Publication: Thrasher
Date: March, 1993
Transcribed by
Zach (Zmcevoy@comcast.net)
and also by
eric phister (e_phister@hotmail.com)
Zach (Zmcevoy@comcast.net)
and also by
eric phister (e_phister@hotmail.com)
page: 58 title: TOOL author: Sara Tassione Cream puffs need not apply. Tool is an angry, hard and confrontational group from Los Angeles way. They play music to eat meat to. "We have a knack of stirring up shit with every group in the world," explains vocalist Maynard James Keenan. "With the feminists, they're like, (his voice raises to a snotty whine) 'It's all about man power!' because of our wrench logo (that has a not-so-subtle phallic shape). You can interpret it as you will, but our name has more to do with using what you have. I can't play bass or drums. All I can do is scream. There is too much shit in this world to try and change, so all I can do is scream until I feel better. And that's what I'm doing." Tool is also about control, something which Keene, who refers to himself as a "scatterbrained, caffeine child," admits he doesn't have enough of. T"The reason why most people are pissed off is because they dont have the biscuit, in other words, whatever they want, whatever it is that those people, who are involved in the multinationals who control everything have: money, power. You don't have it, so you want it. You're not going to change people, you better beat 'em or join 'em. It's just too big to fight." The Opiate Ep's title track is about control of other people through delusions of a higher power - Jesus freaks, evangelists, and the like. Being from the highly Christian state of Michigan, Keenan is outspoken in his religious opinions. " There is no Satan, and I don't believe there is a God either. I think there's a huge energy out there that runs things, but I really despise the idea of heaven and hell. The song "Hush" hits hard on censorship, but the video, with Tool's agreement was censored. "It was our way of saying, "Forget it, it's over. There's no use fighting. After Kennedy and King were shot, we lost. It was a revolution and we lost our civil rights. I don't consider my attitude a pessimist attitude, because you get to that point where you realize that just being good and right and righteous isn't going to change anything. Power: we don't have it, so we want it. That's what it's about." That need for power and controlcomes screeching through Tool's amps at every gig they play. As the audience is sent into a frenzied pit, Tool feeds off the energy --- pulling their control from the uncontrolled. Like the chaos around them, Tool formed by accident. The members (Adam Jones who was a guitarist, his friend Keenan, who sang a little, his neighbor Danny Carey, who played drums, and Paul D'Amou, who dabbled on the bass) each came from somewhere else, and they ended up in Los Angeles, where they all hung out together. "Adam and I were friends, and started makign some noises. Danny filled in, 'cause our drummer never showed up. Paul came to LA to work on a movie, that didn't pan out, so he stated playing with us. Then we wrote songs, played a party and got trapped into being a band." ---Sara Tassione
Posted to t.d.n: 03/21/04 15:29:17