Man, what have you guys done to this thread lol... I will say, damn I wish I'd been into Tool at 5, or 8 or 9 - I was 15 when I first got into them, would've given me many more years of coolness, or I should say "Toolness" heh.

I saw one post in there about them not being the first to express the ideas that they do. That is the whole point though, isn't it? Of course they are not the first, but they are fantastic contemporary messengers , and you always need that. Something for the young folk to relate to, and get them thinking. Plus their take on it, is an original, and a not easily imitated one at that. A bit of an apex of what, from wha,t and to what has come before, in my opinion anyway.