There is much to say about this particular band, about their history, all their accomplishments, but I don't truly care about any of the band members, they don't interest me too much, their poetry and art speak for themselves. I respect them as artists, for they are able to create original guitar riffs, the drummer is one of the best to this date, and lyricist/vocalist Maynard James Keenan, is one of the greatest poets and vocalists this side of Freddy Mercury. Let me put down the lyrics to a few of the songs I find to be truly inspirational...

Pushit
I will choke until I swallow... Choke this infant here before me. What is this but my reflection? Who am I to judge and strike you down? But you're pushing and shoving me. You still love me and you pushit on me. Rest your trigger on my finger, bang my head upon the fault line. Take care not to make me enter. 'cause if I do we both may disappear. But you're pushing me, shoving me. Pushit on me. Slipping back into the gap again. I'm alive when you're touching me, alive when you're shoving me down. But i'd trade it all for just a little bit of piece of mind. Put me somewhere I don't wanna be. Seeing someplace I don't wanna see. Never wanna see that place again. Saw that gap again today as you were begging me to stay. Managed to push myself away, and you, as well. If, when I say I may fade like a sigh if I stay, you minimize my movement anyway, I must persuade you another way. There's no love in fear. Staring down the hole again. Hands upon my back again. Survival is my only friend. Terrified of what may come. Just remember I will always love you, even as I tear your fucking throat away. But it will end no other way.
-as taken off of Toolband.com

Pushit... such a powerful song in my mind, it portrays everything i cannot say. As a great mind once said (i can't quite remember the author of this paraphrased quote, but nevertheless...) "What seems foolish to say in conversation is said in Song." Pushit tells the story of an abusive relationship... a mental one, nothing is to be taken literally. A torn heart, where one both loves and hates their lover... the full spectrum of emotion, TRUE LOVE. "Choke this infant here before me" says simply, that they will take the relationship, and will toss and turn over it, and will ponder it, and will try to make sense of it, till nothing is left but love and regret. THERE IS NO LOVE IN FEAR. Remarkable words, so true, so compelling. There may be other meanings to it, but this is what i've gathered of the song...

Opiate
Choices always were a problem for you. What you need is someone strong to guide you. Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow, what you need is someone strong to use you.. like me, like me. If you want to get your soul to heaven, trust in me .Don't judge or question.You are broken now, but faith can heal you. Just do everything I tell you to do. Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow. Let me lay my holy hand upon you. My Gods will becomes me. When he speaks out, he speaks through me. He has needs like I do. We both want to rape you. Jesus Christ, why don't you come save my life. Open my eyes and blind me with your light and your lies.

"Religion... is the Opium of the people" proclaimed Karl Marx preceding the 1848 revolutions, and right he was in saying so. This song truly portrays that line of thought... One easily will accept any dogma, as long as they have something to gain by it, if they are too "deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow." What are humans... but followers? In one way or another, we follow somebody or other, and leaders can sprout up, captivate and audience, and leave them to believe his dogma. Sad, pitiful existences.

Lateralus
Black then white are all i see in my infancy.
red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
lets me see.
as below, so above and beyond, I imagine
drawn beyond the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.

Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines.

Black then white are all i see in my infancy.
red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
lets me see there is so much more and
beckons me to look thru to these infinite possibilities.
as below, so above and beyond, I imagine
drawn outside the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.

over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind.
Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come.

I embrace my desire to
I embrace my desire to
feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow
to feel inspired to fathom the power, to witness the beauty,
to bathe in the fountain,
to swing on the spiral
to swing on the spiral
to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human.

With my feet upon the ground I move myeslf between the sounds and open wide to suck it in.
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out. I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.

Lateralus, this song truly can represent my line of thought... Many a day i find myself over-analyzing something or other, and finding out, not everything can be reasoned as such. Is there a soul? A God? These are the questions this song tells you to seek, to question, and to find out for yourself. Reach for the Random it proclaims... embrace it! What truly inspirational words, it feels as if you have some purpose again... maybe its just me however...

That is enough of the grueling lyrics and commentary... visit Toolband.com to learn more about them, and if you'd like; here are the albums they have made thus far, if you like the message, you'll be sure to love the music that accompanies it:

OPIATE - released in '92, first EP, 6 tracks
UNDERTOW - released in '94, first full length album, 10 tracks
AENIMA - released in '96, second full length album, 15 tracks
SALIVAL - released in '99, a collaboration of songs and videos, DVD and CD, 9 tracks
LATERALUS - released in '01, third full length album, 13 tracks