It's the end of the year, and as people gather to analyze whether 2019 was one for the charts, Tool fans can rest easy knowing that their 13-year thirst was finally quenched as the rock icons made this year one for the fans.
The ever enigmatic band has come out of the shadows and had an insane year with the release of their first studio album in 13 years and kicking off an epic tour to show fans, and the world, that Tool is here to stay. With a year (and album) that broke the charts, it is safe to say that Tool is on a roll, and 2020 will bring more head-banging energy for Tool die-hards to revel in. But first, let's take a look back and see all that Tool has done this year to make it one to remember.
A New Album?
It was late in 2018, when Tool lead singer Maynard Keenan hinted that the highly anticipated new album was in the works, news that Tool fans were latching onto since rumors were circling about a possible album back in 2017. The band hadn't released an album since 2006's 10,000 Days, so this news, which Keenan released in a Twitter post was enough to get the hype started. See the original tweet below!
Talk of a new album wasn't extraordinary at first, with Keenan mentioning that the band was taking time to ensure the album was as representative of the band as a whole and guitarist Adam Jones echoing that "If it's worth having, it is worth suffering for."
Nevertheless, the band also announced a summer European 2019 tour, leading eagle-eyed fans to dissect that the album was looking at a summer 2019 release as well.
First Live Debut in 13 Years!
Early in 2019, Tool announced that they would be following their headlining gig at the Welcome to Rockville Festival on May 7th with a North American tour, in addition to the summer Euro tour they had previously announced, thrilling Tool fans everywhere.
Tool would be on a headlining tour for the first time since 2016, but they were still keeping details about the new album under wraps, creating further excitement for what to expect.
At Welcome to Rockville, the band gave audiences a taste of the first new music in 13 years, live-debuting two songs, "Descending" and "Invincible" off of the new album, which they still hadn't named or released a date for. Nevertheless, the hype was real, check out the exclusive performance below!
The band also kicked off their tour shortly afterward, with a 13-song setlist full of nostalgic Tool hits from "Intolerance" to "Schism," as well as appearances of the two new songs played previously. Check out the setlist from their tour kickoff!
Streaming is the Way to Go
Prior to the long-awaited release of their new album, Tool released their ENTIRE catalog onto the streaming services in early August, giving fans unprecedented access to any and all Tool records from Ænima to Lateralus, and putting Tool back on the charts, topping iTunes and putting album Ænima at the top of the Billboard Charts and making history doing so according to Metal Injection,
" Tool is now the first band ever to occupy all 10 of the Top 10 spots of Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart. "
Following this success, the band released the title track of their album, titled "Fear Inoculum" which became the longest song on the Top 100 charts at 10 minutes and 21 seconds.
An Album is Born!
On August 30th, a day Tool fans will remember fondly, the band released their entire album titled Fear Inoculum on all services, shattering record sales almost immediately, debuting at #1. With much of Billboard's charts reserved for pop nowadays, Tool's release at #1 was an incredible feat for fans of rock n' roll everywhere. According to Billboard, Tool's status as #1 was the biggest opening for a rock album in almost a year!
The band followed this success with their entire album taking all the spots on the 'Hot Rock Songs' chart. It is safe to say that Tool fans are dedicated as they quickly bought, streamed, and played as much of the album as possible to give the band the record-shattering numbers they deserved. It goes to show that Tool never really went anywhere!
Aftershock and Fall Tour!
The same day that the band released Fear Inoculum, they announced a fall tour to celebrate the album, hitting spots across North America to spread the record-breaking music they worked so hard to make.
Before that, the band made a headlining appearance at Aftershock Festival, where they live-debuted many of the songs from Fear Inoculum, take a look below!
The band kicked off their tour in Denver, performing four songs off of Fear as well as songs from their other four albums, giving fans the old and the new. Check out the 14-song setlist below!
The tour is still ongoing, having expanded into 2020, with the band hitting spots in San Diego, New Orleans, and more!
2020 And Beyond
It is safe to say that 2019 was Tool's year. What started with rumors and uncertainty about the impending album proved to be all worth it, as Tool broke charts and shattered records that bands could never accomplish, let alone with a 13-year absence!
Tool recently announced that they are releasing a book edition of Fear Inoculum titled Fear Inoculum-Expanded Book Edition, describing it as including:
" Five 3D lenticular cards featuring exclusive graphics, 56-page booklet with additional art and an access card to download the groundbreaking immersive visual experience, “Recusant Ad Infinitum.”
With a release date set for December 13, make sure to cop one of these extended versions as a perfect holiday present for the Tool die-hard you know and keep a look out for Tool's ongoing tour, dates below!
January 10 2020 VIEJAS ARENA SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
January 12 2020 VIEJAS ARENA SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
January 13 2020 VIEJAS ARENA SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
January 15 2020 SAVE MART CENTER FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
January 17 2020 T-MOBILE ARENA LAS VEGAS, US
January 18 2020 GILA RIVER ARENA GLENDALE, AZ
January 21 2020 FRANK IRWIN CENTER AUSTIN, US
January 22 2020 AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA DALLAS, TEXAS
January 28 2020 STATE FARM ARENA ATLANTA, GA
January 29 2020 BRIDGESTONE ARENA NASHVILLE, TN
January 31 2020 FEDEX FORUM MEMPHIS, TN
February 01 2020 SMOOTHIE KING CENTER NEW ORLEANS, LA
