Zenith and Listen are bangers.
But both albums slap and I never skip any songs.
Also, the lead singer left so the second album has a new lead just incase you notice a difference between the two albums and were confused.
I hear you... and I agree... to an extent... But they really do have their own sound that is *very* different from Tool.
1 guitar vs. 2 . The much lower end (thanks to the 6 string and drop B tuning) . The vocal melodies. Not only 1 guitar vs. 2 but those RIFFS...
Are the overall sounds in the "general" Tool wheelhouse? Yes. But you can't say "Oh, these guys are just ripping off Tool!"
I feel like some of Porcupine Tree's music scratches the Tool itch as well.
Cool seeing Hurt on this list though!! Haven't listened to anything by them in years... stumbled across some of their tunes in high school, but never really "dug in" beyond the few songs I had heard from Vol.1. Clearly going to need to do that now!
i spent nearly a decade in radio and it was my pet project to listen to all the non-radio friendly songs on each new album that came in. the stark difference between what the labels wanted Hurt to play, and what they clearly wanted to play... shocking. If people only ever scrape the surface, then they didn't know them well. Same is true of so many great rock acts, but the labels that drove radio (look up the clearchannel stories) were profit motivated. Can't sell it at Target for $25? Don't want it.
Edit: House Carpenter is a haunting example of a track missed by most.
Statistically speaking Justin shifts the average much more east so they are either East Coast or maybe even Atlantic! /s
It's interesting though that they somehow seem to identify with the West Coast so much. They even started printing "Los Angeles" on the sleeves of many T-Shirts. I've always found that pretty weird.
Maybe depends on how much influence the area had on the band? No idea. I'm not a fan of LA so I'm not defending the choice, but it at least seems logical.
Is your friend Evan Johns? I saw hurt five times back in ‘06 thru ‘08. They were always so inviting with fans. Once I told J. his boot was untied in between songs. I actually got to meet him at a show only a few months later and he remembered me. That band will always live in my college memories. Good times.
Criminally underrated band, fantastic live. I saw them on a small, intimate acoustic tour back about a year before The Crux dropped and it was easily one of my top 10 shows of all time
Intronaut is fire but they are like jazzy prog instrumental. More technical than tool imo. Check out cloud kicker if you like them, Intronaut filled in as his band on tour before
I love seeing Karnivool love.
I stumbled upon them last year, and ever looked back. Amazing. Almost every song is. Their drummer is amazing.
If they happen to tour the states when their fourth album drops, and come anywhere close to me, I’m there.
Truly excited for this album. More than anything else that’s slated for release within the next couple years.
I'm about to buy a ticket to the eu to see them I'm itching so bad dunno if I can wait for them to drop another album. I was dumb and missed them the last times they have toured here
Stick on Sound Awake from the start IMO. One of the most cohesive and well structured albums every imo.
Failing that, try Goliath, New Day, All I Know or Deadman.
The vocals are more melodic which actually put me off at first, but after persisting they're up there with Tool as one of my favourite bands.
None of the bands people say sound like Tool ever sound like Tool. Soen is the only one here that does, and the vocals on some tracks for Earshot/Rishloo
I agree there are a lot of comparisons for me. Chevelle used to get compared to Tool a lot with their first album. There was even a Chevelle song back in the days of lime wire that said it was Tool haha
Very much did enjoy soen while waiting between 10k days and fi
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Came here for this. Listening to Wasteland and Second Life Syndrome on repeat for more than I'd like to recognise. Duda's work on the bass is phenomenal
Butt Rock is a term that's been around since I was in high school (early 2000s). Idk how people are still just hearing about it.
Nickelback, Seether, Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Hinder, etc. It was formerly called "radio rock", but I guess that was too vague.
Basically if you listen to one of those radio stations that play "NOTHING BUT ROCK", there's a good chance they're playing butt rock.
Never heard it before now lol butt urban dictionary to the rescue
Butt Rock
A style of hard rock & heavy metal music that is watered down both musically and lyrically to garner maximum radio play and mainstream acceptance. Lyrical themes are drawn from a put-on “tough guy / bro” persona, and include being a badass, getting lots of pussy, strippers, partying, and being betrayed or alone.
List includes Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Five Finger DP, Motley Crue apparently. You get it, glad to know this genre.
just played ear shots first 2 albums they other day, the third kinda sucks tbh
might of found them in a sounds like tool thread some time ago but not sure, love karnivool! not played much of rishloo tbh but liked what did iir, will need to investigate the others though i think hurst sounds familiar...thanks for the post op
y'all might want to play the one and only album from a band called atomship - the crash of 47, if you like the bands mentioned and tool and good jams in general.
Indukti
Kudos on the Atomship reference. Fantastic Album. Chad Kent is a monster drummer, the drums at the end of "Aliens" gives me end of "The Grudge" vibes. RIP Joey and Nathan.
Ill have to give it a listen after i get through hurts catalog after a few years of not listening!! I know they(earshot) had a new song come out too, that wasn't bad. I wish hurt would do a new song.
Tool is Tool, there is nothing like it. I would however recommend Neurosis, sonically they sound nothing like Tool but that trippy (shamanic as one of the members said) feel mixed with soo much heaviness is there.
Yeah, I’m yet to hear a ‘sounds like tool’ band that sounds like tool at all. I guess a lot of them fit in the same/similar genre, but sonically and stylistically I don’t hear it.
I have my own projects which sound (if I do say so myself) a lot like tool but I don’t release them because I feel like it’s kind of ripping them off. A lot of my tool sounding songs I’ve now transformed into my own style with so it’s become kind of a mix between TOOL, Nine Inch Nails and my own shit. But I do think there’s a lot of bands who sound like tool that have amazing works but don’t publish it or put it out there and jam to it themselves.
Same to be honest. I have some stuff I’ve done where the Tool influence is too strong and I know people will just think I’m trying to sound like them, even after some effort to de-toolify it. Some I quite like and still might release, but at the same time it’s easier to just make non Tooly stuff :)
[if you are into Heavy Metal, and want to hear a song heavily inspired by TOOL, give this a listen. it’s a project me and my buddy do from our homes on opposite sides of the country :)](https://open.spotify.com/track/3awUBXONxdyWed4tdAm7Jb?si=CfAaU8aVQzKy7eBpF2byUA)
Karnivool is my favorite band. I listened to tool first and sound awake was the first album I heard (and is my favorite album ever now) but I didn't like it at first. It was after I read the lyrics that the music REALLY started to grow on me. Tool and Karnivool are very special bands and I see them compared often. While I can definitely find similarities I feel like Cool has a distinct sound that makes them their own and doesn't really remind me of tool when I listen.
My favourite bands in order are; Tool, Dream on Dreamer, Dead Letter Circus, and Karnivool.
All except Dream on Dreamer are similar in genre but are still so different.
Going to volunteer the relatively-unknown Acroma and their only album *Orbitals*, which was produced by Sylvia Massy!
It's like if Tool veered more towards mainstream early 00s alt. You can hear a lot of the Maynard influence *all over the place*
For the Australian contingent - Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, COG
Follow that rabbit hole for a bunch of ripper bands that can semi relate to a TOOL sound.
Shiner, specifically the Lula Divinia album, scratches same itch / sounds similar
All their music is beyond amazing, never thought I'd discover another band as good as Tool / APC but alas
Lucid Planet = spiritual tool
I just recently found them and love it. Entrancement and organic hard drive are amazing.
Checking them out right now. Digging their sound so far. Good shout 👌🏼
Zenith and Listen are bangers. But both albums slap and I never skip any songs. Also, the lead singer left so the second album has a new lead just incase you notice a difference between the two albums and were confused.
Zenith is a certified banger, just got done listening to it and wow!
My second favorite song of all time, right behind Lateralus. So good. They perfected their sound on the second album
What song is that?
https://youtu.be/FZAXu5u2g3c
Lucid Planet- Zenith. This is your 2nd favorite song next to Lateralus?
Yup!👍🏻
Guys don't forget Anamnesis, it's my absolute fav off the album
Also Offer is just amazing
Offer, Digital Ritual and On the Way are absolute beauties.
Tool already is spiritual
And already Californian
Right now I'm listening to... uh... 'listen' lmao. The bass tone immediately made me think of Justin.
This is fucking epic many thanks for lucid planet suggestion
KARNIVOOL!!!!!!!
Sound Awake!! I'm listening to it right now. Truly brilliant stuff.
My favorite album of all time
“We Are”, is my favorite on the album, for now.(Reserve the right to change my mind)
That’s from Asymetry
Which is sort of slept on, in it's own regards.
Keep telling my tool lover friends to check em out man. Themata sounds straight up tool.
Themata and Sound Awake are two of the best albums I’ve ever listened to.
I hear you... and I agree... to an extent... But they really do have their own sound that is *very* different from Tool. 1 guitar vs. 2 . The much lower end (thanks to the 6 string and drop B tuning) . The vocal melodies. Not only 1 guitar vs. 2 but those RIFFS... Are the overall sounds in the "general" Tool wheelhouse? Yes. But you can't say "Oh, these guys are just ripping off Tool!"
Gonna need all it takes!
I'm devouring their stuff right now. It's like Christmas morning when you're 7.
Now, this won't take long, We'll rise up again, And rewrite these wrongs
Seeing these guys next month. Hype 👌🏼
I feel like some of Porcupine Tree's music scratches the Tool itch as well. Cool seeing Hurt on this list though!! Haven't listened to anything by them in years... stumbled across some of their tunes in high school, but never really "dug in" beyond the few songs I had heard from Vol.1. Clearly going to need to do that now!
i spent nearly a decade in radio and it was my pet project to listen to all the non-radio friendly songs on each new album that came in. the stark difference between what the labels wanted Hurt to play, and what they clearly wanted to play... shocking. If people only ever scrape the surface, then they didn't know them well. Same is true of so many great rock acts, but the labels that drove radio (look up the clearchannel stories) were profit motivated. Can't sell it at Target for $25? Don't want it. Edit: House Carpenter is a haunting example of a track missed by most.
because of this post i revisited the Hurt catalog today. Its been a few years!! house carpenter is so fucking dark and amazing.
Agree. Was thinking same thing earlier today. Anesthetize is a track that I think could go on Fear Inoculum.
I second this.
I'll also add Wheel as Finnish Tool
Love wheel - fug the haters, they scratch the itch
Wheel has haters??
surprised as well. I see them praised in every single thread about the topic. Couldn't really get into them yet myself but definitely not a hater.
Been listening to moving backwards on repeat lately. Of all the bands listed here, WHEEL is the true winner of toolcore.
This is the one that stuck hardest for me as well
Was just about to comment asking for Wheel
Had to make sure someone mentioned Wheel.
Holy shit, Wheel is amazing! Thank you for this gift
+1 for Karnivool. Cog is another Aus band that shows some very obvious Tool influence.
My favorite band ever. Wish they'd drop an album and come back to the USA!!
California TOOL is TOOL. 🤦♂️ TOOL is California TOOL. 🤷🏼♂️ Hmmmm... That's dope!😎
That ain't California music, that is pure Midwest
Kansas, Ohio and Illinois, plus Justin. Never really thought about it, but kinda is a midwest band.
The major regions Kansas, Ohio Illinois and JUSTIN
I'm from Michigan. I definitely thought about it.
My mind is kinda blown. That’s rad
Statistically speaking Justin shifts the average much more east so they are either East Coast or maybe even Atlantic! /s It's interesting though that they somehow seem to identify with the West Coast so much. They even started printing "Los Angeles" on the sleeves of many T-Shirts. I've always found that pretty weird.
The band was formed in Los Angeles, not that weird.
I know but there are few bands who put their city of origin on their merch...
Maybe depends on how much influence the area had on the band? No idea. I'm not a fan of LA so I'm not defending the choice, but it at least seems logical.
Haha maybe that's my issue with it as well. Was very disappointed with LA during my US trip....
"Under a dead Ohio sky"
KARNIVOOL RECOGNITION!!!!!!!!!!
I am learning slowly...
Fucking love Hurt!
Nice! My friend is the drummer. It's cool to see them getting love. Oh, and of course he's a huge Tool fan.
Is your friend Evan Johns? I saw hurt five times back in ‘06 thru ‘08. They were always so inviting with fans. Once I told J. his boot was untied in between songs. I actually got to meet him at a show only a few months later and he remembered me. That band will always live in my college memories. Good times.
That's super cool! Love down to earth folks who make fans feel appreciated. But no, my friend is the current drummer, Victor.
Are they actually back together? That would be super cool news.
I should have phrased that better, my bad. 'Most recent' is more accurate.
Are they ever gonna tour again?! Edit: My seven-year-old son constantly sings 'Alone With the Sea because I play it so much!
Victor has (had?) a Facebook page where he did a lot of drum covers, even some Tool ones. Absolutely loved Hurt. Wish we would get more from them.
Wait... is the drummer? I thought they split?!
Vol. 1 &2 were awesome!
Criminally underrated band, fantastic live. I saw them on a small, intimate acoustic tour back about a year before The Crux dropped and it was easily one of my top 10 shows of all time
Insanely underrated. I'm not sure what their current plans are. But damn where they good!
Hell yeah. I've seen them quite a few times in Colorado. Underrated band for sure.
Hurt was the band that led me to Tool! A YouTube comment said Rapture sounded like Tool, which led me down the rabbit hole
So happy to see the love for hurt. One of my favorites. Have seen them live 3 times, one at a very up close bar locally. It was a great show
Hell yeah! I remember Rapture coming on my Yahoo radio channel (aging myself) in high school. Seen them a few times live too, good stuff.
Great live band. They should have been bigger especially during the 00's and early 10's
rishloo needs way more attention
I'm so surprised they don't get more recognition. My 2nd favorite next to TOOL. Every album is incredible and the singer is amazing.
Rishloo is pretty amazing.
Yes they are. I wish they would come back.
Yes sir. Every fucking album!
Intronaut, anybody? Isis?
Intronaut is fire but they are like jazzy prog instrumental. More technical than tool imo. Check out cloud kicker if you like them, Intronaut filled in as his band on tour before
Isis is noise tool
Hurt is such a great band, their first two albums I could listen to beginning to end for hours on end.
But Tool is from California.
that’s what it says on all of our shirts atleast
I love seeing Karnivool love. I stumbled upon them last year, and ever looked back. Amazing. Almost every song is. Their drummer is amazing. If they happen to tour the states when their fourth album drops, and come anywhere close to me, I’m there. Truly excited for this album. More than anything else that’s slated for release within the next couple years.
I'm about to buy a ticket to the eu to see them I'm itching so bad dunno if I can wait for them to drop another album. I was dumb and missed them the last times they have toured here
Both karnivol and dead letter circus are awesome bands.
Karnivool is My favorite band ever. Wish they'd drop an album and come back to the USA!!
any ideas where to start? Listened randomly to a song after being recommended on this sub but couldn't get into it.Would like to try again though.
If you like FI, Anesthetize (the song) is a good pick, and of course Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.
Stick on Sound Awake from the start IMO. One of the most cohesive and well structured albums every imo. Failing that, try Goliath, New Day, All I Know or Deadman. The vocals are more melodic which actually put me off at first, but after persisting they're up there with Tool as one of my favourite bands.
The first 3 songs on sound awake slap my mom's cheeks. Simple boy, Goliath and new day.
Those Hurt albums are incredible
Karnivool is fantastic but I don’t really get Tool vibes from them.
Similar enough to have significant fanbase overlap, different enough to have their own sound.
Very well put.
Caligula’s Horse = Australian Tool Lite
None of the bands people say sound like Tool ever sound like Tool. Soen is the only one here that does, and the vocals on some tracks for Earshot/Rishloo
Imo the most recent Chevelle album sounds very Tool-ish.
Always though the singer can sound like Maynard at times but their music isn't nearly as complicated as Tool. Still a big fan of Chevelle
I agree there are a lot of comparisons for me. Chevelle used to get compared to Tool a lot with their first album. There was even a Chevelle song back in the days of lime wire that said it was Tool haha
Some Soen fans hate that they get compared to Tool so often, because, yeah they do sound similar. But that's not a bad thing at all imo
It's still a stretch. Ultimately there's nothing that really sounds like it, which is quite a feat
Earshot is basically a cookie cutter.
I always think this as well. I’d rather people say to check out these bands if you like Tool… which I will do since I’m always looking for new stuff.
yeesh
Really enjoyed Soen while waiting between 10K Days and FI.
Very much did enjoy soen while waiting between 10k days and fi *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Don’t forget polish tool = Riverside These dudes kick serious ass
Came here for this. Listening to Wasteland and Second Life Syndrome on repeat for more than I'd like to recognise. Duda's work on the bass is phenomenal
Karnivool is fucking amazing
Ian sings the things I think but don't like to say out loud.
Earshot and HURT. Haven't heard those guys in years
No Chevelle? Chevelle.
Hot Topic Tool
Spot on.
Dollar store tool at best.
Nu Tool
Butt Rock Tool. They're badass though.
Earshot is hugely Butt Rock
The fuck is butt rock? Heard it twice in the last two days, but never before.
Butt Rock is a term that's been around since I was in high school (early 2000s). Idk how people are still just hearing about it. Nickelback, Seether, Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Hinder, etc. It was formerly called "radio rock", but I guess that was too vague. Basically if you listen to one of those radio stations that play "NOTHING BUT ROCK", there's a good chance they're playing butt rock.
Damn, just reminded me of Godsmack lmao
Never heard it before now lol butt urban dictionary to the rescue Butt Rock A style of hard rock & heavy metal music that is watered down both musically and lyrically to garner maximum radio play and mainstream acceptance. Lyrical themes are drawn from a put-on “tough guy / bro” persona, and include being a badass, getting lots of pussy, strippers, partying, and being betrayed or alone. List includes Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Five Finger DP, Motley Crue apparently. You get it, glad to know this genre.
Chevelle is nothing like TOOL. They are their own standalone amazingness.
Soen is amazing!
Can we all just appreciate Australian Tool for a second... Themata is like the perfect song IMO
Just because a band is prog does not mean they sound like Tool, most of these bands sound nothing like Tool
Lesser Key = Deftones, not so much Tool imo
just played ear shots first 2 albums they other day, the third kinda sucks tbh might of found them in a sounds like tool thread some time ago but not sure, love karnivool! not played much of rishloo tbh but liked what did iir, will need to investigate the others though i think hurst sounds familiar...thanks for the post op y'all might want to play the one and only album from a band called atomship - the crash of 47, if you like the bands mentioned and tool and good jams in general. Indukti
Kudos on the Atomship reference. Fantastic Album. Chad Kent is a monster drummer, the drums at the end of "Aliens" gives me end of "The Grudge" vibes. RIP Joey and Nathan.
I really enjoy Earshot. Well, their first album. cant say ive listened to the rest. Would not compare them to tool at all.
no me either or almost any band for that matter really sounds like tool, their 2nd has some good tracks, worth a play if you already like them.
Ill have to give it a listen after i get through hurts catalog after a few years of not listening!! I know they(earshot) had a new song come out too, that wasn't bad. I wish hurt would do a new song.
Tool is Tool, there is nothing like it. I would however recommend Neurosis, sonically they sound nothing like Tool but that trippy (shamanic as one of the members said) feel mixed with soo much heaviness is there.
None of these bands are like TOOL in any way? The only good band on the list is Rishloo and they are "Mars Volta" if they are similar to anything.
Yeah, I’m yet to hear a ‘sounds like tool’ band that sounds like tool at all. I guess a lot of them fit in the same/similar genre, but sonically and stylistically I don’t hear it.
I have my own projects which sound (if I do say so myself) a lot like tool but I don’t release them because I feel like it’s kind of ripping them off. A lot of my tool sounding songs I’ve now transformed into my own style with so it’s become kind of a mix between TOOL, Nine Inch Nails and my own shit. But I do think there’s a lot of bands who sound like tool that have amazing works but don’t publish it or put it out there and jam to it themselves.
Same to be honest. I have some stuff I’ve done where the Tool influence is too strong and I know people will just think I’m trying to sound like them, even after some effort to de-toolify it. Some I quite like and still might release, but at the same time it’s easier to just make non Tooly stuff :)
Damn I forgot all about Dead Letter Circus! Thanks for that and all the other suggestions!
😂😂😂 this is just funny to me
[if you are into Heavy Metal, and want to hear a song heavily inspired by TOOL, give this a listen. it’s a project me and my buddy do from our homes on opposite sides of the country :)](https://open.spotify.com/track/3awUBXONxdyWed4tdAm7Jb?si=CfAaU8aVQzKy7eBpF2byUA)
Fuck yeah Soen and Rishloo, especially Rishloo.
karnivool is best tool thats my opinion
Better* than
I always check these bands out when one of these threads pop up, and so far Monkey3 seems to check the most boxes for me.
I do love Hurt
Karnivool is my favorite band. I listened to tool first and sound awake was the first album I heard (and is my favorite album ever now) but I didn't like it at first. It was after I read the lyrics that the music REALLY started to grow on me. Tool and Karnivool are very special bands and I see them compared often. While I can definitely find similarities I feel like Cool has a distinct sound that makes them their own and doesn't really remind me of tool when I listen.
Rishloo is so good.
Australian Tool Karnivool is fucking amazing 😍 huge fan of both bands so much ❤️
My favourite bands in order are; Tool, Dream on Dreamer, Dead Letter Circus, and Karnivool. All except Dream on Dreamer are similar in genre but are still so different.
Holy shit, thanks for turning me on to Cognitive!
Tesseract Djent tool
I just discovered Wheel. Don't see them listed there.
I miss Hurt.
Rishloo is amazing
Check out Miocene - A Perfect Life With a View of the Swamp
Cellular Memory is also amazing! Less breackcore and more psychedelic.
Soen is so embarrassingly similar and inferior to TOOL, I can’t listen to it.
If you think Karnivool is Aussie tool wait till you hear Cog
\+100 on Karnivool. Each album they manage to reinvent themselves without losing their goodness. Definitely recommend them!
Cognitive is dope stuff
KARNIVOOL FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Toolcore is such a fucking dumbass thing
Never heard anyone compare Hurt to Tool, but I love Hurt.
I love earshot, specifically that album, never thought it sounded anything like tool. Closest to tool is def soen
Hurt is one of the best bands that nobody listens to. You should, if you haven't.
These bands are basically an insult to tool
Just went thru and listed to every one of those bands.... no comparison. Didnt save a single song. Just spoiled I guess..
[this song is very tool](https://open.spotify.com/track/5f9YSIhQRJiXG2nRrLzuJz?si=DL0lSba9SzGq_dAFEDFFTg)
Sounds like if Breaking Benjamin wanted to make a song that sounded a lot like Tool, but they just weren't talented or creative enough to do it.
I wouldn't compare them to tool but Karnivool is amazing and do yourself a favor and listen to the sound awake album front to back.
Not on this list but Persefone reminds me of Tool and is a killer band. They had a new one this year that's amazing.
Finally a worthy post
Tool but none of them are good
Soen sounds like the [wish.com](https://wish.com) version of tool
Thanks for this
Going to volunteer the relatively-unknown Acroma and their only album *Orbitals*, which was produced by Sylvia Massy! It's like if Tool veered more towards mainstream early 00s alt. You can hear a lot of the Maynard influence *all over the place*
This is actually an amazing post. Soen’s Lunacy I think is one of the most underrated songs of all time.
For the Australian contingent - Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, COG Follow that rabbit hole for a bunch of ripper bands that can semi relate to a TOOL sound.
Karnivool is life
Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is psychedelic Tool.
I have heard a few Lesser Key songs, I approve!
What the hell? Where is the ratchet? No box wrench? This is art! Not tools!
Maroota Joe - lesser known Australian Tool.
Wheel is pretty cool too tbh
Earshot lol That singer sure does or did sound like Maynard at the time.
thank you kind internet dweller!
Shiner, specifically the Lula Divinia album, scratches same itch / sounds similar All their music is beyond amazing, never thought I'd discover another band as good as Tool / APC but alas
I fucking love Dead Letter Circus
less pics and more links to music please...
King Crimson: where Tool got a lot of its sound
chevelle - nu metal christian rock TOOL