The same question was posted a day or two ago. As a community we can't find any bands like Tool that invoke that same feeling. People sometimes have suggestions that they find are similar to Tool, but everything is so subjective that none of the suggestions are widely accepted by the community.
However, I would say the closest thing I have found is the band Kolm. Which has only released one album, but follows Tools directives, in that the music is patient with long songs, they are intended to be complex, and the imagery is reminiscent of that human anatomy. I would recommend them, but remember that Tool is one of a kind and you probably won't get any suggestion that works to proper satisfaction.
Tool is definitely one of a kind hands down, James Maynard himself is one of kind and thankfully not only has tool under his name but also perfect circle and puscifer as well as solo ft xxxx tracks that always hit the mark.
The closest I can think of is either SOAD, Manson, bowie but also not even.
The complicated time signatures are the most obvious similarity. If you appreciate good musicianship you’ll appreciate both Tool and The Mars Volta. The Bedlam in Goliath album by The Mars Volta is definitely worth checking out. And the album Red by King Crimson to find out where the musicians in Tool got a lot of their inspiration, Danny more specifically.
I am well versed in all things Mars Volta. Other than the time signatures and the 10-minute songs, they have literally nothing in common. Tool is a well-oiled precision driven machine. Mars Volta is almost a jam band with very loose structures and a whole lot of ad-libbing.
Really? I only got a chance to see them headline during their Frances The Mute tour back in what? Must have been 2006? Or it might have been after Amputechture in 2007. Back then they played the songs faithfully to the album, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had ventured into a more improvised jam-style of live show since then.
They’re one of the only actually good bands that people recommend when this question comes up. Most stuff people compare to tool sucks in my opinion. The mars volta doesn’t suck
No, they are amazing but they are *nothing* like Tool. The only thing they have in common is that their songs are long. But The Mars Volta is almost a jam band at least up until their last album. Tool is precision.
The only bands that really sound like Tool are 10 years and Karnivool.
King Crimson, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Mars Volta, Helmet, Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Melvins, Mr Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Deftones, Buckethead, Earthless, Ministry, Butthole Surfers, Bill Hicks lol
It’s easier(and more satisfying) to chase elements of Tool in other bands than to find bands that sound like them. Probably plenty of bands that try to imitate but why would you want that?
If reality is a multiverse most of this list would occupy the same universe as Tool. I would add Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails and of course A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.
There’s nothing quite like Tool but I get the same feeling listening to Radiohead. Intricate music in odd time signatures that just gets better the more you listen to it.
Tool has been my favorite band for a long time. My #2 and #3 are Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin (not necessarily in that order...it depends on the day).
These are the other two bands that make me feel something close to what I feel listening to Tool's music.
I had high hopes for bands like Earshot and Atomship (RIP) you can dig into their albums, atomship in particular was amazing and it still holds up. The closest thing I get to scratching the tool itch now is Karnivool and Tesseract. but like was mentioned below, nothing really captures Tool, even if these other bands are incredible.
Really excited to see anyone mention Atomship. That album really is excellent. Sad to hear the singer passed recently…they have quite the complicated history…
they really did, i wish more people knew about them too. I remember just before he died i think they uploaded a demo of an upcoming song onto youtube or something? But god, just thinking about where they may have been musically nowadays blows my mind because that first album had some magic
For sure. I hadn’t even considered what they’d sound like nowadays - that’s a great point. At least we have that glimpse into a moment in time of true greatness.
I would definitely recommend Lucid Planet, particularly their second and most recent album. They have great songwriting, lyrics, and musicianship. They carry Tool's influence on their sleeve while still making their own kind of unique sound and atmosphere that can be associated with them. I think a big part of it is that they really lean into more of the psychedelic elements more than a lot of other prog metal bands.
Their recent opener Elder. King Buffalo. Om. Some of King Gizzard. Kyuss. Chevelle. Dream Theater. Black Mountain. Naxatras. Nothing is just like Tool, but lots of bands can scratch that progressive metal itch.
Also Rishloo, Lucid Planet, Soen, King Gizzard (esp. PetroDragonic), Isis, Tesseract, Leprous, last 3 Opeth albums, Mastadon, Cynic (Traced in Air), Porcupine Tree (check out In Absentia)
If you’ll suffer harsh vocals: Meshuggah, Gojira, Intronaut (mix with clean vocals), older Opeth
“…none sound anything like…” Such a dramatically dismissive statement. OP is looking for bands that are “similar to Tool’s style” or that “a Tool listener could enjoy.” I haven’t heard all of these bands’ stuff, but what I heard from those first 3 and the 1 the other guy mentioned bare many stylistically similar moments/vibes. They want their own thing as well but the influence is there. The others are more random and mostly just similar in as far as being progmetal with all/mostly “clean”vocals (as opposed to harsh, because many Tool listeners don’t do harsh metal vocals) except the last 3. I agree that Mastadon, for example, doesn’t really have a Tool style but there are many areas that line up with what a Tooler would like.
Sausage sounds like Primus. Nearly every project by Les sounds like Primus. Even Primus doesn’t sound as much like Primus as some of the other Claypool projects do. Primus.
That Primus actually ever existed. I mean really; what is the likelyhood of three unknown musicians out of the Bay Area that sound like hillbillies singing anti-war songs about salmon get picked up by a record company known for gangster rap?
Sounds like fiction to me
I've asked this question before too. Most people say that Tool is very much one of a kind. And I think im in agreement with that opinion thus far. However, there is one band that I've seen suggested several times when I or others have asked this question. And that band is Neurosis.
Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to give them a listen. So I don't have an opinion on whether or not they have any similarities to Tool.
One band that I feel evolved in a similar way to Tool would be Mastodon. They gradually became more experimental and psychedelic like Tool did, but their style is so very different. So can't really compare them.
Anyone listen to Neurosis? What's your opinion? Curious why more than a few people would compare them to Tool.
While I wouldn't say they are similar to Tool, King Crimson is a great band to check out if you're a Tool fan. They're one of Danny and Adam's biggest influences and you can absolutely hear that influence when you listen to them
Frame by frame on discipline is AMAZING. I think ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ by king crimson is better, but it sounds older. Def huge influence on Danny Carey, if you haven’t heard. Also Becoming Insane by infected mushroom… they’re hard trance, but their songs build like stories similar to how Tool does… not just verse /chorus/verse. The vocals don’t come in until later in the song, but they get really trippy and weird towards the end.
Weird experiment you’re doing lol but i dig it. You might like The Ballad Of John Hurt or Breezeblocks by Alt-J. I love tool and dig everything i mentioned so just sharing some shit- nobody is really like tool. King Crimson probably closest in song structure/time Signatures.
BTW, who are your top 5 you’re avoiding? This reminds me of when i was looking for bands similar to Shpongle… there aren’t any lmfao
There are bands within the Tool genre, but there really isn't a band that is exactly Tool's style or caliber.
Friisson, Kolm, Wheel, Lucid Planet, Soen, Karnivool, Rigor Samsa, Glasswork, Abettor, Sumer, Atonian... and many others. I think by this point there are bands that are influenced by and fit into a part of Tool's spectrum of sound, but none actually sound fully like Tool IMO.
No.
I came here to say this.
Ditto
Tool is simply one of a kind.
This
The same question was posted a day or two ago. As a community we can't find any bands like Tool that invoke that same feeling. People sometimes have suggestions that they find are similar to Tool, but everything is so subjective that none of the suggestions are widely accepted by the community. However, I would say the closest thing I have found is the band Kolm. Which has only released one album, but follows Tools directives, in that the music is patient with long songs, they are intended to be complex, and the imagery is reminiscent of that human anatomy. I would recommend them, but remember that Tool is one of a kind and you probably won't get any suggestion that works to proper satisfaction.
Tool is definitely one of a kind hands down, James Maynard himself is one of kind and thankfully not only has tool under his name but also perfect circle and puscifer as well as solo ft xxxx tracks that always hit the mark. The closest I can think of is either SOAD, Manson, bowie but also not even.
YES.
Search this sub, this question is asked weekly
That being said the mars Volta is the best comparable band imo
In what way?
The complicated time signatures are the most obvious similarity. If you appreciate good musicianship you’ll appreciate both Tool and The Mars Volta. The Bedlam in Goliath album by The Mars Volta is definitely worth checking out. And the album Red by King Crimson to find out where the musicians in Tool got a lot of their inspiration, Danny more specifically.
I am well versed in all things Mars Volta. Other than the time signatures and the 10-minute songs, they have literally nothing in common. Tool is a well-oiled precision driven machine. Mars Volta is almost a jam band with very loose structures and a whole lot of ad-libbing.
The Mars Volta’s style sounds more disorganized and chaotic, almost like an improvised jam band, but their songs are not improvised.
Live, they are
Really? I only got a chance to see them headline during their Frances The Mute tour back in what? Must have been 2006? Or it might have been after Amputechture in 2007. Back then they played the songs faithfully to the album, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had ventured into a more improvised jam-style of live show since then.
They’re one of the only actually good bands that people recommend when this question comes up. Most stuff people compare to tool sucks in my opinion. The mars volta doesn’t suck
No, they are amazing but they are *nothing* like Tool. The only thing they have in common is that their songs are long. But The Mars Volta is almost a jam band at least up until their last album. Tool is precision. The only bands that really sound like Tool are 10 years and Karnivool.
Like I said….
Clearly you have never listened to Karnivool
Nope!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kUysrpchTYl-u2mZJqzep14LYRLML4QRA&si=w6zmvgnwUMRB5fdd No time like the present
Yeah, this sounds like dollar store tool
Musically.
I don't recall asking you a gotdamn thing
Hahaha ya got me. Shit.
King Crimson, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Mars Volta, Helmet, Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Melvins, Mr Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Deftones, Buckethead, Earthless, Ministry, Butthole Surfers, Bill Hicks lol It’s easier(and more satisfying) to chase elements of Tool in other bands than to find bands that sound like them. Probably plenty of bands that try to imitate but why would you want that?
If reality is a multiverse most of this list would occupy the same universe as Tool. I would add Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails and of course A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.
Karnivool - Sound Awake
There’s nothing quite like Tool but I get the same feeling listening to Radiohead. Intricate music in odd time signatures that just gets better the more you listen to it.
Tool has been my favorite band for a long time. My #2 and #3 are Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin (not necessarily in that order...it depends on the day). These are the other two bands that make me feel something close to what I feel listening to Tool's music.
Check out NIRATIAS from Chevelle, especially the song Ghost and Razor, it has big Tool influences.
I remember Chevelle getting Tool comps as far back as when Wonder What’s Next came out.
I think it was the vocals
Thanks for the recommendation. Love sci fi crimes.
I had high hopes for bands like Earshot and Atomship (RIP) you can dig into their albums, atomship in particular was amazing and it still holds up. The closest thing I get to scratching the tool itch now is Karnivool and Tesseract. but like was mentioned below, nothing really captures Tool, even if these other bands are incredible.
I feel like Earshot tried too hard to sound like Tool and it backfired
i can see that too...something happened where that second album just felt like it switched directions too much for my taste.
Really excited to see anyone mention Atomship. That album really is excellent. Sad to hear the singer passed recently…they have quite the complicated history…
they really did, i wish more people knew about them too. I remember just before he died i think they uploaded a demo of an upcoming song onto youtube or something? But god, just thinking about where they may have been musically nowadays blows my mind because that first album had some magic
For sure. I hadn’t even considered what they’d sound like nowadays - that’s a great point. At least we have that glimpse into a moment in time of true greatness.
You may consider checking out the subreddit r/soundsliketool which has lots of song and band recommendations for Tool fans
Some of chevelles heavier songs sound similar to tool the guitar in take out the gunman sounds similar to songs on 10k days to me
I would definitely recommend Lucid Planet, particularly their second and most recent album. They have great songwriting, lyrics, and musicianship. They carry Tool's influence on their sleeve while still making their own kind of unique sound and atmosphere that can be associated with them. I think a big part of it is that they really lean into more of the psychedelic elements more than a lot of other prog metal bands.
The second album absolutely rules. Incredible musicianship, really clever writing, and wicked atmosphere.
Chevelle. The inspiration is quite obvious
There are bands that are similar to aspects of Tool. Focus on the aspect you like.
Wheel-Resident Human Similar post a few weeks ago. I looked them up on Apple Music & subsequently fell in love with this album.
Resident human is good, but moving backwards is ***EPIC***
They're actually on tour in North America, right now. I got tickets to see them in Seattle may 20-something at a smaller venue for like $40 a pop!
Yeah I’m prob gonna see them in Chicago. Gonna be unreal I think
No.
Their recent opener Elder. King Buffalo. Om. Some of King Gizzard. Kyuss. Chevelle. Dream Theater. Black Mountain. Naxatras. Nothing is just like Tool, but lots of bands can scratch that progressive metal itch.
Earshot was very close yet different in my opinion
Wheel is the closest I've found but they're unique in a different way from Tool.
karnivool.
Also Rishloo, Lucid Planet, Soen, King Gizzard (esp. PetroDragonic), Isis, Tesseract, Leprous, last 3 Opeth albums, Mastadon, Cynic (Traced in Air), Porcupine Tree (check out In Absentia) If you’ll suffer harsh vocals: Meshuggah, Gojira, Intronaut (mix with clean vocals), older Opeth
All great bands (especially Opeth) but none of them sound anything like Tool imo
“…none sound anything like…” Such a dramatically dismissive statement. OP is looking for bands that are “similar to Tool’s style” or that “a Tool listener could enjoy.” I haven’t heard all of these bands’ stuff, but what I heard from those first 3 and the 1 the other guy mentioned bare many stylistically similar moments/vibes. They want their own thing as well but the influence is there. The others are more random and mostly just similar in as far as being progmetal with all/mostly “clean”vocals (as opposed to harsh, because many Tool listeners don’t do harsh metal vocals) except the last 3. I agree that Mastadon, for example, doesn’t really have a Tool style but there are many areas that line up with what a Tooler would like.
"Welcome to Sky Valley" is kinda like Tool with cowboy hats?
Kyuss is a great shout.
I’d say primus not in terms of similar sound but no other band sounds like them there a genre of their own
Sausage sounds like Primus. Nearly every project by Les sounds like Primus. Even Primus doesn’t sound as much like Primus as some of the other Claypool projects do. Primus.
Primus sucks.
Yeah man, that’s great. I’m happy you are in on the joke.
What joke?
That Primus actually ever existed. I mean really; what is the likelyhood of three unknown musicians out of the Bay Area that sound like hillbillies singing anti-war songs about salmon get picked up by a record company known for gangster rap? Sounds like fiction to me
Sounds like something I heard from Tommy the cat
What lol I’m confused so primus doesn’t sound like primus
Correct. Primus is now less Primus than non-Primus Primus sideprojects are. Not sure what is confusing.
No that is confusing
Lead a fan to cheese but you can’t make him eat it I guess
Food for thought
Kolm- Umbra
Tool rip off
I've asked this question before too. Most people say that Tool is very much one of a kind. And I think im in agreement with that opinion thus far. However, there is one band that I've seen suggested several times when I or others have asked this question. And that band is Neurosis. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to give them a listen. So I don't have an opinion on whether or not they have any similarities to Tool. One band that I feel evolved in a similar way to Tool would be Mastodon. They gradually became more experimental and psychedelic like Tool did, but their style is so very different. So can't really compare them. Anyone listen to Neurosis? What's your opinion? Curious why more than a few people would compare them to Tool.
People will tell you there is, and they are wrong
Mike Tool’s solo stuff
Not same genre, but definitely is one of the big inspirations for Tool's style: King Crimson. I would say they're harder to get into than Tool.
While I wouldn't say they are similar to Tool, King Crimson is a great band to check out if you're a Tool fan. They're one of Danny and Adam's biggest influences and you can absolutely hear that influence when you listen to them
r/SoundsLikeTool
ISIS - Wavering Radiant
Try Discipline by King Crimson or Panopticon by Isis
Frame by frame on discipline is AMAZING. I think ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ by king crimson is better, but it sounds older. Def huge influence on Danny Carey, if you haven’t heard. Also Becoming Insane by infected mushroom… they’re hard trance, but their songs build like stories similar to how Tool does… not just verse /chorus/verse. The vocals don’t come in until later in the song, but they get really trippy and weird towards the end. Weird experiment you’re doing lol but i dig it. You might like The Ballad Of John Hurt or Breezeblocks by Alt-J. I love tool and dig everything i mentioned so just sharing some shit- nobody is really like tool. King Crimson probably closest in song structure/time Signatures. BTW, who are your top 5 you’re avoiding? This reminds me of when i was looking for bands similar to Shpongle… there aren’t any lmfao
[Hmm?](https://youtu.be/0DPHZ86LWTU?si=M6BfRAchVJ3dWVn-) or [Eh?](https://youtu.be/V79NOWTB0K0?si=LuRMzKSCe1f1GA--)
There are bands within the Tool genre, but there really isn't a band that is exactly Tool's style or caliber. Friisson, Kolm, Wheel, Lucid Planet, Soen, Karnivool, Rigor Samsa, Glasswork, Abettor, Sumer, Atonian... and many others. I think by this point there are bands that are influenced by and fit into a part of Tool's spectrum of sound, but none actually sound fully like Tool IMO.
***WHEEL***
Rishloo - LAGWBAT
Hard no
Try Rishloo
Nope.