Something I don’t discuss enough here is music. I mention a song here and there, but it’s definitely lacking, which is odd for me because there is always something playing in the background. Silence and I are not friends, hell I’m not even sure what silence is.

Lately I’ve been focusing on two bands that are such opposites from one another that some wouldn’t even consider adding them into the same play lists. One of them I’ve briefly discussed in the past, which would be Blue October. The other is TOOL; which is decisively harder and even a bit more violent in the lyrics and music.

Sloane introduced me to TOOL when I moved down here with a pair of songs. Prison Sex and Ænema, neither of which I can really get into lyrically. Something about vulgarity and language that readers might find offense, but never the less it’s good music. Ænema became a quick favorite because it’s all about the flooding of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas and the destruction of people who are more worried about their coffee, hair and law suits and advises the populace to “Learn to swim.”

The best way to describe Prison Sex, however, is to yank a cleaner line from the song. “Do unto you now what has been done to me.” Lyrically the song isn’t that bad, but it does call up some interesting mental images.

You can find the videos on You Tube, though I suggest you don’t try it while you’re at work.

They remind me of Pink Floyd in their heyday. The music comprises of sweeping intricate melodies and rhythm, they have a god by the name of Danny on the drums after all, perhaps one of the best drummers I’ve heard honestly. Lyrics are comprised of vivid imagery and given forth in the impassioned voice of James Maynard Keenan, and to my knowledge he writes all the songs as well.

It’s a dance of lyric and music that has no problem taking on some of the issues in society. The recently released Vicarious from the album 10,000 days tackles the issues of media violence and watching death from afar like the addiction it is.

TOOL can’t be shuffled into another box of words talking about how wonderful they are. Like all good music and like any great band they have to be experienced as simple description fails to embody what the music is like.

At least it fails me to come up with the words to truly discuss the band as I’m still caught up in the experience of the music. Give them a try; check out the audio samples found on their site. If you don’t like them, all you’ve lost is a few minutes of time. If you do like them, let it open a whole new world of music for you.