If Tool had only scored a hit with “Sober” in 1993 and then disappeared, the progressive metal band would still have become legend. The stop-motion video created for the song by guitarist Adam Jones is one of most iconic of the alternative rock era and exemplifies everything Tool stands out for via Jones’ sonic design, Maynard James Keenan’s vocals and a message that’s universal in a song about a specific person.
That was just the beginning of Tool’s story. With one early period lineup change, Tool has earned four Grammys in a five-album career. The band’s members could have cashed in and churned out album after album since debuting with Undertow, but they took their time. Sophomore effort AEnima was released in 1996, and by the following year Tool was headlining Lollapalooza.
Major side projects absorbed energy that might have been wasted on excess Tool consumer product, with Keenan fronting both A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. By 2001, the band had established a sound that transcended established conventions of progressive rock and art metal, and cultivated a fan base that catapulted third album, Lateralus, to No. 1 upon its release.
Tool continues to demonstrate a maverick attitude that, along with insistences on privacy and creative control, is an inspiration to young bands that envision career longevity and value authenticity. The message is: You don’t have to sell your soul for rock ’n’ roll.
T-Mobile Arena, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, starting at $68 plus tax and fee. axs.com
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