Formed in Los Angeles in 1990, Tool emerged with a heavy-prog-metal sound on their first studio album Undertow in 1993, and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up Ænima in 1996. The group's efforts to combine musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006), gaining critical acclaim and international commercial success. Their fifth studio album Fear Inoculum was released on August 30, 2019, to widespread critical acclaim. Before its release, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone.
Prior to all this, however, Tool spent two years practicing and performing locally in L.A. before eventually signing a record deal with Zoo Entertainment. Their first ever show took place at the Jello Loft in Los Angeles on 5th September, 91, which, remarkably, was recorded for live broadcast transmission along the US west coast. The sound remains excellent and the performance (from which there also exists some video footage) extraordinary.
Released here on stand-alone CD for the first time, this extraordinary gig will remain a Tool milestone and a historic artefact in the band’s trajectory for ever more.