Tool tears into town to hammer out a night of melodic metal mayhem for the musical Michiganders of Motown.
Music fans of Metropolitan Detroit have arrived early to the massive Little Caesar’s Arena in deluxe anticipation for tonight’s event. Braving long lines, arctic winds and the onset of another wicked Michigan winter…these fans are Tool fans: pure at heart, loyal to their cause, thousands upon thousands deep, and wrapped intricately around the giant icy venue. For many a Tool fan, November 9th of 2019 started in the early a.m. hours, as many trekked across state lines to commute to this grandiose musical memory within the famed Metropolitan inner city, all for a powerful and motivational cause… not only to spend a night with the almighty TOOL, but to celebrate a live performance of the band’s latest studio material, from their new album Fear Inoculum. This would be the band’s fifth studio album, released by Volcano Entertainment and RCA Records and is also the first “fresh” material from Tool in over thirteen very long years. The masses in attendance know this, and just like fresh blood to shark-infested waters, these frenzied fans are here to feed. Tool has brought them a serving size that is nearly two hours in length, and over a dozen legendary tracks deep, spanning their 30-year career.
8:30pm sharp, and the massive arena has come to life with a powerful energy of pre-show hysteria. A mysterious curtain, similar to a 1970s lampshade fringe, hangs about the stage and ever-so-slightly cloaking the clear view of the place setting. 8:45pm and the jumbo-tronic monitors come to life, displaying artistic images evidentiary to the arrival of team Tool. The phantom silhouettes of the iconic band members can be seen sliding across the ginormous stage, taking up their prospective positions for the evenings event. Stage lights ignite, the band engages, and the night is underway as the album-titled track “Fear Inoculum” bowls over the droves of electrified fans. It is now that we catch a glimpse of our frontman, our visionary, and cult leader for the night – Mr. Maynard James Keenan.
Perched in a manner similar to an apex predator above the deepest and darkest jungles of musical Motown, he is garbed in a most becoming, post-apocalyptic ensemble, complete with matching warpaint and sporting his notorious spiked mohawk. Lurking in the darkness, Keenan crouches down to assess the crowd.
The band rips into “AEnema,” and guitarist Adams Jones steps forward, blasting a gritty, crunchy tone that is sharp enough to bite an ear off. “The Pot” comes next, followed by the one/two combo of “Parabol” and “Parabola,” and this crowd is mesmerized by the swirling sounds and pragmatic pounding of their eardrums. The new track “Pneuma” is rolled out next and is very well received judging by crowd response. An explosive evening highlight sends a concussive blast through the screaming fans as the notorious bass lines of “Schism” reverberate throughout the arena. Justin Chancellor’s BIG bass lines are tight and engaging as the thunderous one, drummer “Dangerous” Danny Carey pounds out the back-beat with the authority of a Norse demi-god! This crowd is ecstatic, and the band reciprocates by indulging in an extended version of this classic. The charisma and power of frontman Keenan are best described as hypnotically mystical, as he engages his frontline fans with the presence of a mighty Sith-Lord super villain.
The music plays on with “Jambi,” “Merkaba,” “Vicarious,” and an absolute slicing version of the powerful tune “Forty Six & 2.” The band ruses an abrupt ending to the gala, allowing a moment of suspense to hang before calling the bold bluff. The band returns to deliver “Chocolate Chip Trip,” (with a bonus spotlight of Carey beating the skins to death,) then “Invincible,” and closes the night on a most memorable performance of the banger “Stinkfist,” during which Maynard called off the security protocall and allowed the fans cellphone usage for the end of the night.
Tool comes as a recommended, energetic and powerful concert experience. They do not, and will not, disappoint your highest of concert expectations, supported with fantastic new material and legendary tunes of music history. You can catch them on tour now! Band news, tour dates and details can be found at the band’s official website.
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