Ranking all six of Tool’s records, including the EP Opiate and the six LPs, not including bonus releases like Salival or Opiate 2.
Best Tool Albums
If you’ve read my previous articles, top 5 albums of all time, or Is Tool in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? - or checked out any of the music playlists I post on here, it should be obvious I’m pretty big fan of Tool, and Maynard’s other projects like A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. So, I’ve given all of Tool’s albums a score based of overall greatness, musicianship, lyrical quality, and personal impact, with some bonus points thrown in for good measure. So, without further ado, here are all of Tool’s albums ranked: the best albums by tool.
6. Opiate (1992)
Total Score: 36
The first studio release by Tool was Opiate, featuring 6 tacks along with the hidden gem The Gaping Lotus Experience. Two of the songs, Jerk-Off and Cold & Ugly, were recorded live. The EP has a raw feel to it compared to what the band would eventually evolve into. The tracks are short, aggressive, and even the lyrics are less developed than later works. But the CD still kicks ass and provides heavy pounding rush for almost 30 minutes. The lyrics featured in Sweat, Cold & Ugly, and Opiate hint at the profundity Maynard would later master, so I gave it a 7/10 for lyrics.
Hush, Part of Me, and Jerk-Off are still great for what they are trying to communicate, but the anger driving the songs takes over. Danny Carey’s drums are impeccable here but he’s clearly playing with a smaller kit that limits his polyrhythmic wizardry. Paul D’Amour holds his own on the bass and Adam Jones is clearly forcing out a more “Metal” sound than later releases. 6/10 for musicianship, and another 6/10 for the personal impact. Sweat and Opiate had the strongest influence on my teenage brain, both songs shifted my attitude toward organized religion and personal spiritual development, but nothing like the other releases from Tool. As a record, overall, it’s just too short and raw, but still TOOL so it gets a 7/10. Because Opiate 2 (released in 2022) is so good, but doesn’t qualify for this list, and because without Opiate 1, the world might’ve never experienced that band at all… it gets a healthy 10 bonus points.
5. Undertow (1993)
Total Score: 38
The first LP by Tool, Undertow, is a nice little bridge from the raw heavy metallic Opiate to the masterpiece that is Aenima. Much more developed than the first released, the album feels like arduously climbing out of spiritual sludge to attain enlightenment (4 degrees), only for that realization to be false, sweeping the listener away with a “flood” of truth. “I was wrong… this changes everything.” Maynard’s anger strong in this one, and the first few songs justify the anger – Intolerance, Prison Sex, and Sober. The next three songs – Bottom (ft. Henry Rollins), Crawl Away, and the Swamp Song - appear to be about separation from an unhealthy relationship or mindset, culminating with the blistering title track, Undertow. The lyrics are poignant and merciless, receiving an 8/10.
The bassline in Swamp Song is phenomenal but D’Amour’s last outing with Tool is otherwise mediocre. Adam’s guitar playing continued to improve along with Danny’s drums as he slowly added more percussive instruments to hit and thud. 7/10 for musicianship. Because I became immersed with the band around 2003, everything released before then had a greater impact on my life personally, and Undertow is no exception. For Bottom, Swamp Song, Four Degrees, and Flood specifically, I’ll give it a 9/10 for personal influence. As an album overall, it gets an 8/10, but I threw in 6 bonus points for the awesome, groundbreaking music videos for Prison Sex and Sober.
4. Lateralus (2001)
Total Score: 44
For many Tool fans, putting Lateralus at 4 discredits this list and spurs cries of “blasphemy!” Since becoming a big Tool fan 22 years ago, it quickly became clear to me (through hours spent on the old https://toolshed.down.net) that there 2 distinct camps of fans, those who championed Aenima as the greatest Tool CD, and then those that thought Lateralus was their best album. And to be fair, it is really hard to rank Tool albums after 1995 because all of them are flawless in their own right. The Grudge opens the album with an 8+ minute powerhouse, setting the tone for almost all future Tool songs. They completely disregarded the radio friendly song lengths of under 5 minutes. Maynard’s voice is at its absolute best here, but for me, the lyrics (while wonderfully magical) don’t pack the same punch as the albums further down this list.
The Buddhist themes of letting go, being patient, rediscovering communication, and witnessing “the beauty” are prevalent and insightful, but also haven given the band an aurora of religiosity that can turn more casual listeners off – lyricism gets a 9/10. Ticks and Leeches features Danny’s and Maynard’s talents on full display – the musicianship on this record is undeniable, receiving a 10/10. And overall, this record is a classic, getting another 10/10. As for the impact on my life, it certainly resonated, getting 9/10. If I hadn’t seen the Schism video when I was 12, I don’t know if I would’ve fallen down the Tool-shaped rabbit hole a couple years later. And with Parabol(a) being the absolute perfect song to listen to, or music video to watch, while tripping balls… 7 bonus points for Lateralus.
3. 10,000 Days (2006)
Total Score: 45
This CD came out when I was a junior in high school and its impact on my life was immediate. I waited on pins and needles for the release, and while it wasn’t what I expected… it was exactly what I needed at that time. Maynard’s lyrics are less subtle and ambiguous than earlier releases, and having that focus only sharpened his lyrical talent. Vicarious directly attacks human overstimulation through electronic mediums, Jambi is beautiful celebration of life, the title tracks comprise a tearful solemn love note to Maynard’s late mother, The Pot expresses the frustration with hypocrisy in governments and their justice systems. And then there’s Rosetta Stoned which takes the best elements of the Lateralus title track and Aenima’s climatic Opus, “Third Eye” and combines them into an 11+ minute tour de force.
Along with a lot of the record, Right in Two leans heavily into Christian imagery to show humans in a sobering light, we’re just monkeys fighting over pieces of the ground… Lyrics get a 10/10, and personal impact gets a 9/10. The record is great but just not as finely tuned as Lateralus or Fear Inoculum, so that results in a 9/10 for overall rating, and then another 9/10 musicianship score for that same reason. Because of when this CD hit in my life, I’m throwing in 8 bonus points thanks to all the art by Alex Grey, the concerts I saw between 2006 and 2012 featuring these songs heavily, and the amount of time I played the album on repeat.
2. Fear Inoculum (2019)
Total Score: 46
After 13 long years, the members of Tool could’ve literally shit on a blank album and released it and I would’ve taken it. Instead, they release the most expertly crafted musical journey that shines despite the evident wear on Maynard’s aging vocal cords. Danny’s drums are beyond fathomable, showcased in the second track Pneuma. But where other Tool records have a theme of evolution and ascension, this one quite literally descends from a fearless state in the opening title track, to the torturous confusion in the epic, heavy opus that is 7empest. Unlike other Tool CDs, the streaming release featured additional segues that wouldn’t fit on the physical CD, which contains just 7 tracks, but all of them are masterful. Culling Voices might be the weakest, but it sent chills down my spine upon the song’s release and had a significant impact on my personal mindset. Other than that though, its influence on my 30 year old brain was just not as significant as the earlier releases were, so in that regard, it gets a 7/10.
But in terms of an overall record, and pure musical mastery, Fear Inoculum gets a 10/10 and another 10/10. What Maynard has lost due to age in terms of vocal range (no more screaming), he has more than made up for in both the rhythm and poetry of his lyrics – which I scored a10/10 as well. Also, Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor are in top form for a majority of the album, specially Invincible, Descending, and 7empest – which harkens back to the days of Tool where Undertow and Aenima were all that defined them. Tool in the 1990s (when my sisters were fans) was a different type of monster. They hid in the shadows, their videos and hidden tracks were like mythical legends of the hard rock music scene, and they were shrouded by rumors of dark magic and satanic rituals. Anyway, after 13 longs years since 10,000 Days, for Tool to return at all was amazing, but for it to be with this CD was awe-inspiring. Throw in 9 bonus points.
1. Aenima (1996)
Total Score: 49
This is my second favorite album of all time. The impact it had on my life is indescribable. There was my life before becoming absorbed by this CD in October 2003, and then there was my life after. It is a clear divisible line for I was someone completely different afterwards. I listened to Aenima hundreds if not thousands of times between the end of 2003 and the end of 2005, practically disregarding all other forms of music. If it was not Tool (and maybe A Perfect Circle)… I probably wasn’t interested at the time. I was beyond obsessed. To me, the album is about cleansing the soul, and can be interpreted countless ways. If you are facing Tool when it begins with Stinkfist, then you are asked to turn around and take it. If you had your back to Tool, then you turn around and take Maynard’s hand as he leads you compassionately through the anger, sorrow, and pain that accompanies a spiritual awakening. If you’re not going along willingly, though, it’s like getting fisted – or an Aenema. The song Pushit is my favorite song of all time, specifically the live version on Salival.
Third Eye signaled Tool’s eventual encroachment into progressive rock, Hooker with a Penis addresses the bullshit of corporate industries and “selling out.” 46&2 invokes Carl Jung’s shadow concept and human evolution. H. and Eulogy and Pushit revolve around the theme of an unhealthy attachment… Aenima is a masterpiece. 10/10 overall, 10/10 for the mesmerizing lyrics, 10/10 for personal impact, and also 10 bonus points for the music videos, Salival (2000), and the arrival of Justin Chancellor on the bass. So, do the math, I’m only giving it 9/10 for musicianship, begrudgingly admitting that the four members of Tool produced music at a higher quality in subsequent releases, but that heavy rawness still present in Aenima is what makes it their best release of all time.
Check out a book I wrote that was very inspired by Tool’s music, called LAENIF
Best Albums by the Band Tool
Ranked: Top Tool Abums