HOW TO GET INTO: Tool || The Rock Critic 

Doesn't even mention their best song....Intermission

I may be in the minority here but my favorite Tool album is 10,000 days. It's heavy, it's pure, it's emotional, and it's totally honest. Love it!

Step one: Listen to literally any Tool album to ever exist Step two: Enjoy :)

Now to get into Tool: A) See them live B) get blown away C) done!

When you do ultimately review Fear Inoculum, call back to this video and tell us which section it would go in.

100% correct on Lateralus. I have listened to this album literally weekly for 15 plus years and it has not gotten old.

How to get into tool: listen to them.

To get into Tool, you need to avoid all the opinion, review and silly 'reaction' videos on RU-vid and general comment sections. One of Tool's many messages is 'Think for yourself..". You don't need a stranger to hold your hand and tell you want is good or what isn't.

The salvial version of pushit is... beyond amazing. Both versions are, actually.

Tool are brilliant at making scary soundscapes out of really minor things. Like "Mantra" on Lateralus, which sounds like reverberant whalesong, but is actually just slowed down audio of Maynard annoying his cat.

When I was 13, my brother bought me Aenima. Bring a simple Green Day fan, it was just too much. He insisted I keep listening and bought me Opiate in hopes that it would be a catalyst into “modern” Tool. When I heard Cold and Ugly for the first time, I was immediately hooked. I bought Undetow which was my catalyst to Aenima and now I’m now an astounding 35 years old and Tool is still my fav band.

I listened to all of Tool albums two days ago. Love this band. Awesome music.

THERAPIST: Maynard, we've talked about this. The answering machine can't get you. ANSWERING MACHINE: Yes I can. MAYNARD: (yeets himself out of the window and into a conveniently placed shrub before running naked into the setting sun)

Tool should be experienced like Star Wars - in order of release

What I love about TOOL let me count the ways, Maynard James Keenan's hypnotic voice, the bombastic drums of Danny Carey, the deep melodic basslines mixed with Adam Jones' guitar, the esoteric lyrics and themes and those creepy as hell music videos.

TOOL is the only band that has never disappointed me with a new album. I've liked every new release as much or more than the previous.

the cookie recipe on Die Eier Von Satan is a recipe for hash cookies btw lol. also Undertow has always been my favorite Tool album. the amount of pure, raw energy on that album is just incredible.

Who else is hyped for Chocolate Chip Trip??

Bit disappointed you did not talk about the amazing design of the physical cd case for 10,000 Days.

For all the talk of suites, no mention of Disposition/Reflection/Triad...

if you like grunge, metal and rock: Start with Undertow. If you like trippy and psychedelic shit: Start with Lateralus. The other 3 albums are if you are into it.

You do not get into Tool. Tool gets into you.

Rosetta Stoned is probably the best metal song of all time.

Opiate not aged well?!? I'll have to disagree with you on that. Jerk off is still one of my favorite songs.

Die Eier Von Satan reads how to make Weed Cookies, not just cookies.

TOOL is one of those rare bands where every member is goddamn perfect. From chancellors bass to Maynard's vocals... just amazing.

Lateralus is the quintessential Tool album

I think Jambi is one of the most beautiful songs ever composed, its a statement of completely selfless love toward another person, and a willingness to sacrifice anything to stay with them till the end, easily my favourite Tool song.

Step one: Hit play Step Two: There is none, just enjoy

Man you have the quality of a 2mil subscriber RU-vidr and you only have 21k! You earned a sub!

The very first track I've ever heard of them was Vicarious, some music recommendation app streamed it for me and literally music was never the same. I was 15 at a time and the more I grew the more songs I liked, and now I'm a huge fan

Ehh... does everything... have... to end... with a... question mark?

So I am 41. Tool has been my #1 band since Undertow hit. Saying that, I may be biased because I essentially heard each album as it came out. I feel like in order of release is the best way to do Tool. Opiate, Undertow, AEnima, Lateralus, 10,000 Days. I believe this because you have a chance to hear the evolution of Tool from something raw to something very refined. I believe that it would be very hard to love Opiate (my favorite Tool recording) once you have heard Lateralus. They came so far between those recordings. Just my two cents. As you said, there is no bad Tool, and anything that gets more people hearing them is great.

Comparing undertow to other tool albums the criticism that it’s too “simple” is somewhat understandable. However when comparing undertow to other bands “simple” is absolutely absurd.

Real tool fans sit through the 7 minute silence in disgustipated for that last little bit

I’ve got the warm-ish take that 10,000 Days is the best record. I love how it takes the weirdness of Lateralus and the energy of the first two and smashes them together. And it’s so emotional.

First time Tool listener watching this video - THEY’VE ONLY RELEASED FOUR ALBUMS?!?!?

As far as Salival goes, I don't know if I ever listened to the whole thing, but the live re-imagining of Pushit and the cover of No Quarter are totally with checking out.

Do Pink Floyd next! (not immediately, I mean, you release these like once a year)

Flashback to your Top 10 Nu Metal Bands video from 2015 when young Crash asks "how's the new Tool album? Wait it's still not out yet?!"

I very recently bought all of Tool's studio albums, I didn't get _Opiate_ yet. Being into the bass guitar, I took a listen to the band because of how bass focused the band is. Rocked indirectly got me to listen to the band thanks to his Regretting the Past video on Good Charlotte.

I was gonna mention Pitchfork’s Lateralus review but you went and beat me to it

There’s actually a live version of Bottom where Zack from RATM appears in Henry Rollins place. Fitting seeing how MJK appeared on Know your enemy

Step 1. Take loads of DMT Step 2. Listen to the Joe Rogan Show

Salival is my 2nd or 3rd favorite Tool thing. It's so great! Every song builds so crazily. You Lied might be my favorite, it goes on and on and then Maynard blows the top off!

It's pronounced "Ah-Ni-Mah" if that makes sense. They've pronounced it in old interviews.

"The title track" I see what you did there, avoiding pronouncing Ænima.

I think listening to their albums chronologically is a good way to get into tool, it's really satisfying to witness their growth

The Beatles part killed me thanks 😂

As a huge tool fan I LOVED this video Thanks for doing us all such a great service man

I started when 10000 days came out, with this album, and it was a perfect beginning for one simple reason - two starting tracks are heavy, catchy, and have just the perfect combination of tool's unconventional ways and being still pretty grounded to standard paridigms in music. What happened later is history.

I feel like Undertow and Aenima are the 2 albums to listen to first. Then start backwards and forwards at the same time.

New listeners to the genre should wait to listen to Lateralus. Everything else will just sound like a disappointment otherwise

it was actually Aenima where they started experimenting with psychedelics hence the song Third Eye

I popped for the return of the pimp cup in the beginning.

That Beatles impersonation was fucking hilarious👍🏻😂

I remember the first time I heard tool was in guitar hero when I was 14 or 15. But I didn't start listening to them till I was around 19. Dont know why I waited so long. I could have been enjoying them much earlier

Cool to see he admits he tears up on the wings for Marie songs. Only song that has ever made me actually tear up. It's crazy

THE PIMP CUP RETURNS 1:48

I started in 92 as a college freshman. Tool literally got me through an engineering degree through 95. Still a fan to this day and can’t wait to see them again soon.

Said 10,000 Days could be a big daunting to a new listener But when I first got into Tool, 10,000 Days was kind of my favourite album

I believe my first intro to them was Vicarious back in middle school and I was hooked

They tried drugs way more in the early days more so than during Lateralus but they do keep very quiet about those things so there's no way to confirm unless you ask them. More likely to get an answer from Danny imo. He's more talkative. 😁

10,000 days is my favorite song ever and you perfectly explained it, thank you

I think there should have been more of a recommendation made for the pot, that got me into Tool heavily and it's still their best song in my opinion. Different and really good!

Start with Sober, Stinkfist and The Pot, then you can get into stuff like Schism and 46&2, then listen to the song Lateralus and you’ll be in deep

You have pretty much my same ranking of the studio albums, and it was weirdly enough the order I had listened to them. The way I got into them was kind of interesting. I had found a PDF of the results of a voting poll for songs to appear in Guitar Hero 3, because I was interested if there was a leak of the soundtrack list. And this PDF had a huge list of bands that people were voting for songs from (basically any popular rock and metal band you could think of), and I made it a mission to listen to them all. Among these names was Tool. And when the creator of the PDF listed his own list of songs he wanted to see in GH3, he listed a BUNCH of Tool songs and said and I quote “If you don’t know Tool, don’t listen to the music you’re listening to.” So I knew I had to get my hands on their music somehow. They weren’t on iTunes and this was before I learned how to torrent. So my drum teacher gave me a copy of Lateralus in hopes that I would try to learn a song or two from it (I didn’t), and from there, I bought the other 3 albums whenever I went CD shopping. I might even keep the tradition going with Fear Inocolum, who knows?

Tool: Trolling before you even you even knew trolling was a thing

As a long-time Tool obsessive, I love your video. I appreciate your detailed and knowledgeable descriptions of their albums. Your description of Lateralus is absolutely spot on. Great job!

I haven't really appreciated Tool's work until very recently. Yes, I liked a lot of the songs I heard before listening to the albums, but I honestly thought they were overrated. But now, after going back and listening to all of their stuff, I can definitely say they deserve every last bit of praise they've gotten over the years. As for my favorite Tool album, I'd probably go with Aenima (just a hair above Lateralus). The title track and Pushit are two of my absolute favorite songs out of any band (especially the title track omg I fucking love that song) Wow I'm rambling a lot, so I guess I'll end this by saying thank you, Crash, for another absolutely stellar video.

I wonder if you will have an episode about Type O Negative.

I’m surprised to see you mention Creedence my dude

Lateralus and physical graffiti are probably my two favorite albums of all time

You should do "How to get into: King Crimson".

My guide: 1. Buy tickets for a festival with Tool as a Headliner. 2. Now that you have the tickets you for sure want to know who this band is... Now it‘s time to learn the hits. 3. See them live, get blown away and become obsessed with Tool. 4. Learn everything about Maynard, his life and other bands while listening to the more difficult tracks. 5. I am currently here. 6. ???

I always love when Gordon Rhode, The Garden Road Guy shows up in your episodes. That answering machine message has had me dying laughing for about ten minutes.

How to get into Tool ? Be edgy but intellectualy honest :>

I'm a simple man. I see Tool. I click

I just started listening to Tool about a year and a half ago. -first heard 46 & 2 -Then Schism and Jambi -And then The Pot and Parabol/Parabola Then from there I started listening to their albums start to finish. The first 40 minutes or so of 10,000 days (from the start to the pot) is one of my favorites to listen to all together.

I don't know why, see you in Crash in a suit with sunglasses and a cigar in his hand and a Gold Cup was just the image I needed to see today

This is easy. Just go backwards from 10,000 Days. They have gotten better every album, so start with the most mature and go backwards to the more aggressive and vulgar.

13:42 sounds like something out of Resident Evil

One of the best trips I ever had was listening to every album back to back. The longer it progressed the more the spaceship they built came more and more to life

Bro Faaip de Oiad genuinely blew my mind when I first heard it. I knew exactly where that voice sample came from and yet it still blew me away with all that production around it! Also TOOL is one of the best bands ever and I will stand by that!

I'd just go Aenima as top album to listen to. Just such a solid album all-around.

Good timing (and great video). My personal favourite Tool album is 10 000 Days. I love everything Tool have done, but this one just resonates the most for me.

Just wanted to say that I see that 'So Jealous' album cover there behind you and that I appreciate it.

I remember how I really got into Tool: I took over an 8th of mushrooms and let it really sink in, then I happened to be sitting on the couch when my roommate unexpectedly put on the music video for “Stinkfist” which Neither of us had seen before. Not to mention I wasn’t super into them at the time, had only heard a couple songs hear and there over the years. Needless to say It changed my life forever while instantly and permanently gaining them a spot on my top three of all time. I still get chills to this day every time I listen to that song, but I think most of the people would flip out and completely lose it before hitting the 60 second mark especially if you don’t know what your in for. I doubt I’m the first person to have this experience. Or am I?

1:49 Crash looking like a Ric Flair looking, hard rocking, cash grabbing, Weezer pimp cup drinking, Richie Rich wanna be mother fricker. Woooooo! (Omg, what’s wrong with me.) Anyway, I actually needed this when they dropped some of their discography on Spotify because all I knew was the “iconic” bassline of “schism” and that’s that. So this will come in handy when I’ll give the albums a spin next weekend. So thanks Crash, you’re the best when it comes to this and other stuff. 🤘🔥

I’ve never heard any tool before, guess it’s time to take the plunge!

The 72826 demo tape was available for purchase in iTunes and other platforms for a very short time, but then were taken down. I guess they wanted to jeep that alive as a rare relic that only the biggest of Tool fans get, but it's so weird because they dropped this album out of nowhere and it was suddenly gone.

What you called a flaw I see as absolute positive for 10,000 days. I can't listen to Wings for Marie without playing pt 1 before part 2.

Die Eier von Satan = The balls of satan

“Tool Perusing” would be a hilarious name for a tribute band.

Unique experience. Teddy Ruxpin, Tool on cassette, "Disgustipated." When that adorable little snout starts chanting "This is necessary. Life feeds on life, feeds on.." your life will change.

1:48 legitimately made me laugh out loud

You should do a how to get into Slipknot video I would be happy as well as your other maggots who see that patch hiding in the bottom left

DUDEEEEE howw is salival not an essential album, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL. you get to listen to just how amazing tool is live.

Now that we finally are getting a new Tool album... We need System of a Down to release a new album, since they haven't released an album since 2005 (14 years! Almost as long as Tool!)

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