TOOL Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Before Tool were known for their grandiose live shows that keep frontman Maynard James Keenan shrouded in darkness next to drummer Danny Carey, before they were considered progressive metal titans unmatched by any act within the scene, they were just another four-piece alternative metal group made up of four outsider misfits who seemingly struck a unique balance with one another and a burgeoning fanbase. Captured in 1991 at a performance in the Los Angeles Jello Loft where they would cut their teeth, this set is made up of material from both their 1992 debut 'Opiate' EP and 1993's follow-up full-length Undertow, pre-dating the release of either project, with the songs landing on almost completely unsuspecting ears. Take a fly-on-the-wall earful of early versions of 'Cold & Ugly,' 'Sweat', and 'Hush', which showcase their first forays into aggressive grooves whilst the juxtaposition of these tracks next to their much darker, proggier successors such as 'Sober' and 'Swamp Song', highlight the singular vision they were already striving towards before even dropping one official project.

Review: If you deep dive into online information about this somewhat mysterious Tool live release, you can start to piece together some facts from the mythology. The thing we are most certain about The Pepsi Challenge: Colorado Broadcast 2002 Volume One is that there are many theories pertaining to what it is and whether it's a bootleg or not. Certainly this has nothing to do with the Pepsi Challenge per se, but rather the title refers to where the album was recorded. The year was 2002, the place Denver's Pepsi Center, now known as Ball Arena. Here, mighty metallers Tool stopped by on what was a mammoth tour and delivered what several fan forum posts suggest was the best date of the lot. We're not sure how many of the shows the OPs attended to make that assertion, but we do know that this LP sounds like it was an incredible night.

Review: Trying to find reliable information about The Pepsi Challenge: Colorado Broadcast Volume Two isn't easy. In fact, it's almost like the Holy Grail search. That's if the Holy Grail was a quest for details about one of very few live recordings by almighty US rock dons Tool. Definitely rarer than the steak you still dream about from that time you spent far too much money on a mains, but it was worth it, other than that we're coming up short on certainties. One thing we do know is this was recorded at Denver, Colorado's Pepsi Center, now Ball Arena, home of the Denver Nuggets basketball team and an 18,000 capacity venue. According to several fan forums, the show took place in 2002 and is remembered as one of the best on the band's tour that year. Recorded live for FM radio, it's now made its way onto wax, and reflects the power and majesty of these guitar icons.

Review: .During their live appearances - and especially ones captured for posterity by radio stations - Tool have often delivered surprisingly and unlikely cover versions. These, alongside a smattering of similarly eyebrow-raising duets and demos, form the basis of Absolute Ultra Rare, an unofficial compilation of obscurities that should be essential listening to fans. It sees the alt-metal and progressive metal heroes variously turn their hand to Pink Floyd (a surprisingly jangly take on 'Comfortably Numb'), Rage Against The Machine ('Know Your Enemy'), ska ('Wrong Way'), and Wings ('Silly Love Songs', which is turned into a moody growl). Throw in some heavy takes on their own tunes (see the opening rendition of 'Passenger') and you have a suitably epic collection of rarely heard tracks.

Review: Transmission Impossible charts the early career of American alt-rock masters Tool via performances recorded for radio broadcast - and the odd snippet of the accompany interviews. A majority of the tracks featured were recorded for radio stations across the US (and on a couple of instances, in the UK) between 1991 and 94, though disc three also boasts cuts laid to tape in 1998 and 2000. The band's original line up (which features throughout) was known for its loud, dynamic and energetic performances - all ten-ton guitar riffs, sweat-soaked drums, heavy bass and wild lead vocals - and these recordings capture their live sound perfectly. For fans of Tool, it's a genuine must-have collection.

Review: Fear Inoculum brought a 13-year Tool hiatus to an end in typically dramatic, knock-your-socks-off and blow wind through your hair style. A fine example of what the group have always done so well - running with wolves like Mogwai, only with far more metal sensibilities, and a damn-sight bigger helping of experimentalism, when this bad boy arrived in 2019 it shot straight to the top of the US Billboard 200, the third consecutive record from the group to do so.

Of course, those charts don't necessarily mean as much in this age as they did when the preceding Tool LP dropped, but 270,000 album-equivalent units within the first week do not lie. Nor does the quality of work here. From the avant-garde percussion and awkward synths of 'Chocolate Chip Trip', to the almost-ethereal ambience of 'Legion Inoculant' and the riff and crescendo heavy 'Pneuma', it's a wild thing of beauty.