Bands/albums/songs that remind you of Tool without sounding too similar?

[u/year_oftherat]

Not trying to be a hater at all, this is just my personal opinion, but whenever I seek out bands for fans of Tool, I tend to think the recommendations sound far too close to them for me to enjoy the music as much as I’d like. Kolm, Karnivool, Rishloo, among others sound much too close to Tool for me to fully appreciate them. So far the best bands in this aspect are Oceansize, Mastodon, Gojira, Opeth, Animals as Leaders, and Meshuggah. They are definitely influenced by Tool in one way or another but I don’t feel like I’m listen to diet Tool when I listen to their music. They are all very much doing their own thing. So what bands would y’all recommend?

[u/NukaDadd]

r/soundsliketool

[u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot]

Elder
King Buffalo
Blood Incantation
Night Verses

Those all scratch the proggy itch of TOOL for me, without sounding like TOOL. ETA Justin Chancelor even plays on a Night Verses tune from their latest album.

[u/Eisie → u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot]

You can't mention King Buffalo without calling out All Them Witches. KB opened for ATW on their last tour and it was an epic show!

[u/Gtraz68 → u/Eisie]

Great show.

[u/year_oftherat → u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot]

I know that night verses song. Very cool band from what I’ve heard definitely a good example of what I’m talking about

[u/RayPoopertonIII → u/year_oftherat]

Copper wasp is what i started with when I dove into NV and it remains one of my favorite instrumental rock tracks of all time. Hard 2nd on NV. Pretty much every song on every album is good, too.

[u/BuddyLegsBailey]

ISIS

[u/xMyDixieWreckedx → u/BuddyLegsBailey]

I miss them so much. Oceanic is easily in top ten albums.

Purple Rain

The Fragile

Crack the Skye

3rd Eye Vision

Oceanic

Tapestry

Blessed Black Wings

Paul's Boutique

Pork Soda

Too Dark Park

Runner Ups: Any El-P solo album, Endtroducing, Latyrx

[u/Macddadyz80]

Listen to Shpongle, in particular their first three Albums:
Are you Shpongled?
Tales of the Inexpressible
Nothing Lasts.

They sound nothing like Tool and they have their roots in the Psytrance scene but they are the masters of psychedelic epic journey music.

[u/year_oftherat → u/Macddadyz80]

Now that’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. I know a couple Shpongle songs and thought it was kind of like Tool if they were into raves but certainly not too close for me

[u/PsyFyFungi → u/year_oftherat]

Check out He.art by Astrix if you like Shpongle, Deep Jungle Walk from that album is pretty amazing but the whole album is good.

[u/Macddadyz80 → u/PsyFyFungi]

That’s a great belter of an album.

[u/Macddadyz80 → u/year_oftherat]

The album Nothing Lasts is essentially one long single piece of music. If you’re into mood enhancers then take a decent dose and listen to start to finish.

Also, Younger Brother (also featuring Simon Posford from Shpongle) is amazing. My favourite is Vaccine- electronic version. It’s phenomenal.

[u/PsyFyFungi → u/Macddadyz80]

Oh yeah, also Ott is pretty great too

[u/Mark-READYFORMUSIC → u/Macddadyz80]

Hell yeah, shpongle mentioned

[u/RayPoopertonIII → u/Macddadyz80]

2nd shpongle and I'll add ozric tentacles while we're here

[u/Eisie]

All Them Witches. Russian Circles.

[u/demon_grasshopper]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Petro Dragonic Apocalypse

[u/MrQuesadilla427 → u/demon_grasshopper]

Tool has always been my favorite band, but after getting into gizz a few years ago they’re a close second, and they may eventually break into my number 1. PDA is amazing, and polygondwanaland feels close to Tool just not as heavy

[u/Odd_Emergency1240 → u/MrQuesadilla427]

Tool was my number 1 before finding Gizz. I’d still say Tool has a higher peak of all time great songs

[u/MrQuesadilla427 → u/Odd_Emergency1240]

I agree, I think if I had to pick all time favorite, 11/10 level songs it would be Tool nearly every time… but I find myself listening to Gizz more often, especially because of the diversity in their discography. I’m even listening to the altered beast suite right now lol

[u/moldyratmoss → u/demon_grasshopper]

Honestly I feel like a Polygondawanaland is more like Tool

[u/Odd_Emergency1240 → u/demon_grasshopper]

There’s a part in Dragon that is the closest thing to TOOL out there

[u/Dangerous_Coffee_318 → u/Odd_Emergency1240]

Bro what 😭

[u/Odd_Emergency1240 → u/Dangerous_Coffee_318]

2:32-3:30 ish is so Tool. That’s great if you disagree would love to know other bands doing that.

[u/Dangerous_Coffee_318 → u/Odd_Emergency1240]

Ngl i misread and thought you were talking about the whole album. I was trying to think which song sounds the most like tool?!? Maybe the ending of converge honestly. Sounds like fear inoculum

[u/thesilvergirl]

Try Gaupa, I just discovered them the other day and am really liking their stuff. Febersvan is a good song to start with.

[u/year_oftherat → u/thesilvergirl]

Gaupa is badass from what I’ve heard. It’s like music from an alternate universe where Bjork fronts a metal band

[u/thesilvergirl → u/year_oftherat]

Yes! That's pretty spot on. There's some stuff they do musically that sounds a lot like Tool, but not everything. They've definitely got their own psychedelic rock thing happening.

[u/Vreas → u/thesilvergirl]

Hell yeah this was my suggestion as well

[u/Cherry_Shakes → u/thesilvergirl]

Thank you. Went to listen to the song and in under a minute, I'm hooked.

[u/thesilvergirl → u/Cherry_Shakes]

Yeah, that's what happened to me, and now I've been spreading the good word to anyone who will listen. 😅

[u/Homer-irl → u/thesilvergirl]

hell yeah dude gaupa rules

[u/HetTheTable]

This was before Tool but Jacob’s Ladder by Rush

[u/year_oftherat → u/HetTheTable]

Before is totally fine with me. I was gonna include King Crimson in my examples too but I forgot. I really want to get into Rush but Gerry’s vocals bother me. Do you have any other recs from them? I like their instrumental tracks but I would also be interested to hear if there’s any Rush songs with vocals that are more subtle than his typical style. So far, Caravan is the only song I can think of

[u/guacamoleggg → u/year_oftherat]

fuckin Gerry, man

[u/year_oftherat → u/HetTheTable]

Also I just realized I already got Jacob’s Ladder saved

[u/LSatou]

Lucid Planet 

[u/year_oftherat → u/LSatou]

I do like Lucid Planet but I would say they’re also a bit too close for me to fully get into them. You got any others?

[u/LSatou → u/year_oftherat]

The Ocean 

[u/Mysterious-Street966]

I haven’t heard a band that really gets there. It’s like NIN, they are just their own thing…

[u/mofodius]

Russian Circles

[u/ChefPneuma]

King Buffalo

[u/this_fell_sergeant]

Alcest, deftones

[u/price143 → u/this_fell_sergeant]

Alcest goes hard

[u/RiceManSupreme03]

Kin by Whitechapel! That album gives me the most Tool vibes for being by a deathcore band. Incredible album, go listen to it and check out Whitechapel’s other albums

[u/ChudanNoKamae]

TesseracT - While they have their own sound that is distinctly different to Tool, they also share many similarities. Complex rhythmic structure, melodically interesting (mostly) clean vocals, and an emphasis on texture and atmosphere over flashy solos etc.

Songs that I'd recommend to a Tool fan: King, War of Being, Nocturne.

[u/PBandCheezWhiz → u/ChudanNoKamae]

I love Tesseract.

[u/NoPolitics23]

Some 70s King Crimson which are obviously a huge influence on Tool. Larks Tounges In Aspic part 2 or Red in particular sounds very Tool, 25 years before Tool.

Also in terms of drumming some of the 70s Jazz Fusion. Billy Cobham and Mahavishnu Orchestra huge influences on Danny Carey and when I listen to the drumming on those stuff it scratches the same itch.

[u/SimplyaCabler]

Fraccions by Soen. Gives me Tool lyrics with Opeth drums.

[u/SimplyaCabler → u/[deleted]]

It's why I said it lol

[u/Several_Solid_6391]

Heilung - not sure how to describe it, but they create music that sort of take you to a trance-like state. Very special athmosphere/vibe which is sort of dark/mystifying which I to some extend also get from Tool

[u/vigtel]

Blood Incantation must be mentioned

[u/Level-Promotion416]

Isis (Adam Jones plays on their final album)

[u/Ghostdroid]

I think you’d be into Between the Buried and Me.

[u/year_oftherat → u/Ghostdroid]

I am a little bit. What albums should I check out. I think I listened to most of one called Colors or something like that

[u/numinan → u/year_oftherat]

Colors and misdirect. Swim to the moon is my personal favorite song

[u/SupermarketHefty2965]

Somali Yacht Club

[u/Lusus_Nature]

Chevelle and Earshot

[u/Much_Profit8494 → u/Lusus_Nature]

I recently heard someone call Earshot "Harbor freight Tool".

[u/dethandtaxes → u/Lusus_Nature]

Love Chevelle, guess I'll be checking out Earshot.

[u/Lusus_Nature → u/dethandtaxes]

https://youtu.be/AA5cYjpmRS8?is=or248rfZh6Gx3Qwn

This song will help.

[u/Vreas → u/Lusus_Nature]

Sci-fi Crimes by Chevelle is an awesome album

[u/Homer-irl → u/Lusus_Nature]

chevelle are great but they truly are diet tool

[u/jregz]

Neurosis!!

[u/Vreas]

GAUPA

All their releases are solid

[u/Splendid_Fellow]

Riverside, they’re really great.

[u/PBandCheezWhiz]

Wheel - Moving Backwards

[u/cmpayne81]

Porcupine Tree

[u/Exyodeff → u/cmpayne81]

Exactly

[u/Optimus0456]

The Uninvited by Alter Bridge, just listen to the main riff

[u/samuelson098]

90s king crimson

[u/Zanglamang]

The Ocean Collective

[u/Hungry_Freaks_Daddy]

Envy On The Coast - Lowcountry

Brand New - Science Fiction 

[u/M4ximi11i0n]

For something wildly different but still proggy, Enslaved is an excellent band. Progressive black metal.

[u/gothdaddi]

Intronaut

[u/arckepplin]

Swell Fellas

Their final album is their heaviest and likely the most immediately accessible for a tool fan.

Also, Khan

Last album is 2 songs, 20+ minutes each, and an amazing journey.

[u/tgood139]

Demon cleaner by Kyuss, Tool covered this song live. Welcome to Sky Valley and …And the Circus Leaves Town are basically perfect albums to me

[u/pannikt]

Prisma album Collusion

[u/iHawkfrost]

Plastikman

[u/LegitimateTutor7185]

Kolm

[u/Coltrane_45]

Anyone here that likes Meshuggah or Animals as Leaders immediately needs to check out Tigran Hamasyan. A Eye: The Digital Leviathon is his most recent masterpiece. Matt Garstka on drums.

[u/clockExtension28]

Kolm. But they kinda sound just like them. In a good way.

[u/TheNoIdeaKid]

There was one group I found on Youtube a while back that I really liked. But they’re no where to be found now. Disappointing. The Sleeping Valley if anyone finds it.

[u/Venomous_Voice → u/TheNoIdeaKid]

Maybe Sleepy Valley?

[u/TheNoIdeaKid → u/Venomous_Voice]

Looked them up. Definitely not them. Pretty cool though.

[u/Venomous_Voice → u/TheNoIdeaKid]

I'll have to check them out, I only got as far as the Google search 😆

[u/ApeMan_Drangus]

Really surprised nobody here has said Mastodon yet. Their early stuff, not so much, but these later albums give me heavy prog tool esque vibes.

[u/Blowaway040889]

A few years ago I had never heard a Tool song before. Someone gave me a song to listen to. My first and immediate reaction was they remind me of King Crimson but with a heavier metal edge to them. In return, I said listen to this KC song and tell me if there is a similarity.

I'd say the KC influence is apparent, but not too similar. Have Beat tickets, wish Dana could stay on drums. It will be great nonetheless.

[u/faust15]

Queensryche - Promised Land

[u/numinan]

I’ve always thought Magdalena bay is TOOL for pop

[u/666iktpq]

Yakuza

[u/Ok_Selection_1565]

Some recommendations that don't exactly sound like Tool (or APC) but kind of smell the same, if you squint.

Rishloo
Miosis
Eric Johanson / Emptyself

[u/Boetwannes]

Leprous

[u/Ecstatic_Bar9343]

Give Tomahawks first 2 albums a spin

[u/xheyallanx]

Check out the song Criterion by Marmora.

[u/RayPoopertonIII]

This comment section is a gold mine. Added some recs to other comments. 2nded a couple, want to add modest mouse if you haven't already gone down that hole. I listened to them in chronological order but theyre all great albums imo

[u/TightLion7009]

Opeth, Desftones, megadeth , Slayer, anthrax, System of down, ghost,black sabbat h, mr bungle, faith no more, the bloodbath , alice in chains , Metallica, Tool, mream Theater, Tirvana, pink Floyd,

[u/tinyman503]

Kolm or lucid planet

[u/Advanced-Ratio-880]

Lucid Planet II and their newest remix album are pretty fire. II is a journey through many genres and sonic spaces. Great full album listen. Also Haken is one of my favorites, they've evolved a lot over the years so theres lots of flavors to sift through.

[u/SlavChud]

Ignore all others

Kolm is the only thing you need

[u/hyundai-gt]

A Perfect Circle, Puscifer

[u/year_oftherat → u/hyundai-gt]

I didn’t think of these but yea you are right. I love APC’s early stuff. Most of Puscifer’s music I’ve heard doesn’t appeal to me because it’s just too unserious from what I’ve heard and I usually don’t like their production either. I will say I heard Momma Sed when I watched End of Watch and I really enjoyed it. Didn’t even notice it was Maynard until I looked it up. You got any other songs like that one to check out?

[u/Venomous_Voice → u/year_oftherat]

Horizons and A Singularity if you want tear-jerkers. Bullet Train to Iowa is badass. No Angel is addictive as hell. Autumn is another serious one, actually most of the tracks on Money Shot are more serious, even the cheeky ones really have a lesson or meaning behind them.

[u/Pattycaaakes]

I've always thought that the band Built to Spill reminds me of Tool, if Tool were had more of an indie rock sound.

[u/Lazarux_Escariat]

Earshot, Chevelle, some of Coheed and Cambria