The very first book about the Anglo-American metal band Tool explores not only their uncompromising music but also their unsettling, self-made image based on mythological symbols and arcane theories. Now available in paperback. The quartet of master musicians - Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones - emerged from the club scene in Los Angeles in 1990 alongside their friends Rage Against the Machine, grabbing the concept of heavy music and then completely redefining it. With a sixties-style ...
Read More
The very first book about the Anglo-American metal band Tool explores not only their uncompromising music but also their unsettling, self-made image based on mythological symbols and arcane theories. Now available in paperback. The quartet of master musicians - Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones - emerged from the club scene in Los Angeles in 1990 alongside their friends Rage Against the Machine, grabbing the concept of heavy music and then completely redefining it. With a sixties-style commitment to art and agit-prop, they have now attained a level of artistic complexity and depth which makes their enduring success a miracle in today's culture of bland, corporate entertainment.They have received three Grammy awards and their rise to glory has been one of the stranger rock tales of our time. Joel McIver leaves no detail omitted as he delves into the mystery behind Tool's music.
Read Less
Add this copy of Unleashed: The Story of Tool to cart. $15.29, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2012 by Omnibus Press.
Add this copy of Unleashed: the Story of Tool to cart. $24.36, new condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2012 by Omnibus Press.
Add this copy of Unleashed: the Story of Tool (Omnibus Press Presents) to cart. $41.59, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Omnibus Press.
Add this copy of Unleashed: the Story of Tool (Omnibus Press Presents) to cart. $72.72, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Omnibus Press.
As Tool's popularity as an outfit continues to grow, McIver offers the first serious treatment of the band's impressive trajectory. Readers will undoubtedly come to the text wanting some insight into the now trademark mystique of Keenan and Co., and "Unleashed" certainly delivers on some fronts. However, by virtue of his practice taking manuscripts to press at an almost frantic pace (McIver himself boasts on his blog of having published his 16th rock after a span of only a decade), McIver prints a few howling errors in this book that either he or his fact checker (if he even has one) really should have caught. For example, the, a Brit, confuses the outcomes of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, thus compromising a good deal of his credibility when making connections between the band's political allusions and the modern American political landscape.
Aside from these errata, the book reads smoothly, a tribute to McIver's ability as a wordsmith. It is also replete with quotations, always a helpful complement in the struggle to understand better the motivations of bands that, overall, tend to eschew the limelight.
It is hard these days for band to receive genuine praise for more than simply offering up clever (and lucrative) hits, at least those in the mainstream. And Tool, while surely there are some who would contest the point, are very much in the mainstream now. But, Tool has always asked their fan base for a more substantial commitment to what they are serving up, and it is for this reason that one can feel comfortable about taking them seriously as artists. Of course, many of these importunities are to be found on the albums themselves. However, "Unleashed" make a fine addition to the dedicated fan who sometimes appreciates having things explored for him/her in a little more detail.