Tool Takes ‘Fear Inoculum’ Tour to Austin, TX

Tool,Frank Ewrin Center,Fear Inoculum,punisher,

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Jan 24, 2020

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Tool Makes Their Way To Austin’s Frank Erwin Center With The Fear Inoculum Tour

January 21, 2020

Photos and Words By Alicia Armijo

Supported by Author & Punisher, Tool brought a hit-packed set to the Frank Erwin Center for a sublime midweek metal indulgence. While fans trickled into this downtown arena, the one-man band, Author & Punisher, entranced listeners with his dark tones and industrial oddities. Enclosed in a custom fabricated drone/dub machine, Author & Punisher brought the crowd to a shared wavelength seamlessly. This band was a happy and unusual discovery for many listeners.

After 13 years of waiting for new music from this quartet of progressive metal legends, Tool finally gave the Tool Army what they’ve been craving: the new studio album “Fear Inoculum.” The album has been noted for being a mature and exciting collection that was well worth the painfully long wait.

The prog-rockers integrated a glorious set that intertwined their new music with some fan-favorites from their eclectic discography, such as “Ænima,” “Jambi,” and more. While the band members were fairly hidden behind a fringed curtain for the first thirty minutes of their set, fans had much to marvel at for the remaining two hours of their performance. From stunning, geometric lasers to projections of hypnotic visuals and their classic music videos, Tool created an extraordinarily immersive experience for their adoring fans.

In place of a traditional encore, the band ended the night with a brief intermission timed by a twelve-minute countdown on-screen. Following this anticipation-builder, the band launched into three rhythmically impressive final numbers. Danny Carey led the band back on stage and all but stole the show with an exceptional drum-solo for one of their newest instrumental pieces, “Chocolate Chip Trip.” His striking performance was well-complemented by an assist from King Crimson’s own Pat Mastelotto. To close out the night, brilliant frontman Maynard James Keenan announced to the crowd that the phone restriction was lifted and that we could all “play around with your phones or whatever.” Diving into their much-loved song “Stinkfist,” Tool brought this unbelievable concert home to the delight of this completely absorbed crowd.