Tool Brings Heavy Sound to Tweeter

MANSFIELD - If Pink Floyd was a stand out voice of the sixties, Tool could very well be a contemporary counterpart. With their progression from angst-ridden heavy metal music to dark melodic hard rock, Tool has entranced and held a fan base for nearly 20 years.

On Thursday night they brought their brand of progressive rock-influenced heavy metal to the Tweeter Center to entertain the fans whose lives they have influenced over the years. Beginning in 1993 with their disc "Undertow," Tool captured the angst of the grunge era with darker lyrics and heavier chords than what was typically offered. They were nearly an instant hit.

As their career progressed, their music evolved, while retaining the same style of lyrics they turned away from the crunchy heavy chords of harder rock and embraced multi-layered tracks of electronic noises and extended musical solos.

If one band could distill the entire essence of their career into a single show, it would be Tool. While staying away from their earlier hits, the band focused on the heavier tracks seen on "Aenima" to open the show. The crowd was more than gracious in their applause and adulation. Filling the Tweeter Center to near capacity, the fans shook to each beat, raising their hands and voices as the music performed on stage hit a heavy fever pitch until the whole place was shaking.

After the opening set of established fan favorites, the band went on an extended musical and visual experience rivaled only by Roger Waters himself. Images of amber tinted shapes resembling blood cells, beautiful women with distorted third eyes stamped onto their foreheads or the lead singer Maynard James Keenan silhouetted by a roiling red and yellow sun were the trademarks of the show.

With a name like Tool you wouldn't expect something like Pink Floyd, but yeah, it was that kind of show.

The only problem with the performance is how good the band is. Having played together for years they seemed uninterested in the material. Each song seemed planned out and perfect, but that in turn made the show feel a little soulless.

Despite this, the evening stood out as a break from the typical rock show, entrancing the audience by both the ears and the eyes.