Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta has expressed his thoughts on Tool, acknowledging that he has repeatedly tried to get into the band’s music.
In a recent interview with This Day In Metal, Jasta was talking about some potential big gets for his own podcast (The Jasta Show). Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is a high-profile guest he hasn’t landed yet and he also mentioned an opportunity that was presented to interview Tool’s Maynard James Keenan. The only catch was Keenan wanted to talk about his wine-making business and steer clear of any Tool chatter.
That’s what prompted Jasta to open up about his relationship with Tool’s mind-bending progressive music. While he certainly respects it and can recognize the “genius” of it all, it’s just not something he’s into.
“I never got into Tool, but every year — every other year, maybe — I’ll go, ‘Hey, I’m gonna try to get into Tool,’ and then someone will recommend a song and then I’ll go listen to the song,” he admits, willing to keep an open mind and revisit some material as time passes.
We’ve all been there, right? There’s some band or album that we just can’t get into and sometimes further down the road it finally clicks and we’re a converted fan.
Jasta says that when he does go back and check out some Tool songs, “I end up liking the song.”
“I never really go back to it, but I will hear it and I can recognize the genius in it,” he continues, enthusing, “The playing is incredible and the production is incredible and [Maynard James Keenan‘s] voice is incredible.”
“I don’t have any desire to really like go back and listen to it again, but I can say, ‘Wow,’ in the moment, when I do go check it out,” Jasta goes on.
READ MORE: Marc Maron Explains Why He Doesn’t Like Tool
As for an unnamed song off Tool’s most recent record, 2019’s Fear Inoculum, the Hatebreed frontman says, “it sounded like I was in a spa in Sedona, waiting to get a massage or something.”
Ultimately, it’s just a matter of preference and Jasta leans more favorably toward brutal, knuckle-dragging music.
Still discussing that Fear Inoculum song, he adds, “It was atmospheric and mellow and ethereal… I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s like it was something really delicate, soft but calming. And I’m, like, I just wanna listen to [death metal band] Necrot and just fucking [singing] ‘Drill the skull’. I’m just a caveman at heart — I just wanna hear ‘Drill The Skull.’”
Jasta jokes, “And so then I listen to Necrot and I’m thinking, ‘Man, Maynard probably hates this shit.’”
It’s a totally level take. Jasta doesn’t dismiss Tool as bad music and clearly recognizes the wealth of talent its members possess. What it comes down to is simply a matter of personal taste. And any Tool fan can likely understand that the band’s music is not for everyone, just like Tool fans aren’t into every band that has ever existed.
Check out the Necrot song Jasta shouted out directly below and you can see his full podcast appearance further down the page. If you keep scrolling, you can see how we ranked every Tool song!
