I’m sure you’ve heard the news in recent months… Tool is back and brought a brand new album with them. Currently nearing the end of their lengthy U.S. tour, the band brought their live show to a sold out PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on Sunday night (11/24). 

Tool has been extremely busy these past few months, having released their newest album Fear Inoculum in August and kicking off their U.S. tour in October. The release of Fear Inoculum marked their first new album in 13 years and was accepted with great praise from fans and followers.

Tool delivered an unforgettable set, comprised of five new songs off Fear Inoculum, among them included the title track “Fear Inoculum,” “Invincible,” and “Descending”. They also played several nostalgic tunes such as “Schism,” “Parabola,” and “Vicarious”. Their show was a grand mixture of sight and sound, their powerful playing was accompanied by stunning visuals, lights and lasers. Tool is notably a band best listened to loud. Listening to their music on the stereo on full blast pales in comparison to seeing them perform live, where they make the roar of a sold out arena sound like whispers with their monstrous tunes.

If you weren’t able to make it to the show and were hoping to catch some video footage from the audience, you probably won’t find much as Tool enforced a strict no phone policy during their show. The only exception was for the final song of the night, 1996 hit “Stinkfist,” which Keenan informed patrons they could use their phones to record. The arena quickly lit up with cell phones as many attendees desperately wanted a video to remember the night by.


Maddie Matthews

Maddie Matthews

Madelyn is a Live Music Photographer based in Raleigh, North Carolina.