But it was the final minutes of 2001’s Lateralus that really made listeners’ ears prick thanks to a sample from someone claiming to be a former Area 51 worker on the run. Their 1993 debut full-length closed with Disgustipated – a voodoo death chant in which Maynard repeats the words, ‘This is necessary, life feeds on life feeds on life’ as what sounds like a tribe of Orcs march through a field of crickets.

It’s a trend that looks set to continue with Rage Against The Machine legend and long-time friend Tom Morello making up his own list by describing the upcoming works-in-progress as “epic, majestic, symphonic, brutal, beautiful, tribal, mysterious, deep, sexy and very Tool” – which are all words you’d be hoping to hear from someone lucky enough to be in the loop.Īs anyone that’s fallen asleep listening to Tool will be able to attest, they certainly have a penchant for concluding their works in disarray, often at punishing volumes. Recently, we rounded up Tool’s 10 Best Riffs across their three decade-long career, though in all fairness similar lists could be made on single tracks. Often it’s the sheer wealth of rhythmic ideas being thrown at the listener that intensifies the on-going displacement, some fans suggesting there are up to 50 different meters across 2001 single Schism’s brooding seven minutes.

Sporadic as their output may be, the Grammy-winning quartet have built their name on riffs that pull the rug from under your feet, purposefully engineered to be as blindly disorientating as they are vivaciously mind-expanding. Let’s face it… if there’s one thing Tool are undisputed masters of, it’s this.

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