It cracks me up how "into it" Tool fans get. I keep trying to like them, I can't get through an entire album I get far too bored. I don't know if making all the songs sound the same is some concept they were going for, but it doesn't do it for me. I think Tool is the most overrated band ever.
I'm with you on this. I really dug Tool up to the point that they lost Paul D'amour (he wrote about half of Aenima, but left before recording the album). I guess I suffer from Tool-fan burnout. They are a good band, but it's hard to not allow their somewhat meathead fanbase ruin it for me. I've seen them twice - once when they were supporting Undertow, and it was fantastic; small show, good performance, respectful and intelligent audience. The second time I saw them, I went to see Meshuggah, who was opening. Tool was, quite frankly, boring. The music and visuals seemed trite and uninspired, there were too many people, and I couldn't shake the feeling that many in the crowd weren't the sharpest tool in the shed (it didn't help that Manyard managed to get the entire audience of 15,000 to follow along in a chant saying, "Think for yourself. Question authority.")
Funny that many think that Tool are the most interesting and intelligent group of musicians making music today. Sure, they are good, but hardly what I would call innovative and groundbreaking. Putting music to some sort of numerical sequence is nothing new - heck, I know of bands who have made music based on fractals, bands who have invented their own language of notation and rhythm, and bands who have explored scales beyond the standard 12 tone. No one seems to give a rat's ass about these bands - probably because the music is TOO interesting and groundbreaking, and is therefore unpalatable to the masses. Tool just so happens to be able to package a few odd time signatures in a listener friendly, dropped D, mosh-worthy package, and people come out in droves calling them geniuses.
Incidentally, Paul D'Amour's post-Tool projects (Lusk, Feersum Enjinn, etc.) are totally awesome.
