page: 22
 title: Summer Tours! The Lowdown On OzzFest '98
author: Adrian Gregory Glover

While they duke it out with their record company, Tool is returning to the
people.  After turning in the only Lollapalooza '97 performance of note,
this year they jump into another pit.
   Cross-referencing genres has been a Tool trademark since their
inception in 1991.  tools's first album Undertow wasted no time making its
presence known.  when they first came into prominence the band was a media
mystery.  Their stunning video for their breakthroug hit "Sober" didn't
show the band members at all.  Complex graphic animation brought music
together with the realm of multimedia.  It's something that has peppered
other videos such as "Prison Sex" and the band's CD artwork.
   Pushing the visual envelope is a reson why Tool is considered to be
such an enigma.  Singer Maynard James Keenan is prone to dressing up in a
variety of female styles.  During last year's Lollapalooza debut set he
donned an outfit that was straight out of Madonna's "Vogue"-era catalog.  
Perhaps that was the image that was meant to be poked fun at.
   Seeing that their latest record Aenima has done little to slow down the
Tool machine, Keenan and members Adam Jones (guitar), Justin Chancellor
(bass, who replaced original bassist Paul D'Amour) and Danny Carey will be
around for awhile.  That's with or without Zoo Entertainment, with whom
they are reportedly attempting to part wasys.
   For OzzFest, expect Maynard James Keenan to bellow anything that comes
to mind.  In the past he has repeatedly trumpeted the virtues of sexual
beauty and freedom.  They always try to one up themselves, so tune in for
the next episode.  If any band on this bill could steal Ozzy's thunder,
this is it.
   

Posted to t.d.n: 06/16/98 20:54:22