History YMMV / Tool

* SignatureSong: "Sober" was the band's biggest hit in the 90s and received lots of radio play. "Schism" may have overtaken it as their most popular song in the 2000s. Most fans cite "Lateralus" as their best song, though. To a lesser extent, "Ænema" and "Prison Sex".

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Pretty much their entire catalogue, although ''[=Æ=]nima'' and ''Lateralus'' are generally considered their best work.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: The kings of the trope; just look at the music videos or art work.

* FaceOfTheBand: Maynard James Keenan. On some tours he'll try to subvert the trope by performing at the back of the stage, silhouetted against a video screen.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: Alex Grey's iconic psychedelic album covers for ''Lateralus'' and ''10,000 Days'', as well as the art in the CD release of ''Fear Inoculum''.

* ItsPopularNowItSucks: When Tool made their first steps toward popularity, some fans reacted with typical outrage, causing an obviously angry Maynard Keenan to fire back with the song "Hooker with a Penis," in which he mocks a typical fan for having ever "bought in" to his music in the first place.
* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: Most of the criticism leveled at ''10,000 Days'' is that it's basically just a slightly heavier ''Lateralus'', offering very little that's different. For instance, the main riff to "Vicarious" is basically a [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong rewrite]] of a riff that appears near the end of "Schism."

* VindicatedByHistory: A minor example, but for the longest time Tool got lumped in with a bunch of bands they had nothing in common with. When they released ''Undertow'', critics tried to lump them in with {{Grunge}} or IndustrialMetal. When they released ''[=Æ=]nima'', critics tried to lump them in with NuMetal bands like {{Music/Korn}} or Music/LimpBizkit (which severely irritated Maynard, as he loathed both bands). ''Lateralus'' seemed to finally set everyone straight, making it absolutely clear Tool was their own thing.

* VindicatedByHistory: A minor example, but for the longest time Tool got lumped in with a bunch of bands they had nothing in common with. When they released ''Undertow'', critics tried to lump them in with {{Grunge}} or IndustrialMetal. When they released ''[=Æ=]nima'', critics tried to lump them in with NuMetal bands like {{Music/Korn}} or Music/LimpBizkit (which severely irritated Keenan, as he loathed both bands). ''Lateralus'' seemed to finally set everyone straight, making it absolutely clear Tool was their own thing.

* ParanoiaFuel: "Faaip de Oaid".

* SignatureSong: "Sober" was the band's biggest hit in the 90s and received lots of radio play. "Schism" may have overtaken it as their most popular song in the 2000s. Most fans cite "Lateralus" as their best song, though.

* GeniusBonus: Do you happen to be a kabbalah scholar, UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories nut, musician, possess degrees in psychology and mathematics, and have a passing familiarity with drug culture? All at the same time? At this point you may, unaided, begin to understand just how many, ''many'' obscure references and in-jokes Tool loads their music and lyrics with. Being genuinely insane may or may not also help.

** "Wings for Marie/10,000 Days," seeing that it's an emotional tribute to Maynard's mother from Maynard himself. Can also count as a SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoment as the lyrics are about how Maynard's mother should be allowed in Heaven if she's kept her faith for twenty-seven years of suffering.[[RageAgainstTheHeavens GIVE ME MY, GIVE ME MY,]]'' '''''[[RageAgainstTheHeavens GIVE ME MY WINGS!!!!]]'''''

* SelfParody: "Lost Keys (Blame Hoffmann)"/"Rosetta Stoned" feels like this in relation to "Third Eye". In the latter song from ''[=Æ=]nima'' (1996), the protagonist tries to forcibly induce a spiritual awakening, implied to be done through psychedelic drugs. In the former track(s) from ''10,000 Days'' (2006), the protagonist is an eccentric man dropped off at a hospital who recounts his experience of making contact with aliens after taking DMT. Doubles as CreatorBacklash possibly due to a portion of the fanbase interpreting "Third Eye" as DrugsAreGood and equated LSD use to AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, when it can just as easily become CloudCuckoolander.

** “Right in Two”, a mournful song about a pair of angels watching [[HumansAreBastards humans]] go to war for stupid reasons, and wondering why God ever gave them free will.

* BrokenBase: ''10,000 Days'' has a bit of a polarizing opinion among the fanbase.

* {{Mondegreen}}: Given the lack of official lyrics and the at times distracting background sound, it's almost inevitable even for the lines that aren't completely indecipherable. Check three Tool fansites about how lyrics to any given song go, and you'll likely receive between two to five answers.

* MisattributedSong: For some reason, more than a few people think the theme song for ''VideoGame/{{Doom 3}}'' is by the band. It's a very understandable mistake, but it's actually by Tweaker.

** "Wings for Marie/10,000 Days," seeing that it's an emotional tribute to Maynard's mother from Maynard himself. Can also count as a SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoment as the lyrics are about how Maynard's mother should be allowed in Heaven if she's kept her faith for twenty-seven years of suffering.
--->''[[RageAgainstTheHeavens GIVE ME MY, GIVE ME MY,]]'' '''''[[RageAgainstTheHeavens GIVE ME MY WINGS!!!!]]'''''

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* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: Alex Grey's iconic psychedelic album covers for ''Lateralus'' and ''10,000 Days''.

* SelfParody: "Lost Keys (Blame Hoffmann)"/"Rosetta Stoned" feels like this in relation to "Third Eye". In the latter song from ''Ænima'' (1996), the protagonist tries to forcibly induce a spiritual awakening, implied to be done through psychedelic drugs. In the former track(s) from ''10,000 Days'' (2006), the protagonist is an eccentric man dropped off at a hospital who recounts his experience of making contact with aliens after taking DMT. Doubles as CreatorBacklash possibly due to a portion of the fanbase interpreting "Third Eye" as DrugsAreGood and equated LSD use to AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, when it can just as easily become CloudCuckoolander.

* ToughActToFollow: Among their music videos, it's actually the opposite of the songs; while they've done a lot of great videos over the years, the ones everyone remembers best are the two [[NightmareFuel/{{tool}} stop-motion nightmares]] of "Sober" and "Prison Sex" from their first album, ''Undertow.''

* ToughActToFollow: Among their music videos, it's actually the opposite of the songs; while they've done a lot of great videos over the years, the ones everyone remembers best are the two [[NightmareFuel/{{tool}} stop-motion nightmares]] of "Sober" and "Prison Sex" from their first album, ''Undetow.''

* SelfParody: "Lost Keys (Blame Hoffmann)"/"Rosetta Stoned" feels like this in relation to "Third Eye". In the latter song from ''Ænima'' (1996), the protagonist tries to forcibly induce a spiritual awakening, implied to be done through psychedelic drugs. In the former track(s) from ''10,000 Days'' (2006), the protagonist is an eccentric man dropped off at a hospital who recounts his experience of making contact with aliens after taking DMT. Doubles as CreatorBacklash possibly due to a portion of the fanbase interpreting "Third Eye" as DrugsAreGood and equated LSD use to AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, when it can just as easily become CloudCuckoolander.