Tool
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Tool, however, had a knack for conveying the strangled, oppressive angst that the alternative nation of the early 90s claimed as its own. So, the band was able to slip into the definition of alternative rock during the post-Nirvana era, landing a slot on the third ~Lollapalooza tour in 1993, which helped their first full-length debut album, Undertow, rocket into platinum status. By the time the band delivered their belated follow-up, Ænima, in 1996, alternative rock had lost its grip on the mainstream of America, and their audience had shaped up as essentially metal-oriented, which meant that the group and the record didnt capture as big an audience as their first album, despite debuting at number two on the charts. After a co-headlining slot with Korn on ~Lollapalooza 97 wrapped up, Tool remained on the road, supporting Ænima until well into the next year.
During their usual extended hiatus between albums, Maynard James Keenan decided to use his downtime productively by forming a side project, dubbed A Perfect Circle. The bands 2000 debut, Mer de Noms, was a surprise hit, while their ensuing tour was a sold-out success as well. With Tool breakup rumors swirling, the band put the speculation to rest by re-entering the recording studio and issuing the stopgap B-sides/DVD set Salival late the same year. Finally, May 2001 saw the release of Tools third full-length release, Lateralus, which debuted at the number one position on the ~Billboard album chart and became the bands biggest hit. After the obligatory several-year sabbatical to pursue other projects, the group returned with another chart-topper, 10,000 Days, in 2006. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Greg Prato,
