tool news


Info here is covered in / superseded by the FAQ, and may no longer be valid. It is provided only for historical interest.

- old news: june - dec 1999 -

[12/22/99] - Seems a news post was erased magically, but yes, that was Maynard onstage at the Rage Against the Machine show in Phoenix last week, doing his part in "Know your Enemy."  - Posting Opinions, Articles, Tabs, and Links is finally working again. Don't expect much other site activity over the break; but happy holidays anyway!

[12/12/99] - The first time a news update takes over a month. How lame. The site went down a few weeks ago due to more problems with it being hosted for free, but all is almost well again. The good news is, you missed almost zero Tool news, the new album is still going to take a while as will any tour dates. Apparently, we can expect the A Perfect Circle record next spring (Maynard's side project hard at work).  - Shameless plug: if you want to know why else this update took so long, watch VH1's Behind the Music tonight, and pay attention to who edited the show.

[11/9/99] - The unofficial "Bunny" shirts, available in the More section since 1996, will be removed from this site shortly. If you've been unsure, now is the time to grab this item, a true piece of Tool-net-culture memorabilia.  - A few new articles have been added.

[10/31/99] - Happy Halloween! Lyrics are no longer available by individual song, I'm not really sure why they ever were. That and various other visual/editorial tweaks are being implemented sitewide.

[10/26/99] - Concert reviews are no longer being accepted for Coachella. Also, note that while some reviews claim Maynard said a new Tool album would be out next month, he was actually talking about the new Rage Against the Machine release.

[10/12/99] - Coachella concert reviews are up, and the Feedback page is working again. The extra-lame LA Times review of the show is also available from the Articles section. Also, it appears that the new Peach cover is called "Spasm", per the setlist scanned and submitted by Samaki Dorsey (sdorsey@cdnow.com). Check out the reviews.

[10/9/99] - Tool is scheduled to play from 9:50pm to 11pm tomorrow night at Coachella, and will not be part of the webcast (which only covers Pavement and Rage Against the Machine). Concert reviews will be available (and postable) in the Tour section of this site.

[10/7/99] - KROQ FM had an interview with Maynard this morning, though apparently not much of substance came out. Their website says they'll have a webcast of the Coachella performance Sunday night. Whether Tool is a part of this remains to be seen. Thanks to Bryan Tillman (btillman@bayou.com) for this.  - Paul LaBarbera (punk@thefragile.com) sends this info about Nine Inch Nails' side project "Tapeworm." Trent's new (though longtime ongoing) venture is set to feature various musicians on various songs; the only one which is completed features Maynard and Trent on vocals together. No word on a release date for this.  - Some folks are working on a plan to set up a meeting point for at Coachella. Any more info will be posted.  - Automated tasks on this site, such as posting Tabs and Opinions, are currently unavailable thanks to the alignment of the stars, and the recent relocation of this site.

[10/4/99] - Well, obviously that took longer than 10 days. The machine hosting this site was supposed to move and reawaken within two weeks. The host has yet to find a good way to reconnect the box, so in the meantime, former host Brian Wilcott has found what looks to be a solution. MP3 czar Dan Hurlburt is also almost back in the mix. Stay tuned.  - As far as the new album, word is that writing is going slowly, and that there may well not be any new songs played at the Coachella festival this weekend. The album should be out in 2000.  - No other Tool concerts are scheduled, though Maynard's side project "A Perfect Circle" is playing Day 1 of Coachella, and then a West Coast minitour. Check their site.

[9/7/99] - A few more reviews of "A Perfect Circle" shows have been posted to the More section of this site.  - The machine which hosts this site is going down this weekend; it is moving to a new home at a new ISP in some other state. It should be back within a week. With any luck, so will the MP3's.  - It appears that Maynard, ever the busy bee, might also be credited as having produced the Deftones song "White Pony", due out on their next album. Thanks to a bunch of people for that info.

[8/26/99] - Finally, some more info on Maynard's new side project. A Perfect Circle (as it is really called) has played three shows recently in LA, with more coming up soon. Info and reviews are available in the long-neglected More section of this site.  - Rumors are circulating about Maynard producing an upcoming Deftones project. So far, nothing is confirmed. But expect a new album early next year, with a tour (likely with the Deftones) hopefully soon after.

[8/20/99] - Doht. After being away from the net for a few days, turns out I didn't get to post info about a one-off show in LA this past Sunday featuring Maynard with a new side project. The benefit, raising money for Black Flag's original singer Keith Morris's hospital bills, included shows by Pennywise and Fishbone ... and Maynard's band Recreational Racism, described as "a country band doing Circle Jerk covers." As if that wasn't cool enough, Maynard showed up again later that night with his new band Perfect Circle, who are apparently recording an album sometime soon. The band also is playing two gigs tonight in LA, at the Opium Den and the Troubadour. Thanks to Michael Bolkin (mnb808@aol.com) for the info. I'm not going to either show tonight, but hopefully reports from these shows will follow.

[8/4/99] - Ænima was certified double platinum yesterday, meaning over two million copies have sold. Still going strong.  - Tickets for the Coachella festival go on sale this Saturday morning at a whopping $50 each. Tool (and luckily for most of you, Rage Against the Machine as well) will be playing on the second day, Sunday October 10. Check the Tour section for more info.

[8/2/99] - No official word yet on when tickets will go on sale for the Coachella festival, but several sources report that it will be sometime next week. Just keep your eyes open.

[7/29/99] - Early yesterday morning, many Los Angeles fans (including me) heard the announcement on KROQ FM about their "Coachella" festival, taking place in the desert of Indio, CA on October 9 and 10. While not yet listed on their website, the radio ads insist Tool is "confirmed." Other bands said to be playing include Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Morrissey, and the Chemical Brothers.

[7/28/99] - A new section is available at t.d.n, replacing and expanding on the venerable Mailing List option from the main menu. The Community section provides information about the Tool community at large; including mailing lists, newsgroups, and the oft-requested "Tool's suggested reading list" (which used to be available under Mailing List).

[7/27/99] - There's an interview in the September issue of Alternative Press with Trent Reznor and other members of Nine Inch Nails. They discuss the long-unreleased "Tapeworm" side project, and mention Maynard as a guest vocalist on a "more electronicky with heavy guitars". The full text of the article appears online here and there, as well as in the Articles section here at t.d.n. Thanks to various Tool/NIN fans for snapping this info and article up so quickly.  - And yes, it's true, Chi from the Deftones is on record saying that a tour with Tool will "definitely happen" next year. Whether or not it actually happens is a whole other issue.

[7/12/99] - Some record stores are claiming a new album will be out in September; for that to be true, songs would have to be mostly completed by now. Looks like we're still waiting until 2000.  - This site has moved to another "faster more stable" machine, though this time it came as a surprise to all of us, hence the downtime and subsequent "access forbidden messages." Sorry about that.  - True enough, Adam Jones did make an appearance onstage with the Melvins at a recent show in Seattle. Chris "I used to play bass for Nirvana" Novoselic also showed up and made some noise with Tool's favorite opening band.

[6/19/99] - At last, a post about the new album: there is no news about it! Not only that, but for all those who complain that this site isn't updated enough, here's an update on the touring situation as well: there isn't going to be one for a while.  - It appears that I totally forgot to post that Shane totally revamped the Tool Discography, and that now it's better than ever. Not to mention healthier for you.  - MP3's still are not working, pending a new mirror site being available. It's tough in the summertime.


(Tool)

"Your pal" Kabir Akhtar (kabir@down.net)