Tool is an American Grammy Award-winning rock band that was formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. The band has sold over 20 million records worldwide, the members of Tool consist of drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan (also a member of A Perfect Circle). Tool has hosted worldwide tours and produced albums which have performed well on international music charts.
Tool emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first album Undertow, at a time when the genre was dominated by thrash metal, and later reached the top of the alternative metal movement with the release of their second album Ænima, in 1996. Their efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with their third record Lateralus in 2001 and their most recent album, released in 2006 10,000 Days, gained the band critical acclaim and success around the world. Due to Tool's incorporation of visual arts and relatively long and complex releases, the band is generally described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock and art rock. The relationship between the band and today's music industry is ambivalent, at times marked by censorship and the band members' insistence on privacy.
Tool was formed in 1990 by singer Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Adam Jones, who then recruited drummer Danny Carey and bassist Paul D'Amour. They released a self title demo in 1991. Although demos are typically intended only for record labels, the band was so pleased with theirs that they sold copies to their fans. Tool signed to Zoo Entertainment just three months into their career, and released their first EP, Opiate, in March 1992. After touring to positive reviews, they released their first full-length album, Undertow, in April 1993. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1995.
Shortly after entering the studio to record their second album in September 1995, the band experienced its only lineup change to date, with bassist D'Amour leaving amicably to pursue other projects. He was replaced by Justin Chancellor and recording resumed. October 1996 saw the release of Ænima which eventually beat Tool's debut in sales, and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA in 2003. The second single from the album, "Ænema", won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance of 1998. Following legal battles with their label, the band went on hiatus. Tool returned in May 2001 with the release of Lateralus. The album reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart in its debut week, and was certified platinum in August of 2005. The first single, "Schism" won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance of 2001. Again waiting five years between releases, 10,000 Days was released in May 2006. The album sold 564,000 copies in its opening week in the U.S. and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album won the Grammy for Best Recording Package of 2007.
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