To date, the band has released five studio albums, one EP and one box set. They emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up album Ænima in 1996. Their efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006), gaining critical acclaim and international commercial success. Their fifth studio album, Fear Inoculum, was released on August 30, 2019, to widespread critical acclaim. Prior to its release, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone.
Due to Tool's incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band is generally described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock. The relationship between the band and today's music industry is ambivalent, at times marked by censorship, and the band's insistence on privacy.
There is a raging debate about whether Tool can be considered "post-metal" or not. However, they surely had a hand in its creation as much as Neurosis. The influential act Isis was heavily influenced by Tool's music, so much that they lifted entire basslines and guitar riffing from Tool and even their iconic snare sound was inspired by Tool's style. Much has been made of both Isis and Tool's sound and influence across the years but one thing is sure, modern post-metal has their fingerprints everywhere and it would not have sounded this way without them. Additionally, Tool actually was aware of and liked Isis' music as they chose Isis as touring partners, a move that brought even more attention to Isis' music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_(band)
Studio albums
Undertow (1993)
Ænima (1996)
Lateralus (2001)
10,000 Days (2006)
Fear Inoculum (2019)
Descending
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This epilogue of our own fable
Heedless in our slumber
Floating nescient we
Free fall through this boundlessness
This madness
Of our own making
Floating isn't infinite
Come, our end, suddenly
All hail our lethargy
Concede suddenly
To the quickened dissolution
Pray we mitigate the ruin
Calling all to arms and order
Drifting through this boundlessness
This madness of our own making
Sound our dire reveille
Rouse all from our apathy
Lest we
Cease to be
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
Sound the dread alarm
Through our primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
The lyrics of Tool's song Descending describe a sense of impending doom and a call to action. The metaphor of free falling through boundlessness is used as a representation of the chaos and madness of the world we have created for ourselves. The lyrics are a warning of the consequences of our inaction and lethargy, urging us to come together and take action before it's too late. The call to arms and order is a plea for us to wake up from our apathy and take responsibility for the state of our world.
The repetition of the phrase "mitigate our ruin" emphasizes the idea that the consequences of our actions are not set in stone and can still be altered if we take action. The lyrics suggest that our fate is not predetermined, and we still have agency in determining the outcome of our situation. The mention of the "dread alarm" and "reveille" are references to military signals for waking and alerting soldiers, further emphasizing the call to action and urgency in the lyrics.
Overall, the lyrics of Descending are a warning against the dangers of complacency and inaction in the face of chaos and destruction. They urge us to wake up, take responsibility, and work together to mitigate the damage we have caused.
Line by Line Meaning
Free fall through our midnight
We are descending into darkness, a time of uncertainty and confusion.
This epilogue of our own fable
This is the ending of a story we have written ourselves.
Heedless in our slumber
We are unaware of the danger we are in, asleep to the impending doom.
Floating nescient we
We are ignorant and unaware, drifting aimlessly.
Free fall through this boundlessness
We are falling without direction, lost in the vastness of the unknown.
This madness
The chaos we find ourselves in.
Of our own making
A result of our own actions and choices.
Falling isn't flying
We are not in control of our descent, we are not soaring but plummeting.
Floating isn't infinite
Drifting without purpose or direction is not a sustainable way of life.
Come, our end, suddenly
Our ultimate fate will arrive unexpectedly and without warning.
All hail our lethargy
We are lazy and inactive, contributing to our own downfall.
Concede suddenly
We must accept the reality of our situation quickly.
To the quickened dissolution
The rapid disintegration and deterioration of our world.
Pray we mitigate the ruin
We must hope to lessen the damage and destruction that is coming.
Calling all to arms and order
We must come together and take action to prevent our demise.
Drifting through this boundlessness
We are lost in a vast and uncertain world.
Sound our dire reveille
We need a wake-up call of urgency and desperation.
Rouse all from our apathy
We must shake off our indifference and take action.
Lest we
Otherwise, if we do not act.
Cease to be
We will face total annihilation.
Stir us from our
Wake us up from our
Wanton slumber
Idle and unproductive sleep.
Call us all to arms and order
We must come together and act in a coordinated and purposeful manner.
Sound the dread alarm
We need to be warned of the impending danger.
Through our primal body
From the depths of our being, on an instinctual level.
To be or not to be
The ultimate question of survival or extinction.
Rise
We must stand up and take action.
Stay the grand finale
We can still avoid the catastrophic ending.
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
We can still change the ending of our story.
One drive to stay alive
We have one goal: survival.
It's elementary
It's simple and straightforward.
Muster every fiber
We must use all of our strength and resources.
Mobilize
We must take immediate action.
Stir us from our
Wake us up from our
Wanton slumber
Idle and unproductive sleep.
Mitigate our ruin
Lessen the harm caused by our impending destruction.
Call us all to arms and order
We must come together and act in a coordinated and purposeful manner.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Justin Chancellor, Maynard Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saeedsedigh443
Lyrics:
Free fall through our midnight
This epilogue of our own fable
Heedless in our slumber
Floating nescient we
Free fall through this boundlessness
This madness
Of our own making
Falling isn't flying
Floating isn't infinite
Come, our end, suddenly
All hail our lethargy
Concede suddenly
To the quickened dissolution
Pray we mitigate the ruin
Calling all to arms and order
Drifting through this boundlessness
This madness of our own making
Sound our dire reveille
Rouse all from our apathy
Lest we
Cease to be
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
Sound the dread alarm
Through our primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
@liljfk9314
5:53 this is my favorite TOOL verse ever.
Sound the dread alarm
Through our primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
RISE
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
@sanssin344
LYRICS:
[Verse 1]
Free fall through our midnight
This epilogue of our own fable
Heedless in our slumber
Floating nescient, we
[Verse 2]
Free fall through this boundlessness
This madness of our own making
Falling isn't flying
Floating isn't infinite
[Pre-Chorus]
Come, our end, suddenly
All hail our lethargy
Concede suddenly
[Interlude]
To the quickened dissolution
Pray we mitigate the ruin
Calling all to arms and order
[Verse 3]
Drifting through this boundlessness
This madness of our own making
[Pre-Chorus]
Sound our dire reveille
Rouse all from our apathy
Lest we
Cease to be
[Chorus]
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
[Bridge]
Sound the dread alarm
Through the primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
Elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
[Chorus]
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order
@TheChrusher22
That's the master piece from an unbelievable band that line makes me goosebumps
Sound the dread alarm
Through our primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
@CanadianPrepper
This is the anthem of 2020 and were only half way through the song.
@kevinmock5942
Stay alive
@balkannomad3372
THIS. You nailed it.
@AndresON777
@Balkan Nomad the end is nigh
@r3con760
I'm waiting for the awesome instrumental half to kick in.
@brianwhitney5441
I think fear inoculum is presiant. Who knew what was coming down the street for everyone
@wildhog4251
This album helped me find strength. It really did. Depression sucks, suicidal thoughts suck, but whathever happens I will NOT die on my knees. I will fight this battle for as long as I can, I will be brave and I will not surrender. I will not give up, because that's the path I've chosen and my fear will not lead me astray.
@ArielScync
This album was basically both my sword and my shield through some of the hardest times of my life.
@joeyfrontz7176
Well put,keep going!
@johntamm2451
No truer words spoken, Brother/sister.
It's an on going battle. It's okay to get tired and take a rest. But there comes a time when you have to dig yourself out of the hell you're in, and scream violently defiant, and tell all of it that you will NOT BACK DOWN. You REFUSE to accept the shit surrounding you. Get the fuck up, Dust yourself off. If you need to break shit that no longer serves you, then just fucking do it.
Get mad.
Break those god damned chains. Spread those scorched wings, and keep screaming, until your focused. By then, you'll have the attention and fear you need. Now breathe again.
Fight your ass off. You got this, my dude.