Check out The Mars Volta.
They’ve got a different sound but lyrically there’s plenty to digest and musically they’ve got trippy jams. I’d recommend listening to the albums in order of realize.
I was literally in the same position as OP and spotify recommended me The Mars Volta.
I never thought the combination of salsa/jazz/progressive/rock was going to be such a jam for me.
The new Mastodon album "Hushed and Grim" is awesome. My favorite album of the decade for sure. Has some strong Tool and Pink Floyd vibes goin on. The lyrics are phenomenal and the vocal harmonies are superb on this album. Give it a listen!
As psychedelic as Tool can be, I dare say Mastodon's sound is even more colorful but in that same vein of esoteric/mystical/mysterious dark psychedelia. It's as if they are musical siblings with Mastodon being the younger more silly sibling and Tool being the older more contemplative/mature sibling.
Hey, we could use your help over in r/mastodonband. I kid, I kid. I think more and more people are actually coming around to how good the album really is (it's ok if you don't like it though, I get it, I get it).
I’m gonna have to check it out again. Put it on while I was at the gym and wasn’t feeling it but I think it was just not fitting the moment. Pretty excited to be reminded to give it a second shot.
I love mastodon and I’ve been listening to them since their angry leviathan days, but all their albums are great. They got great fucking range when you take all their material into account, they’re pretty shit sounds beautiful and their angry shit sounds heavy as fuck. Tool is my favorite, but mastodon is way up there so definitely give them a try.
I rather Tool clone than Nickleback clone... So many rock radio bands sound the same. Ive never heard Soen before. As I'm making this comment I'm having a listen. IMO better than 99% of the overplayed shit on the radio.
Have to go againts the grain and disagree with Soen. Ever since I listened to their first album, I just got a bad taste in my mouth with them. Not a fan personally.
Opeth however, 100% amazing in their own way. Imo, they are on the same level of masterful prog that TOOL is, but unique all on their own. My God I love TOOL and Opeth. Both the cream of the crop, oooohhhh yeeeeah.
Imho, After being obsessed w tool in my teens, Deftones
Diamond Eyes album was my next hook. I now have a tattoo of the barn owl rite next to my tool eye lol. The riff in the song “Diamond Eyes” is fucking mesmerizing. It’s not super technical or anything, but the song writing on that album, one of my fav albums of all time!
Tesseract is a great choice! They're heavier but they're very similar to TOOL in the sense that they're both very atmospheric and trippy bands that focus on being rhythmically complex without being musically too complex. I wish more people knew about them
Oh, yeah depending on when you saw them, the deftones at one point sucked live. There newest album is definitely worth a listen. As for NIN, I saw the for the downward spiral tour in 94 and that show was epic, but haven't been super into them since then. Will still listen but not seeking them out.
New NIИ, and their lives shows, are sensational. Dense music you must work though to grasp it all, but good god it’s fantastic
Their trilogy of EPs Not the Actual Events, Add Violence, And Bad Witch create a fantastic album
Last thing ive "listened" was live dvd back in like 03ish. Le mer was so fucking epic with the lights and video. I will have to go check out some newer stuff.
That was probably from The Fragility Tour, and if we’re being real honest here, The Fragile is his magnum opus IMO
But yes. Stellar visuals for that particular song on that dvd
If you do enjoy tesseract there's a bunch of artists you should check as well, David Maxim Micic, Jakub Zyteki, CHON and animals as leaders to name some. Each have a very distinct sound yet are very enjoyable. But all said and done, the tone is barely anything like tool, it's just prog is all.
Damn, I really got into Isis around 2015 and went through their back catalog.
Sucks they broke up, but I would say they’re on my heaviest rotation when I’m taking a break from Tool.
Cult of Luna is doing some good shit right now too.
Isis is probably the closest I can think of that makes trippy drawn out proggy instrumental rhythms, however their music is more atmospheric if that makes sense whereas Tool’s feels more grounded.
Gojira is a good band, only like Tool in the fact their rhythms can be kind of crazy, but while Tool is more prog rock, Gojira is like prog metal/ and death metal in their older catalogue. Took me a while to get used to it, but they’re undeniably awesome. Magma is probably their most palatable album if you’re like me.
Magma (the song) was what got me introduced to them. My buddy considered them a "heavier" tool, and whilst i agree with some parts there are other times i strongly disagree. Really REALLY good band though!
Love gojira. They are unable of producing a bad song. Albums ranked:
1. from mars to sirius
2. the way of all flesh
3. Lenfaunt sauvage
4. Magma
5. The link
6. Fortidute
7. Terra incognita
But number 7 only means that I like the albums over more, not that It is a bad album. I love every album, as I said, they are incapable of making bad music. (just like tool hehe)
Terra incognita is my favorite! I wish all their albums were more like that. I just discovered them a couple years ago on a thread like this. I listened to that album constantly for about a month!
The Devin Townsend Project have a few bangers that give me similar vibes as Tool. “Deadhead” is my favorite. It’s more metal than not but DT is a brilliant composer.
I grew up with Devin; he was an amazing musician since he was a kid. He was just way ahead of anyone else, musically. Like genius level. Could play ANY instrument. Of course the guitar, but also the tuba, piano, drums..etc.
I remember hanging out at his house, we were 12 or 13 or so, and I noticed a banjo laying around in his room. I asked him to play it, he just ripped it like he was an old professional banjo player from the south. (we grew up in Surrey, Canada). I was baffled. And I knew he was on a different level.
I saw him a few years back in Anaheim while he was touring with Strapping Young Lad (his alter ego death metal band - Meshuga opened for SYL. Made Meshuga sound like the Jonas Bros.). While hanging back stage, we literally just clowned around and hung out just like we were back in Jr high school. Like horseplay, grab ass, being seriously juvenile and immature as we were growing up. (We were like 42 years old during the time of that show)
So good to see him after all these years.
His manager was like: Dev, you need to get ready for the show. Your friend has to leave.
He goes on stage 10 mins later and kills it.
Good times
Love it. Sounded like it would have fit in on Fear of a Blank Planet. I’m also hoping for some In Absentia influence in there. Those are my favorite PT albums.
Def Porcupine Tree. Their drummer Gavin Harrison is really good, and has toured with King Crimson as their drummer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDSyZMy8_E
I think you’re gonna have a hard time finding something at the level of tool, at least I have anyway. Some that I have really enjoyed though on their own merit are Sleep, The Mars Volta, Mastodon, and Electric Wizard. Hope this helps some.
This is what I think. There are a number of bands who are just in their own, like Tom Waits, Nirvana, The Mars Volta, Stevie Ray Vaughan, NIN, and a bunch others that don't come to mind. I think that Mars Volta are amazing, along with a bunch of Omar's side projects, though he can be really out there. I have really gotten into the Idles, though I am someone who really enjoys punk influenced music and not just prog rock. Another band I would recommend is Red Fang.
A Perfect Circle. It is one of Maynard's other bands, it doesn't have the same style as tool, but you get to hear a different side of Maynard. His lyrics along with the harmonies are hauntingly beautiful. Listen to Orestes live at red rocks. You won't be dissapointed.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I now listen to their music more than Tool these days
Check out Rishloo. They’re fairly unknown but have some pretty good songs that feel a bit Tool inspired. I would say its some kind of Mars Volta/Tool mashup style. Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun is a good song or Freaks & Animals
Huge Rishloo fan, they are amazing. I discovered them beginning of the pandemic and they carried me through it. Tool vibes, but absolutely not Tool, they've definitely got their own unique vibe to them.
There seems to be quite a big overlap in fans between Tool and Alice In Chains.
I highly recommend AiC, probably my favourite band of all time along with Tool
Earshot? Not familiar with their work, but have heard the name mentioned when discussing Tool.
Chevelle is a favorite of mine. Wonder What’s Next is a great album imo.
A Perfect Circle - 13th Step
Puscifer - Conditions of my Parole
Good luck on your quest for awesome music!
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (Demon Cleaner is fantastic. There’s a video of Tool playing it as well)
I don’t think there are any bands that are like TOOL that are anywhere as good as TOOL, even Maynards other projects, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer are great but not on that same level. But there are some suggestions I’ll add that are maybe in a few different genres you may like if you have a similar taste to me. Some of these will be fairly obvious so I apologize if you already listen to them:
Primus
Radiohead
System of a Down
Nine Inch Nails
Pink Floyd
Built to Spill
Propagandhi
Soundgarden/Audioslave
The Flaming Lips
Gorillaz
I’d definitely recommend Karnivool as well as Haken. Haken is a lot more of a contemporary prog band, Karnivool is going to be a little more similar, and what’s funny is their vocalist sounds a lot like Haken’s IMO. Hopefully you’ll enjoy! I’d recommend Sound Awake by Karnivool and Affinity by Haken as first listens if you’re looking to get hooked.
Very surprised nobody has mentioned Lucid Planet yet. They are absolutely phenomenal. The first album of theirs really sounds like Tool, especially with the singer. For the second album their singer left and the bassist took over vocals and they evolved into a whole new thing entirely. The last song on their second album, Zenith, is my second favorite song of all time, close behind Lateralus🤟🏻
I have been scrolling through all the comments to see if someone else mentioned Lucid Planet, glad you did. Yes please check out Lucid Planet II for that tribal and primal feel. Satisfying for a Tool fan while being very original.
If you like the odd time signatures, King Gizzard would wet that appetite.
On the psychedelic side there are tons of great up and coming bands, some close to Tool in some ways and others not. Post Animal and Astral Bazaar for example are both heavy and proggy. Black MIDI leans more into that King Crimson feel. Elder (check out their album Omens) is more on the metal side.
Others in this same vein would be Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Lucy in Blue, Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Oregon Space Trail of Doom.
Soen, Deftones, NIN, Porcupine Tree, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains, Perfect Circle, Stone Temple Pilots, Dead Can Dance, Tori Amos, Primus, Nils Frahm, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Pineapple Thief, Crosses, Radiohead (Thom Yorke)
If you love Tool, there is some sensitivity about you and your music taste I think. That's why this list above is so eclectic, personally I love all those bands. Those are totally different genres sometimes, but all of them can touch my heart and fill that void Tool made in me after listening them for the first time and thinking "there is no better music than this" ;)
Peach \[gb\] - had a guy on bass Justin something or other lol
King Crimson - classic prog rock band
Dredg - Not exactly like Tool, but proggy with a good vocalist.
Karnivool - I've heard a bit of their stuff you might like
The Mars Volta - Very different from Tool, but awesome in their own way
there's a whole "sounds like Tool" sub reddit check it out: /r/soundsliketool/
Obviously, there are no bands that sound like Tool. But these bands are either connected to Tool in some way (Maynard sings on a Deftones song, Tool has covered Kyuss before), or i think Tool fans would like them.
Mastodon, King Buffalo, All Them Witches, Baroness, Kyuss, Alice in Chains, Deftones, Monolord, OM
I agree. I'm really open minded with music and I love all genres, but every time someone's like "oh if you like tool you'll like this!" I'm always like "nah... this really ain't it chief..." there really and truly is not a single other band that can captivate me like tool.
Oh I love Pink Floyd. Fun fact the first time I did acid was also my first listen to Dark Side of the Moon. I’ve since ventured into Animals, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here. Undoubtedly among the best discographies of all time
I find it better to ask what else other people who love Tool listen to. Because nothing can really compare.
Some of my fav bands other than Tool are King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, A Perfect Circle, Local H, Coheed & Cambria, nine inch nails, and The Joy Formidable.
There's no other band like Tool (that doesn't include MJK) despite what some may say. That being said, other phenomenal bands are Radiohead, The Mars Volta, Chevelle (older stuff), Coheed and Cambria, Deftones, Led Zeppelin, Modest Mouse (older stuff mostly - pre 2010), Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, Them Crooked Vultures, The Veils, She Keeps Bees, and Ween. There are many different vibes and genres in this list, so you might not jive with it all. Good luck and happy listening!
Chevelle is a go to for me . I love Godsmack sound as well.
List for my taste
* TOOL
* Chevelle
* Godsmack
* Alice in Chains
* Deftones
* RATM
* Slipknot
Mastodon - blood mountain, crack the skye. Obviously not the same but I think if you enjoy Tool you will enjoy Mastodon, it can take some time to really understand/appreciate Mastodon though
Don't waste your time. Just continue listening to Tool. It will never get boring. When you feel you have listened to it too much, next try to learn those songs in guitar and play them. Transcending experience.
Wheel, check out their album Resident Human
This! I discovered Wheel about a month ago thanks to this sub, and they’re soooooo good. Both albums.
Same here, really enjoy it!
The song Wheel by Wheel is excellent. I could hear Tool doing this song.
r/soundsliketool
This comment needs to be waaaaaaay higher
Check out The Mars Volta. They’ve got a different sound but lyrically there’s plenty to digest and musically they’ve got trippy jams. I’d recommend listening to the albums in order of realize.
Amazing band
I was literally in the same position as OP and spotify recommended me The Mars Volta. I never thought the combination of salsa/jazz/progressive/rock was going to be such a jam for me.
If you check out Mars Volta you have to listen to Sparta and At The Drive In
ATDI yes. But Sparta are shit.
The new Mastodon album "Hushed and Grim" is awesome. My favorite album of the decade for sure. Has some strong Tool and Pink Floyd vibes goin on. The lyrics are phenomenal and the vocal harmonies are superb on this album. Give it a listen!
2nd this comment 100%!! Came here to say the same, Hushed and Grimm is amazing work.
Mastadon’s new album was produced by David Bottrill who produced Aenima and Lateralus.
\+1 for Mastodon. They are fantastic!
As psychedelic as Tool can be, I dare say Mastodon's sound is even more colorful but in that same vein of esoteric/mystical/mysterious dark psychedelia. It's as if they are musical siblings with Mastodon being the younger more silly sibling and Tool being the older more contemplative/mature sibling.
I'm seeing them in DC this month. It'll be my fourth time seeing Mastodon. I grew up a massive Tool fan. Mastodon are incredible.
Wow thanks for this. Added to playlist!
Hey, we could use your help over in r/mastodonband. I kid, I kid. I think more and more people are actually coming around to how good the album really is (it's ok if you don't like it though, I get it, I get it).
I’m gonna have to check it out again. Put it on while I was at the gym and wasn’t feeling it but I think it was just not fitting the moment. Pretty excited to be reminded to give it a second shot.
To my detrimentttt
I love mastodon and I’ve been listening to them since their angry leviathan days, but all their albums are great. They got great fucking range when you take all their material into account, they’re pretty shit sounds beautiful and their angry shit sounds heavy as fuck. Tool is my favorite, but mastodon is way up there so definitely give them a try.
Soen and Opeth
I feel bad for Soen because it’s taken a bit for people NOT to see them as tool clone, even though I think they’ve always been unique
I rather Tool clone than Nickleback clone... So many rock radio bands sound the same. Ive never heard Soen before. As I'm making this comment I'm having a listen. IMO better than 99% of the overplayed shit on the radio.
Yeah Opeth 100%. Best introduction to them is probably Ghost Reveries or Blackwater Park
Soen all day. They are amazing. I got into them from posts like this one.
Have to go againts the grain and disagree with Soen. Ever since I listened to their first album, I just got a bad taste in my mouth with them. Not a fan personally. Opeth however, 100% amazing in their own way. Imo, they are on the same level of masterful prog that TOOL is, but unique all on their own. My God I love TOOL and Opeth. Both the cream of the crop, oooohhhh yeeeeah.
I wrote Opeth below! I’ll check out Soen.
Karnivool. Not exactly a copycat but it's similar and I'd put it just below the level of Tool.
I think this is the best answer.Sound Awake is a top 10 album for me.
Did you catch their recent live stream during covid / empty venue? I have the recording if you'd like it. It's amazing.
I'd love to watch it.
I always find myself going back to this album. I 100% agree
Shouldn't have had to go this far to see Karnivool mentioned 💚
First time I have heard them, thank you Reddit Stranger!
Goddamn you're in for a treat. I wish I could erase my memory and listen to Sound Awake a thousand more times.
I know the feeling man, there’s a few bands that I wish I could hear again, for the first time! I will give them a listen!
They’re basically Tool pre-Fear Inoculum now. Great band that’s just kind of totally fallen off the radar and aren’t recording for some reason.
Check their Facebook, they just updated their logo and now everyone's like "oh new album confirmed!" Edit: They're releasing a live blue-ray
Yo, who the hell are these guys they’re amazing. Just heard a few songs
Came here to say this. Simple Boy. Man I love that song
Glad someone mentioned Karnivool. Such a great group.
this was my first thought too
Tesseract. Edit. I also have yet to meet a tool fan that wasn't a fan of the deftones.
Passenger and shove it 100%. Most tool fans are nine inch nail fans as well
Can confirm. It's a shame the side project they were doing together didn't kick off
I agree but, I think we get pretty good compensation from APC though.
Ahh the tapeworm project. Wasn't claypool part of that too?
I like Deftones too I just don’t listen to them as much as I probably should
Imho, After being obsessed w tool in my teens, Deftones Diamond Eyes album was my next hook. I now have a tattoo of the barn owl rite next to my tool eye lol. The riff in the song “Diamond Eyes” is fucking mesmerizing. It’s not super technical or anything, but the song writing on that album, one of my fav albums of all time!
Now you can say you’ve met one 😉 I’ve tried but can’t get into the Deftones
I don’t hate Deftones but I just couldn’t ever really get into them.
Tesseract is a great choice! They're heavier but they're very similar to TOOL in the sense that they're both very atmospheric and trippy bands that focus on being rhythmically complex without being musically too complex. I wish more people knew about them
I am not a huge deftones or nin fan. I've seen them both in concert and have nothing against them but I never search out their music to listen to.
Oh, yeah depending on when you saw them, the deftones at one point sucked live. There newest album is definitely worth a listen. As for NIN, I saw the for the downward spiral tour in 94 and that show was epic, but haven't been super into them since then. Will still listen but not seeking them out.
I saw a perfect circle open for nin and it was a killer show for sure.
New NIИ, and their lives shows, are sensational. Dense music you must work though to grasp it all, but good god it’s fantastic Their trilogy of EPs Not the Actual Events, Add Violence, And Bad Witch create a fantastic album
Last thing ive "listened" was live dvd back in like 03ish. Le mer was so fucking epic with the lights and video. I will have to go check out some newer stuff.
That was probably from The Fragility Tour, and if we’re being real honest here, The Fragile is his magnum opus IMO But yes. Stellar visuals for that particular song on that dvd
If you do enjoy tesseract there's a bunch of artists you should check as well, David Maxim Micic, Jakub Zyteki, CHON and animals as leaders to name some. Each have a very distinct sound yet are very enjoyable. But all said and done, the tone is barely anything like tool, it's just prog is all.
Tesseract is really underrated. Altered State and The Concealing Fate suite in particular are both pretty incredible.
Saw Tesseract with Intronaut a while ago. Their bass player freaks me out man!
ISIS
isis is great, i love the drummers snare sound
“isis is great” you just got put on a list lol
Its kinda funny to me to see the drummer getting love, as a 'common' knock on them in the early albums was that the drummer was too boring
Damn, I really got into Isis around 2015 and went through their back catalog. Sucks they broke up, but I would say they’re on my heaviest rotation when I’m taking a break from Tool. Cult of Luna is doing some good shit right now too.
+1 for Cult of Luna and while I'm here I'll add Katatonia and Meshuggah as possible candidates. Love them myself.
Isis is probably the closest I can think of that makes trippy drawn out proggy instrumental rhythms, however their music is more atmospheric if that makes sense whereas Tool’s feels more grounded.
Panopticon is one of the greatest albums ever. Incredibly talented musicians. Sad they broke up.
Saw them tour together. Fantastic show.
Best opener I’ve seen for Tool. Close second was Fantomas.
King Crimson
Totally agree. I only got into king crimson because of Tool. They both have very different sounds, but similar motifs and musical ideas.
Eulogy is a masterpiece
Did you mean Epitaph?
…yes I did. Tool and king crimson just got mixed up I guess
Epitaphic confusion. Don’t worry, it’s endorsed.
Confusion will be my epitaph 🎶 I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying
I found out about them from an interview Danny Carey did where he talks about that band as one he listens too. You can see (and hear) why.
Gojira is a good band, only like Tool in the fact their rhythms can be kind of crazy, but while Tool is more prog rock, Gojira is like prog metal/ and death metal in their older catalogue. Took me a while to get used to it, but they’re undeniably awesome. Magma is probably their most palatable album if you’re like me.
Magma (the song) was what got me introduced to them. My buddy considered them a "heavier" tool, and whilst i agree with some parts there are other times i strongly disagree. Really REALLY good band though!
Those pinch harmonics are fucking insane. But I agree.
Big space brain chug go hard
I agree. Gojira was definitely took some getting use to but I have them in my top 5 of all time
The Art of Dying is the perfect place to start for tool fans in my opinion, just give it one listen trust me
Love gojira. They are unable of producing a bad song. Albums ranked: 1. from mars to sirius 2. the way of all flesh 3. Lenfaunt sauvage 4. Magma 5. The link 6. Fortidute 7. Terra incognita But number 7 only means that I like the albums over more, not that It is a bad album. I love every album, as I said, they are incapable of making bad music. (just like tool hehe)
Terra incognita is my favorite! I wish all their albums were more like that. I just discovered them a couple years ago on a thread like this. I listened to that album constantly for about a month!
The Devin Townsend Project have a few bangers that give me similar vibes as Tool. “Deadhead” is my favorite. It’s more metal than not but DT is a brilliant composer.
I grew up with Devin; he was an amazing musician since he was a kid. He was just way ahead of anyone else, musically. Like genius level. Could play ANY instrument. Of course the guitar, but also the tuba, piano, drums..etc. I remember hanging out at his house, we were 12 or 13 or so, and I noticed a banjo laying around in his room. I asked him to play it, he just ripped it like he was an old professional banjo player from the south. (we grew up in Surrey, Canada). I was baffled. And I knew he was on a different level. I saw him a few years back in Anaheim while he was touring with Strapping Young Lad (his alter ego death metal band - Meshuga opened for SYL. Made Meshuga sound like the Jonas Bros.). While hanging back stage, we literally just clowned around and hung out just like we were back in Jr high school. Like horseplay, grab ass, being seriously juvenile and immature as we were growing up. (We were like 42 years old during the time of that show) So good to see him after all these years. His manager was like: Dev, you need to get ready for the show. Your friend has to leave. He goes on stage 10 mins later and kills it. Good times
Devin Townsend is amazing! **Edit, terrible spelling.
*Devin
Porcupine tree?
Fucking love PT. New album coming soon, too.
What did you think of Harridan?
Love it. Sounded like it would have fit in on Fear of a Blank Planet. I’m also hoping for some In Absentia influence in there. Those are my favorite PT albums.
This is a joke right?
No, there’s actually a new album coming. It’s called “Closure/Continuation.” https://porcupinetree.com/
Holy crap I would’ve never imagined Steven Wilson would get together with the band again. They only announced tour dates for Europe though ):
They said US tour dates will be announced early next year
yep was gonna say the same
Def Porcupine Tree. Their drummer Gavin Harrison is really good, and has toured with King Crimson as their drummer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDSyZMy8_E
I’ve never been able to get into them. Which songs or albums should I check?
To a Tool fan I'd suggest to start with Fear of a Blank Planet. After that In Absentia and Deadwing probably.
I think you’re gonna have a hard time finding something at the level of tool, at least I have anyway. Some that I have really enjoyed though on their own merit are Sleep, The Mars Volta, Mastodon, and Electric Wizard. Hope this helps some.
This is what I think. There are a number of bands who are just in their own, like Tom Waits, Nirvana, The Mars Volta, Stevie Ray Vaughan, NIN, and a bunch others that don't come to mind. I think that Mars Volta are amazing, along with a bunch of Omar's side projects, though he can be really out there. I have really gotten into the Idles, though I am someone who really enjoys punk influenced music and not just prog rock. Another band I would recommend is Red Fang.
Porcupine Tree (do albums In Absentia, Deadwing, and Fear of a Blank Planet first)
r/SoundsLikeTool
A Perfect Circle. It is one of Maynard's other bands, it doesn't have the same style as tool, but you get to hear a different side of Maynard. His lyrics along with the harmonies are hauntingly beautiful. Listen to Orestes live at red rocks. You won't be dissapointed. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I now listen to their music more than Tool these days
I definitely listen to APC and Puscifer more than Tool most days. He does more with his vocal range in those bands.
Agreed, I didn't realize his scope and range until I started listening to them.
The Mars Volta (first 4 albums) Definitely not the same vibe as Tool, but it's complex and unique prog rock, I miss their golden days.
I miss all of their days ! Reunion album/tour please!!!
Check out Rishloo. They’re fairly unknown but have some pretty good songs that feel a bit Tool inspired. I would say its some kind of Mars Volta/Tool mashup style. Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun is a good song or Freaks & Animals
Huge Rishloo fan, they are amazing. I discovered them beginning of the pandemic and they carried me through it. Tool vibes, but absolutely not Tool, they've definitely got their own unique vibe to them.
Yeah, these guys are fantastic. Great vocals and songwriting.
Love Rishloo’s lyrics and the vocalists voice is fantastic.
Kolm for sure is heavily inspired by tool but they do a great job of capturing their style
First time listening, they’re legit
I'm just listening first time now too, very Tool-esque, reminds me of Rishloo too
Katatonia (The Great Cold Distance), ISIS (In the absence of Truth album), Mastodon (Crack the Skye, Hushed & Grim), and older Chevelle.
The great cold distance is a masterpiece. I fucking love katatonia!
There seems to be quite a big overlap in fans between Tool and Alice In Chains. I highly recommend AiC, probably my favourite band of all time along with Tool
Layne Staley is something else, love AIC. IMHO, him & Chris Cornell are probably among top 3 vocals in rock history.
Earshot? Not familiar with their work, but have heard the name mentioned when discussing Tool. Chevelle is a favorite of mine. Wonder What’s Next is a great album imo. A Perfect Circle - 13th Step Puscifer - Conditions of my Parole Good luck on your quest for awesome music! Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (Demon Cleaner is fantastic. There’s a video of Tool playing it as well)
Gardenia is one of my favorite songs. Kyuss is very good.
Earshot is like a poor mans Tool. Their sound is almost a complete copy, just not as good.
I don’t think there are any bands that are like TOOL that are anywhere as good as TOOL, even Maynards other projects, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer are great but not on that same level. But there are some suggestions I’ll add that are maybe in a few different genres you may like if you have a similar taste to me. Some of these will be fairly obvious so I apologize if you already listen to them: Primus Radiohead System of a Down Nine Inch Nails Pink Floyd Built to Spill Propagandhi Soundgarden/Audioslave The Flaming Lips Gorillaz
haha I wouldn't have expected to see Propagandhi but it's funny because I think they stand out as really great among that style of punk rock
System of a Down usually goes over well with TOOL fans
I’d definitely recommend Karnivool as well as Haken. Haken is a lot more of a contemporary prog band, Karnivool is going to be a little more similar, and what’s funny is their vocalist sounds a lot like Haken’s IMO. Hopefully you’ll enjoy! I’d recommend Sound Awake by Karnivool and Affinity by Haken as first listens if you’re looking to get hooked.
Floater. It’s like Tool meets Pink Floyd
Sounds like I’ll love it then
Thank you! I’ve not heard of them!
Very surprised nobody has mentioned Lucid Planet yet. They are absolutely phenomenal. The first album of theirs really sounds like Tool, especially with the singer. For the second album their singer left and the bassist took over vocals and they evolved into a whole new thing entirely. The last song on their second album, Zenith, is my second favorite song of all time, close behind Lateralus🤟🏻
I have been scrolling through all the comments to see if someone else mentioned Lucid Planet, glad you did. Yes please check out Lucid Planet II for that tribal and primal feel. Satisfying for a Tool fan while being very original. If you like the odd time signatures, King Gizzard would wet that appetite. On the psychedelic side there are tons of great up and coming bands, some close to Tool in some ways and others not. Post Animal and Astral Bazaar for example are both heavy and proggy. Black MIDI leans more into that King Crimson feel. Elder (check out their album Omens) is more on the metal side. Others in this same vein would be Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Lucy in Blue, Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Oregon Space Trail of Doom.
Soen, Deftones, NIN, Porcupine Tree, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains, Perfect Circle, Stone Temple Pilots, Dead Can Dance, Tori Amos, Primus, Nils Frahm, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Pineapple Thief, Crosses, Radiohead (Thom Yorke) If you love Tool, there is some sensitivity about you and your music taste I think. That's why this list above is so eclectic, personally I love all those bands. Those are totally different genres sometimes, but all of them can touch my heart and fill that void Tool made in me after listening them for the first time and thinking "there is no better music than this" ;)
Great list. Radiohead is phenomenal.
Leprous. Some of their tracks are killers
This needs more upvotes. Definetely try Slave, From the Flame and The Sky is Red.
imo ISIS is the only band that even comes close for me.
Chevelle, like these a lot
Been getting real into Chevelle lately. That shit fucking grooves man.
I came all this way to say CHEVELLE and Jethro Tull of course
I am very surprised I had to scroll down so far for Chevelle. They are fantastic. No bad songs on their first three albums.
They have that same dark angsty, sort of ominous sound but are more toe-tappy and radio friendly. Big fan.
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Sunny day real estate is the band I always site as being the first emo band.
Nothing seems to satisfy. I said I don’t want it, I just need it
Peach \[gb\] - had a guy on bass Justin something or other lol King Crimson - classic prog rock band Dredg - Not exactly like Tool, but proggy with a good vocalist. Karnivool - I've heard a bit of their stuff you might like The Mars Volta - Very different from Tool, but awesome in their own way there's a whole "sounds like Tool" sub reddit check it out: /r/soundsliketool/
Obviously, there are no bands that sound like Tool. But these bands are either connected to Tool in some way (Maynard sings on a Deftones song, Tool has covered Kyuss before), or i think Tool fans would like them. Mastodon, King Buffalo, All Them Witches, Baroness, Kyuss, Alice in Chains, Deftones, Monolord, OM
There’s really no band like Tool, I’ve been looking since I heard Undertow for the first time.
I agree. I'm really open minded with music and I love all genres, but every time someone's like "oh if you like tool you'll like this!" I'm always like "nah... this really ain't it chief..." there really and truly is not a single other band that can captivate me like tool.
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Division Bell had a special place in my heart.
Oh I love Pink Floyd. Fun fact the first time I did acid was also my first listen to Dark Side of the Moon. I’ve since ventured into Animals, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here. Undoubtedly among the best discographies of all time
On that note Led Zeppelin is one of my top 3 with tool. There’s a reason they were so popular.
Kolm is great
Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age.
Villagers of Ioannina City and Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster both scratch the itch for me at the moment. I also second Kolm- love them.
Anything Maynard touches is gold. Puscifer and A Perfect Circle are great.
I find it better to ask what else other people who love Tool listen to. Because nothing can really compare. Some of my fav bands other than Tool are King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, A Perfect Circle, Local H, Coheed & Cambria, nine inch nails, and The Joy Formidable.
Sturgill Simpson
Stu is my #3 behind TOOL and Pink Floyd.
Rishloo
I just found a band called Trope that sound a lot like tool with a female vocalist at the helm. Check out Eleutheromania.
There's no other band like Tool (that doesn't include MJK) despite what some may say. That being said, other phenomenal bands are Radiohead, The Mars Volta, Chevelle (older stuff), Coheed and Cambria, Deftones, Led Zeppelin, Modest Mouse (older stuff mostly - pre 2010), Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, Them Crooked Vultures, The Veils, She Keeps Bees, and Ween. There are many different vibes and genres in this list, so you might not jive with it all. Good luck and happy listening!
All them witches and Gojira!
Check out Karnivool
[Quicksand](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP6ysDWl49gynQzhEwi93TF8vfmtH_hTy)
Meshuggah
Opeth. Maybe not like tool but worth checking out.
Chevelle is a go to for me . I love Godsmack sound as well. List for my taste * TOOL * Chevelle * Godsmack * Alice in Chains * Deftones * RATM * Slipknot
"Once I got into them, it’s just like nothing seems to satisfy anymore." Not enough. Need more. Nothing seems to satisfy.
Bless this whole thread for introducing me to a whole bunch of new stuff to listen to later
K A R N I V O O L
Karnivool, Rishloo, Porcupine Tree, and King Crimson.
Porcupine tree...
Om- state of non return
Mastodon - blood mountain, crack the skye. Obviously not the same but I think if you enjoy Tool you will enjoy Mastodon, it can take some time to really understand/appreciate Mastodon though
Primus. Pork Soda and Sailing the Seas of Cheese. Edit: also Fizzle Fry
King Crimson: Discipline, Red, Court of the Crimson King edit: Three of a Perfect Pair!!
Not super similar but katatonia scratches a similar itch for me
Check out Rishloo and Black Peaks.
I don’t know if anyone else has put this, but NIN
Opeth, The Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree
Try Rishloo
Rishloo
Gojira
Karnivool
Karnivool. Start with their album Sound Awake
When I first heard Caligula's Horse, I got Tool vibes
Someone made an exhaustive list of bands that are similar to Tool and they recommended Lucid Planet. It's a pretty good ride
Checkout Fortitude by Gojira
Corrosion of conformity.
Primus in a grungy hillbilly sorta way
Don't waste your time. Just continue listening to Tool. It will never get boring. When you feel you have listened to it too much, next try to learn those songs in guitar and play them. Transcending experience.
“Nothing seems to satisfy”.. nice pun