Fear Inoculum’s release caps off over a decade of speculation and anticipation, with confirmation of the release arriving in May as the band flashed “August 30” from the stage as they performed two new songs: “Descending” and “Invincible.”
As August arrived, TOOL released their back catalog via digital service providers, seeing Opiate,Undertow,Ænima, Lateralus and 10,000 Days rack up in excess of 20 million streams in the subsequent 48 hours and occupy the top five spots on iTunes’ Top 10 Album Charts. 23 years after its initial release,Ænima re-entered Billboard’s Top 200, arriving at #10, with Lateralus(#16),10,000 Days(#18) and Undertow(#19) landing in the Top 20. TOOL’s debut release, 1992’s Opiate EP, made its Billboard chart premiere, arrived at #59. The band also broke records that week: taking four of the top five spots on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart (the first act to achieve that feat upon digital release) and claiming 15 (of 25) spots on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
TOOL formed in 1990, releasing four multi-platinum studio albums:Undertow(1993),Ænima(1996),Lateralus(2001) and 10,000 Days(2006); two EPs: 72826(1991) and Opiate(1992) and the limited-edition boxset Salival(2000). The band has won three GRAMMY Awards®: Best Metal Performance (1998, “Ænima”), Best Metal Performance (2002, “Schism”) and Best Recording Package (2007,10,000 Days). TOOL is Danny Carey (drums), Justin Chancellor (bass), Adam Jones (guitar) and Maynard James Keenan (vocals).