Publication: Friday Extra - The Tampa Tribune
Date: October, 2001
Transcribed by
K[elly] (spiral.out@deadohisoky.net)
K[elly] (spiral.out@deadohisoky.net)
page: 18 title: Communication is the key to Tool’s power author: Curtis Ross Danny Carey admits his band Tool was worried. The Los Angeles prog-metal group had gone for five years between albums with only last year’s odds ‘n’ sods CD/video collection, "Salival," to appease the fans. Trent Reznor’s commercial misfortune didn’t help. "He made the best Nine Inch Nails album yet [1999’s "The Fragile"] but it was the worst selling one," Carey says from a tour stop in Boston. "It was kind of scary when we saw that happen. We were worried people would turn their backs." Carey’s fears proved unfounded. "Lateralus," released in May and the first all-new Tool album since 1996’s "Ænima," went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and has already sold more than a million copies. "People were hungry for an alternative to what was going on," Carey speculates. Tool stuck to its progressive-metal guns, delivering an uncompromising 79-minute collection of pounding riffs, shifting time signatures and the cryptic lyrics and stunning vocals of Maynard James Keenan. Keenan provided a bit of a trailer for "Lateralus" with last year’s eponymous "A Perfect Circle." The group featured Keenan and former Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel. The album spawned a rock radio hit, "Judith," and further delayed the completion of "Lateralus." Carey says the extended touring imposed on A Perfect Circle gave him and the other members of Tool (bassist Justin Chancellor and guitarist Adam Jones) more time to work on arrangements. For Keenan, the Circle experience "brought a lot of new inspiration to his singing," Carey says. "It kind of expanded his palette of ideas to choose from. "All of us have side projects we work on," Carey says. "It’s great to have conversations with other people." Communication is the key for Tool’s growth, Carey says. "We’re better at communicating with each other," Carey says. "We share things on a deeper level. In terms of music it ends up with more emotional impact or emotional depth. "If communication doesn’t keep growing, it falls apart," Carey says, admitting that with Tool, "at times it’s gotten close. We’ve been able to work through major differences. You gain strength by surviving catastrophe." It’s also why Tool is able to avoid the one-dimensionality of much heavy rock. "I think again it comes down to communication," Carey says, "being willing to bare your souls with these mates of yours. But if it’s just a superficial rock’n’roll relationship, it’s a trap a lot of guys fall into. "As long as we’re true to the chemistry and the music in ourselves," Carey says, "I don’t think we can go wrong."
Posted to t.d.n: 12/12/01 20:08:04