During his closing set at the Reading festival on Sunday, Liam performed Oasis’ debut studio album, Definitely Maybe, in its entirety. The 1994 LP is about to receive a 30th anniversary reissue, and during the set Liam took the time to honor his brother.
“I wanna dedicate this song to Noel fucking Gallagher,” the singer declared before launching into “Half the World Away.” Then, towards the end of his set, Liam flashed a mysterious date and time on the festival’s big screens: “27.08.24” and “8am.”
Not long afterward, the same date appeared in short video clips on Oasis’ social media. The posts seem to corroborate rumors that the big announcement is coming on Tuesday.
Noel and Liam Have Been Dropping Lots of Reunion Hints
In a story published on Aug. 24, U.K.’s The Sunday Times cited “industry insiders” who claimed Oasis will reunite in 2025 for a 10-night headlining run at London’s Wembley Stadium, along with further performances in the band’s hometown of Manchester.
That report comes on the heels of a surprisingly cordial period between the two brothers. During a recent interview with journalist John Robb, Noel noted that Oasis songs are “not the same” when he sings them instead of Liam.
“It’s the delivery or the tone of his voice and the attitude. I don’t have the same attitude as him,” the rocker admitted. “Liam’s is a shot of tequila, right, and mine’s half a Guinness. Mine’s half a Guinness on a Tuesday. It’s alright. Liam’s is ten shots of tequila on a fucking Friday night.”
Liam, for his part, has been responding to fan’s tweets about a rumored reunion. Earlier this month he told one Oasis fan that they’d be “getting a lot next year.” When another fan commented that the Manchester location hosting Oasis’ rumored shows was “a terrible venue,” Gallagher responded, “See you down the front you big fanny.” In a separate tweet, Liam declared he “never did like that word FORMER” — an interesting statement from the singer often referred to as “former Oasis frontman.”
When Was Oasis’ Last Concert?
Oasis’ last concert took place on Aug. 22, 2009 at the V Festival in Staffordshire, England. The infamously acrimonious relationship between Liam and Noel finally hit a boiling point, and the latter rocker officially quit the band shortly before their next scheduled gig.
“We were getting pissed and fighting, and then [it was] me going, ‘Fuck it, I’m going home. Fuck off!’” Noel later recalled, adding that in hindsight he wished the band had ended with an onstage fight.
Oasis Albums Ranked Worst to Best
The Manchester-born band only released seven albums — and they ended on rough terms — but there’s a subtle arc to their catalog that both draws from clear influences and stands entirely alone.
Earlier this month Bryan Adams announced he was launching his own record label, Bad Records, and its first release would be a vinyl 7″ single featuring two songs the Canadian star co-wrote for Kiss before he was an international star.
The two songs, Rock And Roll Hell and War Machine, were written by Adams, songwriting partner Jim Vallance and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons in 1982 for Kiss’s Creatures Of The Night album, the year before his breakthrough album Cuts Like a Knife. He’s already released a video for Rock And Roll Hell – shot on the roof of London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall – and now he’s made one for War Machine. It couldn’t be more different.
“I aimed to create something monumental for the War Machine video, and I’d been collaborating with CGI director Ben Ib on a peace-themed video entitled What If There Were No Sides At All,” says Adams. “To contrast the peace message of that video, I proposed to Ben that we develop the War Machine video showcasing chaos and destruction. In the video, the tyrant that is leading the war ultimately faces consequences for his actions.”
Director Ben Ib has previously worked with the likes of AC/DC (the album cover for PWR UP and the Demon Fire video), Roger Waters (video for The Wall on tour) and Paul McCartney (CGI for his Glastonbury show and the cover art for his 2013 album New).
“I was thrilled to work with them [Kiss] back then,” says Adams. “I was a broke songwriter, it came at the perfect time. While sitting with the band, Gene played me this fantastic bass riff, which ended up being the backbone of War Machine. I was trying to think of a theme that could possibly match the riff and came up with the title, which was actually an homage to a comic book character.”
“Kiss’s deal was they had to have their name on the songs if they were gonna record it,” Adams told Classic Rock in 2014. “They put some bit in the song that would qualify for a credit, but they had nothing to do with writing the songs. At the time, this was around ’81; Jim and I were just young songwriters looking for a break. I guess we were grateful for that.”
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Adams begins a run of dates in mainland Europe dates next month. He will finish the year in India and the UAE. Full dates below.
Sep 05: Berlin Messe Berlin – Summer Garden, Germany Sep 30: Paris Zenith, France Oct 01: Luxembourg Rokhal, Luxembourg Oct 03: Brussels Forest National, Belgium Oct 04: Rotterdam Ahoy Arena, Netherlands Oct 05: Dusseldorf PSD Bank Dome, Germany Oct 06: Hamburg Barclays Arena, Germany Oct 08: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany Oct 09: Stuttgart Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Germany Oct 10: Leipzig Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Germany Oct 11: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland Oct 13: Brno Winning Group Arena Brno, Czech Republic Oct 14: Budapest MVM Dome Budapest, Hungary Oct 16: Limassol Tsirio Stadium, Cyprus Oct 18: Istanbul Fenerbahçe Ülker Sports Arena, Turkey Nov 04: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany Nov 06: Bolzano Sparkasse Arena, Italy Nov 08: Dornbirn Messequartier Dornbirn, Austria Nov 09: Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy Nov 10: Basel St. Jakobshalle, Switzerland Nov 12: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain Nov 13: Murcia Palacio De Deportes, Spain Nov 15: Bilbao Bizkaia Arena Bec!, Spain Nov 16: A Coruña Coliseum, Spain Nov 18: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain Nov 19: Porto Multiusos De Gondomar, Portugal Nov 20: Lisbon Meo Arena, Portugal Nov 23: Braga Altice Forum Braga, Portugal Nov 24: Lisbon Meo Arena, Portugal Dec 06: Schladming Planai Stadion, Austria
Dec 10: Bhoirymbong Rbdsa, Shillong, India Dec 12: Gurugram Backyards Sports Club, India Dec 13: Mumbai Nesco, India Dec 14: Bengaluru Terraform, India Dec 16: Hyderabad Gmr Arena, India Dec 19: Abu Dhabi Etihad Arena, Yas Island, UAE
Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazinesince 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
Helloween drummer Daniel Löble has shared drum cam video from of “Where The Rain Grows” performed live in the UK in 2022.
Löble: “In today’s video, I’m thrilled to share a video taken during a show in England of our preview tour 2022/23 that took us around the world. From the first hit to the last crash, this track has always inspired me with its catchy rhythm and dynamic tempo. I put my own spin on it, blending the original drum-arrangement with classic techniques and a modern touch to create an exhilarating performance.”
“Where The Rain Grows” is taken from Helloween’s sixth album, Master Of The Rings. It was the first Helloween album to feature vocalist Andi Deris and drummer Uli Kusch.
Earlier this year, Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) announced the signing of Helloween for their upcoming studio album. Since their formation in 1984 and the spectacular reunion in 2017, Helloween are undoubtedly one of the world’s outstanding representatives of the genre.
RPM comments on the signing: “It is a true milestone for Reigning Phoenix Music to welcome Helloween to our family of artists. Helloween are not just a band, they epitomize the energy and passion of power metal. Their music has inspired generations, and we are proud to collaborate in order to reach new heights.”
Helloween themselves are equally enthusiastic about the new partnership: “Sven Bogner and his team have convinced us with their ideas and enthusiasm. They live and love metal, and this is what connects us – we look forward to be working with them!,” explains singer Andi Deris.
The combination of Helloween and Reigning Phoenix Music promises a powerful synergy between one of the world’s most influential power metal bands and a label that is passionate about promoting up-and-coming talents as well as established artists. Fans can look forward to thrilling musical experiences and innovative projects. Specifically, Helloween will start working on new material from the summer and are planning to release a new studio album in 2025.
Helloween are:
Michael Kiske – vocals Andi Deris – vocals Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals Michael Weikath – guitars Sascha Gerstner – guitars Markus Grosskopf – bass Daniel Löble – drums
I don’t know what it is, but whenever I hear the name Los Angeles, Randy Newman’s song “I Love L.A.” just pops into my head. Maybe it’s the video that went into heavy rotation on MTV, or perhaps it’s his voice, the character he plays, the sarcasm, the joy, the lyrics, and the melody—all of it has always resonated with me, and I’ve never forgotten that song. Of course, that’s not the only great song written about Los Angeles—there are thousands of them. This article aims to present 10 popular ones that we think define the city of L.A. in both original and unique ways, making them great songs to listen to.
Our 10 Most Underrated Songs list presents the Most Underrated songs that has released throughout his career.
# 10 – MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb (Richard Harris version)
“MacArthur Park” by Jimmy Webb is a sweeping, emotional epic that has become one of the most unique songs to come out of the late 1960s. Originally recorded by actor and singer Richard Harris in 1968, the song is an ambitious blend of pop, orchestral music, and poetic storytelling. Jimmy Webb wrote the song as an allegory for a failed relationship, using the imagery of Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park to symbolize lost love and fleeting beauty. The song’s vivid, almost surreal lyrics, such as “Someone left the cake out in the rain,” have become legendary, sparking both admiration and confusion.
The song was recorded at Sound Recorders in Hollywood, and its production is as elaborate as its structure. Spanning over seven minutes, “MacArthur Park” features lush orchestration, dramatic shifts in tempo, and Harris’ powerful, theatrical vocals. Webb’s intricate arrangement includes elements of classical music, jazz, and pop, weaving together various movements like a mini-symphony. Despite its unconventional nature, the song became a commercial success, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning Harris a Grammy nomination.
The connection to Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park runs deep, as Webb had reportedly spent time there during the dissolution of a romantic relationship, making the park a metaphor for the emotions he experienced. “MacArthur Park” remains a polarizing yet enduring piece of music, celebrated for its originality and grandiosity, and it has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including a popular disco version by Donna Summer in 1978. The song continues to be an evocative, if somewhat enigmatic, tribute to love, loss, and the ever-changing landscape of Los Angeles.
# 9 – Rock Show – Paul McCartney and Wings
“Life in the Fast Lane” by the Eagles is a gritty, driving rock anthem that captures the excess and danger of the Los Angeles lifestyle during the 1970s. Released in 1976 as a single from their iconic album Hotel California, the song was co-written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Joe Walsh. Its sharp lyrics and infectious riff reflect the band’s take on the hedonistic, fast-paced life that often defined L.A.’s celebrity culture during that era.
Musically, the song opens with Walsh’s signature guitar riff, which instantly sets the tone for the track. Henley’s vocals tell the story of a reckless couple living on the edge, indulging in the highs and lows of fast cars, parties, and all the temptations that Los Angeles had to offer. With lines like “Everything all the time” and “We were just dying to get out,” the song vividly depicts the dangerous allure of living without limits.
“Life in the Fast Lane” became a major hit, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is widely regarded as one of the Eagles’ defining songs. It resonates as a cautionary tale about the darker side of success and excess in Los Angeles, a city where the glamour often masks the underlying dangers.
# 7 – I Love L.A. – Randy Newman
# 6 – City of the Angels – Bill Withers
# 5 – Carmelita – Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita” is a haunting portrayal of desperation and addiction set against the gritty backdrop of Los Angeles. Originally released on his 1976 self-titled album Warren Zevon, the song tells the story of a heroin addict navigating the streets of L.A., with references to specific places like Echo Park that ground the song in the city’s underbelly. Zevon’s raspy, emotionally charged vocals are paired with a mournful country-influenced arrangement that underscores the bleakness of the lyrics.
The song’s narrative revolves around the protagonist’s longing for his love, Carmelita, while waiting for his next fix. “Carmelita, hold me tighter / I think I’m sinking down” is a plea for solace in a world where the neon lights of Los Angeles fail to provide any real comfort. The inclusion of local references, such as “I’m all strung out on heroin on the outskirts of town,” makes the song a gritty portrait of L.A.’s darker side—a far cry from the glamour and glitz often associated with the city.
“Carmelita” has become one of Zevon’s most beloved songs, praised for its vivid storytelling and its raw depiction of addiction. While the song never charted as a single, its impact has been lasting, with numerous artists covering it over the years.
# 4 – Billy the Mountain – Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa’s sprawling epic “Billy the Mountain” is an eccentric and satirical journey that ties the surreal to the very real city of Los Angeles, serving as both a bizarre narrative and a biting commentary on the entertainment industry. Released on the 1972 live album Just Another Band from L.A., this 24-minute track is one of Zappa’s most ambitious and humorous works, blending rock, jazz, and absurdist storytelling in his inimitable style. Recorded live at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, the song was co-written with band member Howard Kaylan and features the talents of Zappa’s band, The Mothers of Invention.
The storyline of “Billy the Mountain” revolves around a mountain (Billy) and his wife, Ethel (a tree), who leave their quiet existence in the mountains to cash in on Billy’s fame in Los Angeles. The song lampoons the commercialization of art and fame, with Billy navigating the absurdity of the city’s entertainment industry. The track’s connection to Los Angeles is overt as Billy travels through the city, encountering various iconic L.A. locations and characters along the way.
With its intricate musicianship and satirical lyrics, “Billy the Mountain” became a standout track for fans of Zappa’s work, embodying his disdain for the superficiality of L.A. while celebrating its absurdities. The song offers a sharp, witty critique of the very city where it was performed, proving that Zappa’s love-hate relationship with Los Angeles ran deep, and could be both outrageously funny and culturally incisive.
# 3 – Babylon Sisters – Steely Dan
Steely Dan’s “Babylon Sisters” paints a vivid picture of Los Angeles’ glitzy and seductive allure while simultaneously revealing its underbelly of excess and disillusionment. Released as the opening track on the 1980 album Gaucho, the song serves as a love letter to the hedonism and indulgence that defined L.A. in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, “Babylon Sisters” captures their signature jazz-rock fusion, with a complex arrangement that includes smooth horns, intricate rhythms, and sophisticated chord changes.
The lyrics are a reflection of the transient pleasures and dangers that the city of angels represents. Lines like “Drive west on Sunset to the sea” evoke the famous Sunset Boulevard, a street that has long been synonymous with the glitz of Hollywood and the darker side of L.A.’s nightlife. Fagen’s smooth, world-weary vocals are backed by the pristine production of Gary Katz and a group of top-tier session musicians, including drummer Jeff Porcaro and saxophonist Tom Scott, adding layers of lush instrumentation that juxtapose the song’s bittersweet undertones.
Though Gaucho didn’t achieve the same level of commercial success as earlier Steely Dan albums, “Babylon Sisters” became a cult favorite, particularly for its depiction of Los Angeles as a city of contradictions—where beauty, excess, and emptiness coalesce. The track remains a fascinating exploration of L.A.’s glamorous façade and its equally seductive, darker side.
# 2 – Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a hauntingly beautiful ode to isolation and longing within the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles. Recorded at The Mansion, a historic studio in L.A., and released on the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the song reflects frontman Anthony Kiedis’s deep personal connection to the city—both its darker corners and the solace he finds in its streets. The song was produced by Rick Rubin, with Kiedis’s intimate lyrics paired with John Frusciante’s melancholy guitar melody, Chad Smith’s subtle percussion, and Flea’s bass lines that help anchor the song’s emotional weight.
“Under the Bridge” tells the story of Kiedis’s feelings of alienation and the way the city, in all its vastness, became both his companion and his escape. The lyrics, “Sometimes I feel like my only friend / Is the city I live in,” underscore his deep-rooted connection to Los Angeles, especially during a period of sobriety when he felt separated from his bandmates and struggling with loneliness. The bridge Kiedis refers to is a real place in the city, though he has never publicly disclosed its exact location, adding to the song’s mystique.
Released as a single in 1992, “Under the Bridge” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ most iconic songs. The track resonated with listeners for its vulnerability and authenticity, encapsulating both the beauty and the isolation found within L.A.’s urban landscape. The accompanying music video, directed by Gus Van Sant, further emphasizes the song’s connection to the city, featuring sweeping shots of Kiedis walking through the streets of Los Angeles, reinforcing the deep ties between the song’s narrative and the environment that inspired it.
# 1 – L.A. Woman – The Doors
The recording of L.A. Woman by The Doors was anything but conventional, mirroring the wild, unpredictable nature of the song itself. Laid down in December 1970, the track took shape in the band’s unassuming rehearsal space in Los Angeles, which they turned into a makeshift studio after longtime producer Paul A. Rothchild walked away, dismissing their new material. With engineer Bruce Botnick stepping in, The Doors embraced a raw, stripped-back sound that captured the essence of the city—dirty, mysterious, and alive. Jim Morrison, in a characteristically unorthodox move, recorded his vocals in a bathroom, using the room’s acoustics to lend an eerie, echoing quality to his voice.
The song itself is a sprawling, nearly eight-minute ode to the dark side of Los Angeles, blending blues, rock, and poetic mysticism. The haunting atmosphere is driven by Robby Krieger’s fluid guitar work and Ray Manzarek’s swirling keyboard melodies, while the rhythm section, featuring John Densmore on drums and Jerry Scheff on bass, provides a hypnotic, relentless groove. Morrison’s lyrics, dripping with both romance and menace, paint the city as a place of temptation and danger. His famous chant, “Mr. Mojo Risin’,” which is an anagram of his name, adds to the song’s mysterious allure.
Released as the title track of the L.A. Woman album in 1971, the song became one of the defining moments of The Doors’ career. The album hit number nine on the Billboard 200, drawing acclaim for its gritty return to bluesy rock, a perfect swan song for Morrison, who would pass away just months after its release. While the official music video came later, it visualized the track’s energy with a juxtaposition of the sprawling cityscape and the band’s raw, unfiltered performances. “L.A. Woman” remains a timeless tribute to the city that helped forge the legend of The Doors.
Swedish power metal masters Sabaton have checked in with the following update:
“We are excited to share that a new Sabaton track is now available on Rocksmith+! Learn ‘The Lost Battalion’ on your guitar or bass so you can perform it just like we do on stage! Try Rocksmith+ for free here.”
Last year, Rocksmith+ announced a new partnership with Warner Music Group, to bring even more popular artists to the music-learning service, such as Linkin Park, The Cure, Sepultura, Twisted Sister, and more.
“Rocksmith+ has always been about empowering people to learn guitar with their favorite songs,” said Jay Cohen, Vice President of Executive Publishing at Ubisoft. “For beginners, guitar players, and music fans this is a great step forward. The large library of songs for learners and players to pick up and play on Rocksmith+ continues to expand every month. This new partnership with Warner Music Group will help bring both new and established artists to a new and growing audience. We appreciate the progressive approach of our colleagues at WMG, and we look forward to everything we will do together to deliver on the promise of a new music distribution model for all those who make music and the people who love to jam along to it.”
“Ubisoft has developed some of the most groundbreaking, interactive music experiences, and the Rocksmith series is one of the best. We are so excited to be working with them on Rocksmith’s next iteration, Rocksmith+, to provide true music fans with the opportunity to explore and learn music in innovative ways,” said Jillian Rothman, VP of New Business & Ventures at Warner Music Group. “This partnership is a great addition to our efforts in gaming and reinforces our goal to provide artists with the tools to build new revenue streams, while enabling fans to connect with the music and artists they love.”
Rocksmith+ gives you access to more than 7,000 songs, and lets you pick up and play guitar fast with any acoustic, electric, or bass guitar. Learn at your own pace, with help from the improved state-of-the-art note detection, real-time feedback, and practice tools. Frequent content updates add new modes, features, and monthly song additions, ensuring you get the most out of your subscription.
Tune your guitar or bass with the free Rocksmith Tuner app, which features an accurate, professional-grade tuner, either by connecting your instrument directly or using the microphone on your mobile device. Beginners can learn to tune their instrument using a basic tuner that will guide you through more than 30 tuning presets, and experts can achieve precise tuning with the chromatic tuner. Learn more about the Rocksmith Tuner app here. Learners just starting their music journey can jump start their guitar learning with a free Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Learning Guitar when you sign up here.
Rocksmith+ is available on PC exclusively through the Ubisoft Store, and on both iOS and Android stores. New users can try the music-learning service for free for seven days when they sign up for a 12-month subscription. For more on Rocksmith+, check out the official site here.
> Defeated Sanity – “The Odour of Sanctity” (Official Drum Playthrough) > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtD4QdWW2HY > > > Nektar – Mission To Mars (Official Lyric 3D Video) > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKdO04l2Flc > > > ANOTHER DAY DAWNS – Luminous Bloom (OFFICIAL VIDEO) > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ9XC48kUfk
Modern metal band, Enemy Inside, recently partnered with Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM), have released a new single, “Sayonara”. The official video can be viewed below. STream or purchase the song here.
The band states: “‘Sayonara’ is a power track with Japan vibes and anime-style video. The message: don’t let haters bring you down. I am who I am and if you don’t like it, sayonara!”
With their third, yet-untitled studio album coming up, Enemy Inside will embark on an 18-date European headline tour in early 2025 with support coming from Letters Sent Home. Info and tickets here.
Never knowingly rushed, Tool have released just five full-length albums during their 30-plus year career. The fourth of these, 2006’s 10,000 Days, found them wading deep into progressive waters. Classic Rock met the band in a North London punk to talk enigma, going against the grain and April Fool’s gags.
Tool aren’t so much a rock band as – to paraphrase Winston Churchill – a mystery wrapped in an enigma shrouded in a riddle. Then again, it’s kind of hard to be enigmatic when you’re down the pub. Lord knows, we’ve all tried.
Tool have spent years carefully cultivating an impenetrable cloak of occult conundrum around themselves. Their lyrics are dense, and loaded with gnostic and alchemical significance. Their music is complex and wilfully difficult. Frontman Maynard James Keenan never actually stands at the front, he lurks in the shadows at the back of the stage.
“That set-up is purely for the sound,” he claims. “I don’t need to scream over the bass and the guitar to be heard. I need to hit some difficult notes, so I need as uncluttered a live sound as I can get.”
Tool often perform in total darkness, with the disturbing videos made by guitarist Adam Jones projected behind them. Their albums are the subject of a flurry of disinformation and rumour that usually has no basis in fact, though there remains a suspicion that the band themselves are responsible for their own gossip. They never used to give interviews and now, when they do, they dole out the information that everyone needs to know in small, tantalising doses.
What’s more, they never give the impression that any of this is at all deliberate, which makes them even more tantalising and enigmatic than ever.
But here they are in the upstairs room of a North London pub for a playback of their new album, 10,000 Days. Maynard wanders around looking a bit lost, drummer Danny Carey – an absolute giant of a man – glad-hands journalists, and bassist Justin Chancellor enjoys a beverage with some folks from the label. They just look like a regular band and not, as some Tool obsessive-types believe, the keepers of the keys to all the arcane knowledge which has puzzled humanity since the dawn of time.
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Before the playback of the album, Maynard’s almost apologetic when he quietly announces: “Uh… we’ve done a bunch of new songs. Wanna hear them?”
The album begins and it’s magnificent. Difficult, but magnificent. Then, having sat through over an hour of this viscous, ultra-heavy psychedelia, Maynard then says, again almost apologetically: “Thanks for putting up with that.”
Tool, more than any other band, have been responsible for inspiring a new wave of hard rock that isn’t ashamed to call itself progressive. The term ‘prog’ still elicits sneers and lame jokes about wizards and elves. Yet the most important bands around at the moment are all, arguably, neo prog bands. The range of the new prog is immense and very diverse: from the emotional Mahavishnu Orchestra-plays-bossa-nova thrills of The Mars Volta to the snarling polar intensity of Opeth, they all, to some extent, owe something to Tool.
There are also hundreds of Tool impersonators, bands such as Mudvayne who seem to lurk in their wake, providing vaguely acid-tinged metal with a touch of the enigmatic and esoteric when Tool are in one of their now-frequent retreats.
“I don’t hear that,” says Justin Chancellor. “All the time I’m told that this band or that band are inspired by Tool but as one of the biggest fans of this band, I have to say that I don’t get any of the emotional feel from them that I get from Tool.”
They all agree, however, that they are big fans of The Mars Volta. Regardless of whether or not you actually hear the direct influence of Tool in these bands, they probably wouldn’t exist if Tool hadn’t been there first.
(Image credit: Press)
“I disagree. I think that they would still be doing what they are doing without us,” says Maynard. “You listen to At The Drive In [the original band that featured Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez] and they were setting themselves up for the next thing, that whole Santana jam thing.”
But you could argue that without Tool there wouldn’t be a mass audience for what they do.
“Yeah, but I think that when Radiohead in the 90s started doing these long introspective pieces, that also set the stage for The Mars Volta and for a lot of bands like them,” nods Keenan sagely.
“Radiohead are a band who just kept pushing things out and out, who took their success and used it as an opportunity to go further,” argues Justin.
Tool have often been lazily dubbed ‘the heavy metal Radiohead’, though whatever their roots and wherever they get filed in the record shop racks, you’d be hard pressed to describe Tool as a heavy metal band these days. They are unarguably heavy, and there are a lot of metal inspirations, from Zeppelin to Meshuggah, in their sound.
“I don’t think that we were ever a metal band,” says Danny Carey. “I can understand that maybe we’d get compared with Pink Floyd…”
“It depends what you mean by heavy metal,” argues Justin. “I always think that we’re a heavy psychedelic band.”
“Yeah, it’s all about language,” says Maynard. “So were Black Sabbath a metal band?”
Well, er, yeah. Of course.
“Oh, okay. But if Black Sabbath are a metal band, then I guess that we are, too. But when I listen to things like Master OfReality, I hear sort of heavy political rock’n’roll. I guess I don’t really hear them as heavy metal.”
“Heavy metal just makes me think of Whitesnake,” says Justin.
Well, see, Whitesnake are really more hard rock than heavy metal…
An animated, lengthy and inconclusive discussion of what actually defines heavy metal follows, with Justin arguing that cult band TV On The Radio are real heavy music.
“It’s meaty, it’s really weighty shit, and I would compare us to something like that. It’s not heavy as a genre or anything but the effect is similar. It’s not about the types of guitars, it’s just how it was made.”
Maynard sighs, takes off his cap and runs his hand across his smooth pate. “Well, we’re certainly not a hair metal band,” he muses.
Tool have been a massively popular and influential band, yet their output over the past 15 years is sparse: four albums in 16 years, the last two with five-year gaps between them. They are one of the few bands who have been able to play the game on their own terms, dictating to their record labels rather than the other way around.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1990 by Maynard, with guitarist Adam Jones and then bassist Paul d’Amour (who left in 1995), they were completed when neighbour Danny Carey, already an established pro drummer (he had played with Carole King, among others) was introduced to Maynard by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. He ended up joining the band by accident: “I felt kind of sorry for them, because they would invite people over to play, and they wouldn’t show up, so I’d fill in.”
Their first EP Opiate and album Undertow were immediately dogged by controversy: the original cover featuring some rather ample naked women was withdrawn from chain stores across the US. Also, the Adam Jones-directed video for the single Prison Sex was deemed to be too graphic and was withdrawn from MTV. Despite, or because of, this, the album sold well, and enjoys double-platinum status at the time of writing.
The band’s reputation was cemented by a slot on the 1993 Lollapalooza tour. Their 1996 album Ænima was an altogether more complicated and adventurous record. Grammy Awards, big sales and massive stadium tours followed. Then things started to go sour; they were sued by their label Zoo after they allegedly started shopping around for a deal elsewhere. Tool counter-sued, claiming that the label had not exercised their option to renew the contract, and that the band were therefore free to go elsewhere. A stalemate ensued.
Then Maynard formed A Perfect Circle in 1999 and in the wake of the phenomenal success that the band enjoyed, people started to ask questions about the future of Tool. In interviews, Keenan maintained that Tool were still together and that a new album would be forthcoming, though he also hinted that all was not necessarily sweetness and light in the camp.
“We are definitely competitive people, so whether those guys will admit it or not, they definitely feel competitive,” said Keenan at the time.
The 2001 release of Tool’s masterpiece Lateralus and its subsequent commercial and critical success (they picked up their second Grammy Award for the song Schism) was a kick in the teeth for the received wisdom pedalled by marketing types that says that ‘young people’ have short attention spans and are incapable of engaging with anything – music, novels, films – with any depth.
Here was a 70-minute album with no perceptible tunes (certainly nothing that you could chop down into a ringtone), songs averaging eight minutes, no pictures of a pretty-boy band on the cover and lyrics written in Enochian, the language of the angels, supposedly spoken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It sold shitloads and entered the US Billboard album charts at No.1. What’s more, when they toured with King Crimson that same year, thousands of these supposedly dim-witted, mouth-breathing youths with the attention span of goldfish concentrated intensely, not merely tolerating the complexity but actively digging it.
Tool make no concessions towards those who go along to hear their ‘greatest hits’. In order to transcend the mundane limits of the everyday, they require some commitment on the part of the listener. You have to be prepared to give them your full attention for at least two hours of your life. “I think that people are attracted to our integrity,” says Carey. “As I’ve said before, I think we’re an alternative band in the sense that we’re an alternative to what people normally categorise as alternative, which really all sounds the same. We’ve always had record companies and management who tell us that the way to do things is to tone the music down, make it more radio-friendly. But I think of bands like Led Zeppelin, who never went down that road yet were still immensely popular.”
They are also respectful towards King Crimson since the aforementioned tour: “We grew up listening to them and we were nervous following them. We thought, damn, everyone is gonna know where we stole everything from,” says Maynard.
(Image credit: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
In truth, though, Tool have gone way beyond any of their influences. They certainly don’t sound like King Crimson or any other band that they are compared with. They do, however, apply the same approach to their music as King Crimson; a band who – even today – continue to push forward. ‘Progressive’ has nothing to do with glittery cloaks, pointy pixie boots and twiddly pseudo-classical arpeggios and everything to do with, well, progress. Tool’s mission is simply to make music that has never been heard before.
It’s hard to actually recall anything very specific about individual songs, it’s all a broad sweep, but 10,000 Days is a phenomenal album. It seems loaded with meaning: Maynard says that the thing linking all of the songs is the intense emotional states that he was in at the time of writing and recording. The titles are packed with significance: according to some sources, the name 10,000 Days refers to Keenan’s mother, Judith Marie Keenan, who suffered a stroke that left her in a wheelchair for the last 27 years of her life. There are roughly 10,000 days in 27 years.
Wings For Marie (Pt 1) also refers to Maynard’s mother. The song Lost Keys (Blame Hoffmann) refers to Albert Hoffman, the chemist who synthesised LSD. Lipan Conjuring uses an Apache chant. Viginti Tres is Latin for 23, a number with a lot of occult significance. There’s so much there for the real shutaway web fanatics to spend the next decade tearing apart for significance.
It’s a more approachable album than Lateralus: there are tunes, the pace is slower and the songs more expansive. If Lateralus was their Atom Heart Mother then 10,000 Days is their Meddle.
There were initially some doubts as to whether 10,000 Days would happen, again not in the minds of the band themselves, but in the flurry of online speculation and rumour trading. The main source seems to be the continuing success that Maynard has enjoyed as a member of A Perfect Circle. While Tool worked on their last album, Maynard was off on tour with APC, enjoying phenomenal popular acclaim, and only returned in time to record his vocals. On 10,000 Days, however, he was there at the start of the writing process and returned at the end, though he spent the interim touring and recording with APC.
Tool are a democracy: ‘All Indians and no chiefs’ as it said on one of their T-shirts. All of them contribute to the writing of songs. All have a say in how the band is run. All bring in ideas. Although Justin replaced original bass player Paul d’Amour just before Ænima, it would be hard to imagine Tool surviving without Maynard. Not many bands/artists can sustain parallel careers, but George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, Ozzy with the reformed Sabbath/solo career, and Mark Lanegan with his own solo career and Screaming Trees (until they split, obviously) and Queens Of The Stone Age spring to mind, so it is possible. However, APC are now officially laid to rest and while Maynard – and all the other members of Tool – still have extra-curricular musical activities, this band are going to be everyone’s central focus for at least the next few years.
“There are doubts every day when you wake up in the morning,” explains Carey, ”but there were no doubts whatsoever that we were going to make another album.”
Maynard, it has to be said, isn’t above helping the rumours along. Last April 1, he announced that he had found Jesus and was quitting music for good. When he was later contacted for comment, he said that he had in fact found Jesus but that: “He was a total punk!”
Tool love to fuck with their fans. They have an April Fool’s story every year that half of their fans end up believing to be true. Their official website hosts a monthly newsletter full of highly entertaining disinformation posted by their webmaster Blair. Over the past few years it has been revealed that Danny Carey’s drum kit is rimmed with gold from a melted artefact that they found at the mysterious Rennes Le Chateau in France; they regularly post fake track lists and bogus artwork to keep everyone guessing; and then, occasionally, they slip out something true and nobody believes them.
When confronted, they seem bemused that anyone else is bemused.
“It is what it is,” says Maynard cryptically.
There is a palpable sense of paranoia around the album, even to the extent that there were no advance copies available for the press to be able to digest at their leisure. To hear it, we had to attend one of only two UK playbacks at the aforementioned North London pub. Before doing an interview, we had to sign a contract that effectively gives them the rights to our first born if a single word or image leaks out before the May 1 release date.
“It’s just really that we create our albums as a whole,” Danny Carey says. “We think very carefully about everything. The artwork on the packaging and the videos are all an integral part of the album. We want to control the way that our music is presented to people. It’s not so much that we oppose things like downloading, but it takes control over the creative process away from what we do.”
“Once it’s actually released we’re not really too upset,” says bass player Justin Chancellor. “After that I suppose it all goes to spread the word…”
After the interview is over, we get to chatting about the changes that the internet has brought to the music industry. Carey is enthusiastic, foreseeing a situation in the near future when Tool will be able to make music without a record label to mediate between band and public.
But they are still possessive of their own creation. “The ones who get hurt by MP3s are not so much record companies or the business, but the artists, people who are trying to write songs,” says Maynard.
Although they come across as regular human beings, there’s still an air of enigma surrounding Tool that will probably never be blown away. As we leave, Justin – the band’s token Englishman – tells me that he’s going to watch Arsenal play Real Madrid in the Champions League on TV. We discuss the relative merits of each in a frank and forceful manner. (“Arsenal… faaagging kaaants!”)
“I’m going to watch,” admits Keenan. “My son Devo is an Arsenal supporter.”
Oh God. Rock’s most sphinx-like performer is a Gooner! Now that’s fucking enigmatic.
Originally published in Classic Rock issue 84
Allan McLachlan spent the late 70s studying politics at Strathclyde University and cut his teeth as a journalist in the west of Scotland on arts and culture magazines. He moved to London in the late 80s and started his life-long love affair with the metropolitan district as Music Editor on City Limits magazine. Following a brief period as News Editor on Sounds, he went freelance and then scored the high-profile gig of News Editor at NME. Quickly making his mark, he adopted the nom de plume Tommy Udo. He moved onto the NME‘s website, then Xfm online before his eventual longer-term tenure on Metal Hammer and associated magazines. He wrote biographies of Nine Inch Nails and Charles Manson. A devotee of Asian cinema, Tommy was an expert on ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano and co-wrote an English language biography on the Japanese actor and director. He died in 2019.
Turn up the volume in your music collection with Pop! Slash (Skeleton), Pop! Axl Rose (Skeleton), and Pop! Duff Mckagan (Skeleton). These exclusive figurines are now available to order online and will soon be available at Funko Flagship Stores.
All vinyl figures are approximately 3.95-inches tall. Go to this location to order.
Guitarist Alexander Beyrodt took to social media today (Friday, August 23) to share the following Primal Fear lineup news:
“Dear fans and friends of Primal Fear,
“We unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann (guitar), Michael Ehré (drums) and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band Primal Fear. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.
“We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!” – Alex, Tom, Michael and Alex
Stay tuned for an update from Primal Fear’s Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner, expected soon.
The Metal Voice recently interviewed Metal Allegiance and Testament guitarist ,Alex Skolnick, about the Metal Allegiance show on September 6 in Sayreville, NJ at the Starland Ballroom. Alex also gave an update on the upcoming Testament studio album.
Says Alex: “Our current drummer Chris Dovas, I think he’s really lit a fire under everyone. I think everybody’s gonna be really impressed. We’ve had some amazing drummers. I think that’s one of the reasons why, I’ll call it, the resurrection period of the Testament has gone so well, uh with all due respect to Louie (Clemente) who’s still a great friend of ours, the original drummer. He wasn’t like a drummer’s drummer and when he left the band he never joined another band. Everyone we have since then has been a drummer’s drummer. So when I came back to the band in the mid 2000s we always had a drummer’s drummer. And we did a tour cycle with Dave Lombardo which was amazing but scheduling conflicts were too much. And to really do a new album with this band (with Lombardo) especially for the drummer it’s such a level of commitment. I would have been surprised if that worked out so I know some people were hoping that would continue and they would see us with Dave Lambardo but I’ll tell you nobody’s complaining. Something new is happening with Chris and it’s very well captured on this record. There is something for everybody on this record. There’s super fast high energy songs, there is a slow song that we haven’t done for a long time. The type that we haven’t done with some elements that we’ve never done before. I think it’s definitely going to be a Testament record but it’s going to have a lot of diversity as well.”
When asked if he has song contributions on the new Testament album, Alex responds: “I have, yes. We met a few times and worked like we used to kind of bouncing ideas off each other. This one there’s a lot more contributions and people seem to like it when we write together. I have a whole song, at least one whole composition on this record.”
Skolnick recently spoke with Eddie Trunk and revealed that the next Testament album will be out next year.
SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, hosted by Eddie Trunk, airs daily at 3 PM, ET on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk. Audio clip and transcription below, courtesy of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation.
Alex Skolnick: “Well, I think everybody knows yeah, we went through a couple different drummers the past couple years. I know it’s very spinal tap.”
Eddie Trunk: “None of them exploded, did they, Alex?”
Skolnick: “Life imitating art. No, thankfully not. There were scheduling conflicts with Gene Hoglan. Then we got Dave Lombardo, who’s just, it was amazing. But when it came to going all in on a next record, Dave was overbooked and we needed somebody. And we’ve got a new drummer. His name’s Chris Dovas. He wasn’t even born when the first Testament record came out. But I got to say he’s lighting fires, speaking of explosions. He’s lit a fire under everybody and just great to play with. He nails everybody’s parts from before, but he has his own style. And excited about the next record, it’s actually gonna come out next year. The drum tracks are done, just a rhythm, guitars, bass leads, and some vocals need to be done. But it is in progress. It’ll be turned in before the end of the year and it’ll be listenable next year.”
Earlier this month, Kreator issued the following update in regards to their Klash Of The Titans 2024 co-headlining tour with Testament, and special guests Possessed.
“Starting next month, we are bringing Klash Of The Titans back to North America with thrash metal masters Testament and one of our favourite bands in the world Possessed. Alongside our standard VIP packages, we also have a VERY special additional VIP guitar offering for these shows, where you can get an exclusive stage-played guitar, signed by Mille. These are some of our biggest shows in the US to date. Make sure you have tickets to join us for a tour of pure metal madness. Hail to the Hordes!”
September 12 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort 13 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Centre 16 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo 17 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre 18 – Vancouver, BC Canada – Vogue 20 – Calgary, AB Canada – MacEwan Hall 21 – Enoch, AB Canada – River Cree Casino 22 – Saskatoon, SK Canada – Coors Event Centre 24 – Winnipeg, MB Canada – Burton Cummings Theatre 26 – Maplewood, MN – Myth Live 27 – Chicago, IL – Radius 28 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center 29 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
October 1 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora 3 – Toronto, ON Canada – History 4 – Montreal, QC Canada – MTelus 5 – New Haven, CT – College Street 6 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 8 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore 10 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theatre 11 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Casino 12 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz 13 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle 15 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live 16 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live 18 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Lawn) 19 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec 20 – Dallas, TX – The Factory 22 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Albuquerque Convention Center 24 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Palladium 27 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
