Tool plays rare songs after decades at New Zealand show.

8 hours ago7 min read2 comments

In a move that felt less like a simple concert and more like a curated vinyl side-B excavation for the faithful, the art-prog titans Tool delivered a seismic gift to their Auckland audience, breaking an eight-month performance silence not with a standard setlist, but with a deep-cut arsenal that sent shockwaves through the fan community. The band, renowned for their meticulous, almost ritualistic approach to live performances, didn't just warm up with their greatest hits; they dove headfirst into the archives, resurrecting 'Intolerance' from their 1993 debut *Undertow*, a track whose raw, visceral anger hasn't been a regular on tour rotations for over a decade, offering a brutalist time capsule to their earlier, more aggressive sound.This was followed by the sprawling, polyrhythmic labyrinth of 'The Patient' from 2001's *Lateralus*, a ten-minute epic of quiet longing and explosive release that demands a level of stamina and emotional resonance from both the band and the listener, a track that has been notably absent from their live repertoire for nearly fifteen years, making its return a moment of profound catharsis for long-time followers who have weathered the long gaps between albums. The third and perhaps most unexpected resurrection was 'Right in Two', the celestial and philosophically heavy closer from 2006's *10,000 Days*, a song that builds from Maynard James Keenan's ethereal vocals and Adam Jones's intricate, melodic guitar work into a thunderous, percussive finale driven by Danny Carey's otherworldly kit work and Justin Chancellor's tectonic basslines, a composition that had been shelved for the better part of a decade.For a band that treats its live shows not as mere recitals but as evolving, dynamic soundscapes, the decision to reintroduce these specific songs speaks volumes; it’s a nod to the album-oriented listener, the one who consumes their work as complete, conceptual statements rather than a collection of singles. This strategic setlist curation creates a unique, ephemeral artifact for that specific night, a shared secret between the artists and the crowd that can't be replicated, much like the irreplaceable crackle of a rare, original pressing discovered in a dusty record store bin.The energy in the arena was reportedly palpable, a collective intake of breath as the opening notes of these rarities rang out, transforming the event from a spectacle into a communion. It underscores Tool's enduring legacy not just as master musicians, but as archivists of their own dense mythology, understanding that for their audience, the deepest connection often lies not in the anthem, but in the obscure B-side, the forgotten album track that suddenly, after years of silence, finds its voice again under the stage lights, completing a circuit of meaning that had been left open for far too long.

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