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"HOLY SHIT, DUDE! IT'S STARTING!" - one fan along the rail exclaimed as the house lights went out and the roar of over 18,000 fans filled Staples Center. Tool, celebrating the release of Fear Inoculum, their latest release, 13 years in the making, just calmly took the stage ready to deliver a powerful two hours of music. The night opened with the title track and that 10 minutes of awesomeness really set the mood for what would be an outstanding night. Performing a mixture of songs from their entire catalog, they played four songs from the new album including "Pneuma" and "Invincible;" as well as crowd favorites like "The Pot," "Schism," "Forty Six & 2," and "Stinkfist."

The band were as tight as you'd expect and the grooves were heavy and vocals were spot on. Maynard James Keenan spent most of the time on the top riser of the stage as he would wait and stalk the mic before grabbing hold and commanding the arena. He would pace around like a fighter eager and ready for combat, while bassist Justin Chancellor laid down a thumping cadence for the audience to bop along to all night. Adam Jones' guitar tone was spot on and his tone cut through the mix with absolute perfection. Danny Carey, the beast behind the kit, was impressive and had thousands air drumming along to his complex drum patterns. 

This show was just as impressive visually as it was sonically. The band is known for its unique, and sometimes weird, visual presentation and the set up for this tour exceeded expectations. Alex Grey's stunning visuals scrolled through the video screens all night as lasers and smoke accented what the band was delivering on stage. The band has a number of dates left on this tour as it wraps up at the end of November. Legendary band, Killing Joke opened the night with a great set of well-crafted songs. Don't miss the opportunity to see this tour when it comes to your town.

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