Undertow

MEMORABLE LIVE PERFORMANCES: TOOL- CRAWL AWAY 2025

During Tool’s most recent tour in Australia, the band pulled out songs they haven’t played live in years. I don’t just mean like 5 years. We are talking 20 years plus. Songs that fans all over the world have been anticipating to make it in the set list for years. One of those that was played just so happened to be “Crawl Away.” “Crawl Away” is in my top 5 favorite Tool songs of all time. I absolutely love this song. And of course they bring it out and play it in Australia. Fun fact, “Crawl Away” up until this point had not been played live in 26 years. Yes that’s right TWENTYSIX YEARS! Up until November 22, 2025, the last time Tool played “Crawl Away” live was August 8, 1998. That’s just absurd and way to long to go without playing this song! So, here it is, “Crawl Away” LIVE for the first time in 26 years! Thankfully someone in the audience filmed it. Sorry Maynard but, this was a necessary filming!

Tool- Crawl Away (Live In Australia, 2025: First Time In 26 Years):

TITLE TRACKS: TOOL- UNDERTOW

I have an interesting theory on title tracks. More often than not, the title track on an album is a deeper cut, towards the end of the album. My theory is that the “title track” is a bit of a summation of what the album encompasses. It could be musically, lyrically, thematic or the all around tonality of what the album is about. There are quite a few bands that do this on a consistent basis and I quite enjoy it. One of those bands is Tool. They have successfully done this three times (Undertow, Aenima and Lateralus). As much as I love “Lateralus” I really have to say “Undertow” might just be the best of the three. The song itself has a lot of different vibes to it. You have the heavy aspects, the syncopated rhythms, but the more progressive elements mixed with a bit of psychedelia puts this one over. “Undertow” is a song you can get lost in and it’s placement in the album sequence really lets the song become its own entity. I’m glad to see that “Undertow” made it back into the set list the past few years. More songs off of the album itself need to be played live. Less Fear Inoculum and more of the songs not played enough!!

Tool- Undertow:

Unsung Masterpieces Part 1: Tool- Undertow

Tool is one of the most artistic, innovative and creative bands to come out in the past 25 years. Each of their albums have left a mark with rabid fans eating up everything that they do. Tool’s catalog though short is very deep. The subject matter of lyrics and the depths that the music creates is not for the weak. You can tell the amount of time they band spent working on the songs is worth every second. Maynard’s vocal approach is undeniable his own. Many have tried to copy him but don’t come close. Adam Jones has one of the more intriguing guitar tones and styles. Danny Carey’s drumming is said to be created by seances and summoning sprits, to which is very believable especially with the odd time signatures. Originally on bass Paul D’amour created a bass tone that ripped through the songs with such ferocity that it became the driving force of quite a few songs. Now Justin Chancellor has taken that sound and progressed it to an etherial place. A lot can be said for what their masterpiece is. Some will debate that it is Aenima or Lateralus, Undertow is an unsung Masterpiece. Songs like Intolerance, Crawl Away, Bottom, Flood, and of course Sober all have such a well of emotion and insight into the inner workings of Tool. A bit of history about the album, Undertow was recorded between October and December 1992 at Sound City Studios, and at Grandmaster Recorders, Hollywood, California, by Sylvia Massy. Some of the songs featured on the album are songs that the band decided to not release on Opiate. Henry Rollins makes a guest vocal appearance on the song “Bottom.”

Take a listen again and see what you’ve missed out the first few times you listened to Undertow.

Undertow:

By: Brian Lacy