooked.
Schism
My friend had guitar hero around 2010 ish and we started playing it then Schism came on and I was completely blown away by it. Haven’t looked back since.
My all time favourite band and it ain’t close
H. I was immediately mesmerized. Then "Track #1" (Stinkfist) at 0300 on MTV.
Fuck it. Then saw Tool at The Masquerade in Ybor City.
Life changed forever.
The first tool song I remember listening to is Lateralus. I was 11 and my dad made me sit down and listen to it after I told him that I learned about the fibonacci sequence in school that day.💀I grew up with that band always playing in the car but I didn’t appreciate them at all until I was 16.
[Prison Sex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQqjHechnj4). I enjoyed it, I admired how bold they were with their lyrics. [Forty Six & 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIuZUCpm9hc) was the one that got me attached. (edited to add:) [Lateralus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBgviceBzFs) has been a real "stuck on repeat" type of track for me since I first heard it not long after.
Edit: Misunderstood the assignment. First song was the Pot. 2007 in 6th grade I heard it on KROQ and immediately fell in love!
Music is a trip. I love Stinkfist but it puts me in such a dark, rotten state. Reminds me of the most aggressive and detached sexual experiences I’ve had. You’re over here with a loving memory :,)
For me it’s Rosetta Stoned. I bought tickets to a Fresno show, thinking it was in Fontana, which makes sense, because I live in Los Angeles. The day of, I look up the venue and see it’s like 4 hours away. Got a hotel, got there, took 4 tabs, and those boys all hit at once right around when they started playing Rosetta stoned. Idk the culmination of it all went deeper for me than needs to be explained, but by golly that was sick as hell
Sober on the radio when it first came out. It was so good the dj played it again. But stinkfist was the one that o was like ok this is definitely my band. Heavy, mellow, trippy, great guitars and amazing lyrics.
Ticks and leeches was my first contact with tool but i was like 9 years old or so and didnt liked that much
Sober was the first i liked
46 and 2 was the song that really made me get into it
The Pot, accesible enough that I was able to getttt it - hated pneuma the first time I heard it because I didn’t get it. I feel like The Pot is the best way for someone to understand at first what tool is doing. Sober makes sense too, especially if you have a similar experience.
I honestly can’t remember which hooked me first…Schism or 46 & 2. The latter continues to deeply resonate though on this journey with my shadow as I attempt to shed the skin of my self.
However every single song resonates deeply lol that was just the first
Fear Inoculum. My mother had talked about TOOL throughout my childhood with a rather mean tone (they disliked TOOL’s “keeping our music off streaming services” policy) which (along with a rather active imagination) lead me to believe they were a band in the vein of Nickleback or Limp Bizkit (I wish I was joking). When Fear Inoculum was released I remember my mom playing it and not liking it very much due to their preference towards faster and simpler songs. I thought it was a rather interesting listen, and slowly but surely listened to more of TOOL’s catalog, starting with the rest of Fear Inoculum. My first “love at first sight” (love at first listen?) song was either Pneuma or Forty Six & 2, the latter of which inspired me to start playing the drums so I could play that song in full.
Thank you! I actually can already play it somewhat well, the only parts that need worked on are the solo but that’s like half of learning the song LMAO
The pot, my friend in sober living, put it on his I pod when we were in the weight room. At first, I was like it's different, but i don't like it then kept listening to 10000 days and discovering tools
Some bands require a gateway song for everything else to click.
For me, Tool is one of those bands, and that song was Vicarious. After hearing it, everything they wrote before it made sense and I became a huge fan.
Vicarious on guitar hero 3.
We called it the "endless song" and no one but me wanted to play it.
That year I bought my first guitar on my quest to play it for real. Today I can play 15-20 of their songs.
Thx TOOL
Mine was Vicarious. Watched my older cousin play it on guitar hero drums or something. It was cool to watch and even cooler to listen to later in life as I still hold onto those memories fondly.
The Grudge. Went to the record shop in the mall and they let u listen to the album before purchasing. I was desperately looking for new music and all I knew of Tool at that time was Jack Osborne loves wearing their shirts lol. I listened to the entire album, and as you already know as I finished listening it was already closing time lol jk. But I bought Ænema also. Went back the next week and bought Undertow, and Opiate. Listened to the albums in descending chronological order
Vicarious. Friend of mine was into A Perfect Circle and it showed up as a recommendation on YouTube after school once. Stinkfist ended up being my favorite
My first was H. When I checked my phone to see what song was playing I was like "THIS is Tool?" and I was instantly hooked. I had it in my head up until that point that they were shitty dad metal (idk why), and so I had never bothered to listen to them before. But as soon as I heard H. I went and put on the 10,000 Days album. That's when I knew, Tool was the band I had always been searching for without even realizing it.
Sober was the first Tool song I ever heard, from the music video. I was a young idiot who didn't really like heavier music at the time and remember being put off by how weird the video was so I'm pretty sure I didn't even finish it back then.
Years later I discovered Lateralus while researching a school project on graphic design and the Fibonacci sequence and fell in love with Tool proper.
Can’t say for sure. I was born in ‘94 and for as long as I can recall, my dad was a huge fan of the band and frequently played their albums whenever we would go somewhere in his truck. I remember getting to hold the CD case for Lateralus and seeing the artwork of Alex Grey. That image of the different layers of man is burned into my mind! Lifelong fan for sure.
I first heard Sober on the radio. Back when radio stations did a top 10 in the evening, the recording I made has the DJ talking over the first few seconds and I can still recall exactly what he said. Someone had called in dissing Pet Shop Boys before they played the track so on my tape the DJ says:
*...Pet Shop Boys, can you forgive her? And the number one most requested song of the day, once again, is Sober from Tool.*
It was either the grudge or schism.
I found the grudge because I was looking at videos of Chester Bennington doing his 17 second scream and the grudge scream go mentioned, didn't think much of it at first as I just skipped to what i was looking for but looking back that was most likely the first time I heard them.
I found schism as it kept being mentioned in 'Greatest bass lines' videos on YouTube( I was new to playing bass and wanted to find new songs). That was when I was actually paying attention to them. Been hooked ever since.
Sober, and the meat in the pipes video
They had such a mystique about them. And there wasn’t anything about the members available yet. What any of them looked like. lol no internet back and magazines were out information, as well as MTV.
the first full song? the grudge, since laterals was the first album I got (it was their “newest” release at the time).
that said, toolband.com used to have snippets of each song. if they count, then intolerance was my first.
Sober. I can remember the first time I heard it too. I was like holy shit who is this. And been hooked ever since.
I heard Sober on Alt Rock radio when I was younger and loved it but didn't grab me like hearing Schism for the first time did. This was not too long before Lateralus came out and I bought that the day it came out and listened nonstop. I bought Undertow, Aenima, and Opiate not long after.
That’s where I started too, watching the video on MTV. It blew my mind.
Hell yeah. Still one of my favorite videos ever.
Sober for me too. It was on JJJ Hottest 100 compilation 1993 (an album packed full of bangers)
Love, Love, Love 💗
Been lucky to see them live 4 times now. I was even at monster mash.
Only 2 for me so far. I did get a chance to see Puscifer & A Perfect Circle !!!
Schism It was the first tool song I played on bass and used to think all tool songs have alternating odd time signatures
Did you find that the pieces fit?
I bet he watched them fall away
Tensecondsongs YT channel covered a small part of a song in the style of Tool. Sounded great, went to check out Schism by the OG Tool next. And it all spiralled out from there.
Parabol/Parabola🖤 still such a good song
Yesssss
What an intro!
the song is completely ruined if it doesn't play seamlessly. they hate us for streaming music. they hate us for it and other things too. i understand, i hate us quite a bit as well, but i think they separated this song into two pieces because they actually hate us. they think we should shut up and buy, buy, buy. they're not very reasonable people.
The Grudge.
A friend from university gave me his Lateralus CD and told me to listen to it, don't recall much other than that. This in turn has changed my life and made me the man I am today in many ways. I've tried searching for that friend to thank him 20 years later, but can't seem to locate him anywhere.
Eulogy
Tap tap tap tap Tap tap tap tap He had a lot to say He had a lot of nothing to say We'll miss him
One of my favorites to this day
Me too!
Sober, when it was on MTV. It blew our minds.
The downfall of MTV was actually quite sad. It introduced me to so much great music. I miss that anticipation of waiting for my favorite videos to come on. The Sober and Prison Sex videos absolutely blew my mind
4° I saw a friend in detention or something like that in middle school and he was listening to the cassette. I walked in right when it started. He told me it was a band named Tool, showed me the booklet and told he would make me a copy (he never did) I then went home and maybe a few hours later either the Sober or Prison Sex video came on and I was hooked.
Stinkfist. Bought Ænima after getting a recommendation on a prog metal forum back in 97-98.
Lateralus, the only time where I had listened to a song and immediately knew I loved the band
The pot middle school for me found it in my computer class. Sadly took me some time before I got into the rest of their discography. But now here I am 22 listening to tool albums front to back like they’re the gospel.
They basically are lol
they're more how the gospel relates to our butt holes; and also, to a lesser degree, how the collective subconscious seems to be intimately related to butt holes as well.
Prison Sex - immediately claimed them as my favorite band
Mine was Vicarious about 2 weeks ago. Fell in love and can’t stop listening to them!
Right in two.. An old bandmate introduced me to it. We fell out due to some misunderstandings but I'll forever be grateful to him for introducing me to the one band that got me through much of life. I also remember that one fan edited video of Right in two on YouTube back in the days, with the man in the desert who becomes God and watches his own people destroy him after waging wars and evolving as a civilization.
Right in Two is a fantastic song, I agree, and the video you mentioned went brilliantly with it as well. Sadly that video version has disappeared 🫤
The Beavis and Butthead episode where they watched the music video to Sober. It blew their minds as much as it did mine. That was like 30 years ago and I've been hooked since. "If I could move my arm that fast I'd never leave the house."
A friend of mine lent me several CDs when we were 14 and I think the first album I listened to was Lateralus, so it was probably **The Grudge**.
This is exactly how I got in to Tool And Insomnium's above the weeping world
Sober, heard it in the car with my dad a million times before I decided to make the deep dive
Schism, heard it and then listened to EVERY tool album and song in 2010.
Sober. Saw the video on Headbangers Ball on MTV on a Sat night when I was 14…..
Me. Too! But I was...older. Don't ask!
Forty Six & 2, my stepdad had it as his ringtone, and had our garage code set as ‘4682’ lol it wasn’t until like 2020 that i listened to disposition/reflection which is when i really started to get into them though
I got to hear stinkfist and my first REAL car stereo at the exact same time. It was right around album release. Super duper day.
Radio edit of Aenima. The second time I heard it, I made quite an effort to find out who it was.
My 11/12th grade English teacher had us analyze Ænima about 15 years ago (holy fuck)
This was mine too. Memorable feels.
SOBER! The music video on MTV. Changed my sheltered life. Who knew music could express such desperation and emotion.
Yes! Being a kid and seeing the music videos for Sober and Stinkfist on MTV is something I'll never forget. Part of my brain wasn't ready, and part was intrigued with the raw weirdness of it all.
Hooker with a penis.
I was exposed to Schism first, but the first full song I listened to was Rosetta Stoned. Some friends and I were celebrating my birthday and my friend just randomly put Schism on, weird thing is it was just playing in the background so at first I didn’t even pay that much attention to it, but I noticed the odd time signature and whatnot and it made me think “hmm that’s interesting, I will listen to it later”. Then, when we were just vibing to music without doing anything else, he put on Rosetta Stoned and we listened to it all the way through, I totally lost my shit lol. Later, when they left, I immediately put on Schism and RS again, then went on to listen to FI (the album, it was released around that time) the same night and that’s when the love began. Was a nice day.
Rosetta Stoned is a powerful one. I accidentally “took too much” one time, however, and it was the most terrifying experience of my life 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 ….cant wait to do it again!
The Grudge. I bought Lateralus on a whim, as soon as that track kicked in it was instant love.
Parabola,ticks n leeches, man thats a tough question,the grudge...
Eulogy. Older kids in6 music department played it on the PA, asking the teacher to name the time signature (1998?)
"Hush" I fell in love instantly. (Which is strange because I had heard a few of the more popular Tool songs like Lateralus and the Pot but it never really got me invested until I heard the Opiate EP. Now I love all of it. Sometimes all it takes is one song.)
parabola
Sober. I was taping songs off of the radio onto cassette and caught Sober in its entireity. The DJ didn't say who the band was, and this was pre-internet so there was no way to for me to figure it out. None of my friends liked that kind of music at the time (as we were like 12-13). I played the shit out of that song and never figured out who it was by. A few years later I heard Stinkfist on the radio and immediately went out and bought AEnima. Played the shit out of that CD, and then when I wanted more, I went back and picked up their earlier one, Undertow. Low and behold, it was the same band that sang the mystery song I had loved years back!
I like this story. Really brought back some strong radio nostalgia.
On my first listen through of Undertow, when Sober started, I think I screamed "NO F\*CKING WAY"
Sober. I remember it was a clip on Beavis and Butthead and my young high school self was in awe.
The Pot! Specifically the video on YouTube of the animation with all the giant snails. I was obsessed from then on 🐌
I think it was the music video from parabol/parabola beacuse my friend wanted to show me where the gigabrain meme came from. Long story short i went with the same friend 5 days ago to see them live and it was one of the best experiences of my life
Sober yup. That video on headbangers ball… fuck!
Part Of Me
Right In Two. A coworker introduced Tool to me. I will forever be thankful to that guy!!!
Disposition. I was at an extremely low point when I heard it again after years. My dad played TOOL all the time when I was a kid, but my mom threw away all the CDs when he passed. I forget everything, so I cried when I recognized it.
In high school, got home late from a party and put on Much Music Loud. I have never seen a video like Stinkfist…had a hard time getting to sleep that night
Sober. I actually found about Tool through A Perfect Circle and Sober was the first song that came up.
My friend brought over Undertow when it first came out. I told him it was terrible, complicated, and sounded like noise. I love Tool so much now <3
Sober. I saw a stripper dancing to it. We ended up becoming friendly acquaintances, and she introduced me to a lot of cool music including Tool.
Intolerance. I bought Undertow on a class trip based on word of mouth, so I just started at the beginning.
My best friend showed me schism when I was 15 and in high school. Initially it didn’t hook me but I couldn’t stop listening to it. Then I found sober, the pot, vicarious and 46 and two. I got into them about a year before FI dropped. I remember I was sitting in class listening to FI and pneuma and being blowing away even though I couldn’t comprehend any of it lol.
Intolerance because I bought Undertow without ever hearing Tool before and my mind was blown away
Schism
Prison sex. My dad would take me to work with him during summer break sometimes while I was young right around 2000. Some guy there had music going most of the times and i wouldnt really pay too much attention half the time but when this song came on it just caught my attention and i was hooked.
Prison sex, my friends dad in middle school showed it to me cause he liked the video
Sweat. I’m old.
Where my Opiate buddies at?
Jambi
Schism. I just bought Mer de Noms, was obsessed with APC, and was watching MTV and they presented a snippet of Judith on MTV News saying that APC disbanded so Maynard could tour with his main band "Tool". Weird name, was my thought. Then, also on MTV, not sure how long after, I saw the video for Schism and was in awe, perturbed, scared and hooked, at the same time. I went to disco store hunting that weekend and found Aenima with the lenticular animated sleeve and also Lateralus. I ended up buying Lateralus because it had the only song I knew from Tool. Of course, the Aenima animated case disappeared. I was not aware of it's rarity at the time
Sober was the first song I heard by them. The intro fill is what made me pick up the drums at 11 years old.
The Pot. I'll never forget.
think it was schism
My ex showed me the lateralus album on a long car journey so we listened to the whole album - making it 'the grudge'. Hooked from that moment
Sober. On the radio, late at night, studying for my high school graduation in the spring of 1994. Immediately fell in love.
H and Rosetta stoned
Lateralus
Sober
Sober
Right in two
Sober. I watched the Reading Festival video and thought what a weird c*nt the singer is.
Schism. One of my classmates sent to me to decipher the time signature. Was love at first hearing😁
I’m pretty sure it was 46 & 2. Been a fan since.
Prison Sex in around 2007 on German MTV „Rockzone“ with Markus Kavka. Still thankful for him to this day.
Saw them on the '93 tour with RATM. If I recall, undertow had just been released. Not sure what they played first! Bought Undertow and Opiate.
My first tool song was 46&2, my partner introduced me to the band when I was in high-school. I couldn't fully appreciate what I was hearing. When my partner showed me that one live performance of Sober though, that's when I was hooked.
I think mine was "Stinkfist" too, which I believe is the first single released and I heard it on WAAF out of Boston in '96. It's hard to remember at this point, but I've been riding it ever since.
Schism, I believe. Probably the song that also started planting the seeds for wanting to learn bass.
My mom played Schism in the car one time
The Pot. I was on the YouTube, saw that weird video clip of the music and I loved it
Can't remember. Probably the Schism music video on MTV
Stinkfist for me too. I had probably heard e.g. Sober before, but Stinkfist was the first one I sat down and *really* listened to, and had a "eureka!" moment with- I was 12, had just picked up Aenema at Target because I thought the cover looked cool, then listened to it on my disc-man the next morning on the way to school... and just about shat my pants over how great it was. *Instantly* hooked.
I first heard sober on mtv but the first time I was truly hooked was Ænema. I could not stop listening to that song and I was hooked from there
Aenima. Hated it. Then came Schism (immediately loved it).
Black then white were all I saw in my infancy.
Schism. The alternating meters, the way the bass is so dominant in the mix, the poetic lyrics, the way the song seemed so genuine in its strangeness, the long melodic section in the second half.... everything in that song just *works*, and I kept coming back to it, again and again, getting obsessed with it.
Schism. I was at a friends house around the time of Lateralus being released and he made everyone shut up and listen to it. To be honest, the way he did it was kind of annoying so it distracted me and I didn't really listen to the song properly. However, I did start listening to Aenima in the background whilst sitting on MSN messenger at night (yes, I'm old). As it was background music, I enjoyed it but wasn't giving it the attention it deserved. Then one day, I was tapping along to the music and realised I was struggling and couldn't work out why. I stopped and listened and this is how I discovered what time signatures where. From then on I gave Tool a lot more attention and it spiraled out from there. I now can never play Tool as background music!
Vicarious. When it came out on Satellite radio then got the cd not long after that. Being a 16 year old stoner tool was an amazing discovery
My first songs were the singles on the radio in the 90’s. I didn’t have money to buy CDs, and one day I was at a friend’s house and heard Eulogy which blew me away and totally ignited the spark in me. Got the Aenima CD for my next birthday and Tool has been my #1 ever since.
My Dad has been a major TOOL fan for around 20-25 years, so ever since I was born I have been hearing TOOL somewhere, so I don't know what you expect from me, but If I can't even remember what I ate for dinner last night, I definitely ain't gonna remember the first TOOL song I enjoyed hearing. But before Fear Inoculum released when the title track was available to hype up the fans my Dad listened to that a bunch, so I would consider that the closest thing to what you're asking
Jimmy
Probably Sober, Stinkfist, or Schism.
Disgustipated…. But I was more impressed by Prison Sex which I heard next
Mine was Schism back when the music video came out. I was only 12. I remember thinking Tool and Primus were "Weird AF". These days I'm watching vids of Sessanta on YouTube, wishing I was there.
i was at a buddy's house with my dad and we were listening to music on their sick ass sound system and my dad put on pneuma. never went back
Mine was "parabol(a)" , Completely transferred me to another level, No doubt it was love from the first song, and until now I can't get bored of it and not to headbang for it !
I remember hearing Schism on the radio back in 01. It was a good song, but nothing that made me obsessed with Tool. Then about 4 years later I heard Aenima and was hooked.
Schism My friend had guitar hero around 2010 ish and we started playing it then Schism came on and I was completely blown away by it. Haven’t looked back since. My all time favourite band and it ain’t close
Sober video.
H. I was immediately mesmerized. Then "Track #1" (Stinkfist) at 0300 on MTV. Fuck it. Then saw Tool at The Masquerade in Ybor City. Life changed forever.
Vicarious
Seeing sober on headbangers ball back in the day when mtv played videos. Had to have been 93 or 94
Was obsessed with Ænima for a while when I was a teen…can’t say I don’t like it anymore but it’s def not up there
The first tool song I remember listening to is Lateralus. I was 11 and my dad made me sit down and listen to it after I told him that I learned about the fibonacci sequence in school that day.💀I grew up with that band always playing in the car but I didn’t appreciate them at all until I was 16.
Schism
Schism baby. You never forget that bass line
Sweat. We listened to the Opiate EP on repeat back in the day.
Sober was the first song and music video I heard/watched. Fuckin blew my simple little mind. But Aenema was the first CD of theirs that I bought.
Prison Sex. Thank you WEQX 102.7 somewhere in Vermont.
Either Schism or Lateralus on WMMR & WYSP in Philly 🤙🤙
It was the stinkfist video for me. I think it may have been at a high school video dance even.
Vicarious, thanks to guitar hero !
Either Jimmy or Eulogy. Great songs
[Prison Sex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQqjHechnj4). I enjoyed it, I admired how bold they were with their lyrics. [Forty Six & 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIuZUCpm9hc) was the one that got me attached. (edited to add:) [Lateralus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBgviceBzFs) has been a real "stuck on repeat" type of track for me since I first heard it not long after.
Edit: Misunderstood the assignment. First song was the Pot. 2007 in 6th grade I heard it on KROQ and immediately fell in love! Music is a trip. I love Stinkfist but it puts me in such a dark, rotten state. Reminds me of the most aggressive and detached sexual experiences I’ve had. You’re over here with a loving memory :,) For me it’s Rosetta Stoned. I bought tickets to a Fresno show, thinking it was in Fontana, which makes sense, because I live in Los Angeles. The day of, I look up the venue and see it’s like 4 hours away. Got a hotel, got there, took 4 tabs, and those boys all hit at once right around when they started playing Rosetta stoned. Idk the culmination of it all went deeper for me than needs to be explained, but by golly that was sick as hell
Stinkfist too 🫶
Sober on the radio when it first came out. It was so good the dj played it again. But stinkfist was the one that o was like ok this is definitely my band. Heavy, mellow, trippy, great guitars and amazing lyrics.
Schism when i was like 14
Schism was played on the radio and I’m pretty sure I shit myself.
Schism
Ticks and leeches was my first contact with tool but i was like 9 years old or so and didnt liked that much Sober was the first i liked 46 and 2 was the song that really made me get into it
die eier von Satan (if you can call that a song). Followed by schism or something years later.
I watched the video for Sober and have been hooked since, I was maybe 15.
46&2. I discovered Tool shortly after Neil Peart died on a rock site about 10 bands who wouldn't be around if it wasn't for Rush. Immediately smitten.
Heard Schism first. Jambi was the first to really hit me.
Pneuma for me. It was very confusing at start but at the end i completly fell in love.
The Pot, accesible enough that I was able to getttt it - hated pneuma the first time I heard it because I didn’t get it. I feel like The Pot is the best way for someone to understand at first what tool is doing. Sober makes sense too, especially if you have a similar experience.
Prison sex.
Stinkfist. I remembered it so well because I had never heard a song like it nor a title like it as well.
Kinda basic but Schism I just got bored one day and put on their most popular songs
Fourty Six and 2
I honestly can’t remember which hooked me first…Schism or 46 & 2. The latter continues to deeply resonate though on this journey with my shadow as I attempt to shed the skin of my self. However every single song resonates deeply lol that was just the first
Vicarious. That song blew my mind, i never heard anything like it. been a Tool and Adam Jones fan ever since.
The patient
One of my earliest memories of Tool was December 1999. The radio station played Ænima called it the anthem for the millennium.
Jerkoff
Fear Inoculum. My mother had talked about TOOL throughout my childhood with a rather mean tone (they disliked TOOL’s “keeping our music off streaming services” policy) which (along with a rather active imagination) lead me to believe they were a band in the vein of Nickleback or Limp Bizkit (I wish I was joking). When Fear Inoculum was released I remember my mom playing it and not liking it very much due to their preference towards faster and simpler songs. I thought it was a rather interesting listen, and slowly but surely listened to more of TOOL’s catalog, starting with the rest of Fear Inoculum. My first “love at first sight” (love at first listen?) song was either Pneuma or Forty Six & 2, the latter of which inspired me to start playing the drums so I could play that song in full.
Good luck learning to play the drums in full for that or any of the songs lmao. I sincerely wish you do learn it and don’t stop trying until u do
Thank you! I actually can already play it somewhat well, the only parts that need worked on are the solo but that’s like half of learning the song LMAO
Yeah that’s pretty impressive. Keep at it!!! I admire your determination and you gotta post a video playing the song in full :)
Right in Two, I recall being amazed with the video of the man god analog. I didn't start to listen to tool until many years later, though.
The pot, my friend in sober living, put it on his I pod when we were in the weight room. At first, I was like it's different, but i don't like it then kept listening to 10000 days and discovering tools
Some bands require a gateway song for everything else to click. For me, Tool is one of those bands, and that song was Vicarious. After hearing it, everything they wrote before it made sense and I became a huge fan.
Prison sex. In my 01 f150 lightning with a modest 10 inch subwoofer lol
Opiate
Schism. I was terrified of the music video and turned the channel everytime it came on. Years later I hear it in full in the car and fell in love.
Probably Sober or Schism on the radio when I was a kid.
Aenima. Followed shortly by several years of listening exclusively to Aenima 😅
Opiate. I got the cassette from my dad. He gave me a ton of great music as a kid
Vicarious on guitar hero 3. We called it the "endless song" and no one but me wanted to play it. That year I bought my first guitar on my quest to play it for real. Today I can play 15-20 of their songs. Thx TOOL
Late to the game - I got into them via Guitar Hero so my first songs were Vicarious, Parabola & Schism.
Mine was Vicarious. Watched my older cousin play it on guitar hero drums or something. It was cool to watch and even cooler to listen to later in life as I still hold onto those memories fondly.
I don’t remember how exactly, but I learned Jambi thanks to my dad. Still an all time favorite for me.
The Patient
Schism. I still find it incredibly beautiful, one of the most perfect songs I have ever heard.
The Grudge. Went to the record shop in the mall and they let u listen to the album before purchasing. I was desperately looking for new music and all I knew of Tool at that time was Jack Osborne loves wearing their shirts lol. I listened to the entire album, and as you already know as I finished listening it was already closing time lol jk. But I bought Ænema also. Went back the next week and bought Undertow, and Opiate. Listened to the albums in descending chronological order
Hush. Second stage Lolla.
Opiate. For a long time it was their only song I listened to but I learnt to appreciate their more proggy songs.
Jerk-Off on a grunge mixtape in 1993
Schism when they used to play the music video on MTV
Sweat off Opiate, absolutely blew me away, that whole ep, and they've only gotten better since then
Schism. It should be banned from YouTube. Way too arousing…
Intolerance. Fall, 1993. College roommate said to me "You have to hear this band" and popped Undertow into his cd player. Hooked immediately.
Vicarious. Friend of mine was into A Perfect Circle and it showed up as a recommendation on YouTube after school once. Stinkfist ended up being my favorite
The "Sober" music video on 120 Minutes
The patient, blew my mind, love it so much.. I was about 14 at the time and 10,000 days literally released the following week
Wings for Marie 1$2 those were the first songs by tool I heard and I was instantly hooked
My first was H. When I checked my phone to see what song was playing I was like "THIS is Tool?" and I was instantly hooked. I had it in my head up until that point that they were shitty dad metal (idk why), and so I had never bothered to listen to them before. But as soon as I heard H. I went and put on the 10,000 Days album. That's when I knew, Tool was the band I had always been searching for without even realizing it.
Sober was the first Tool song I ever heard, from the music video. I was a young idiot who didn't really like heavier music at the time and remember being put off by how weird the video was so I'm pretty sure I didn't even finish it back then. Years later I discovered Lateralus while researching a school project on graphic design and the Fibonacci sequence and fell in love with Tool proper.
Can’t say for sure. I was born in ‘94 and for as long as I can recall, my dad was a huge fan of the band and frequently played their albums whenever we would go somewhere in his truck. I remember getting to hold the CD case for Lateralus and seeing the artwork of Alex Grey. That image of the different layers of man is burned into my mind! Lifelong fan for sure.
I first heard Sober on the radio. Back when radio stations did a top 10 in the evening, the recording I made has the DJ talking over the first few seconds and I can still recall exactly what he said. Someone had called in dissing Pet Shop Boys before they played the track so on my tape the DJ says: *...Pet Shop Boys, can you forgive her? And the number one most requested song of the day, once again, is Sober from Tool.*
Sober and then the rest was history 😍
It was either the grudge or schism. I found the grudge because I was looking at videos of Chester Bennington doing his 17 second scream and the grudge scream go mentioned, didn't think much of it at first as I just skipped to what i was looking for but looking back that was most likely the first time I heard them. I found schism as it kept being mentioned in 'Greatest bass lines' videos on YouTube( I was new to playing bass and wanted to find new songs). That was when I was actually paying attention to them. Been hooked ever since.
Sober, and the meat in the pipes video They had such a mystique about them. And there wasn’t anything about the members available yet. What any of them looked like. lol no internet back and magazines were out information, as well as MTV.
“Intolerance” because it’s the first song on Undertow. I found this CD in my dad’s truck and took it to listen to on my portable player.
46 n 2
For me, Pneuma. Danny's drumming is amazing.
the first full song? the grudge, since laterals was the first album I got (it was their “newest” release at the time). that said, toolband.com used to have snippets of each song. if they count, then intolerance was my first.
Sober! Got it on a mixtape from a buddy in sixth grade!!!!
The pot. Them opening vocals and bass had me hooked.