What Have You Been Listening To?

[crazysam23]

They're more prog than other alt metal bands and have elements of prog.

Yes, but Prog always had a certain feel to it that Tool lacks. The '70s prog bands that defined Prog Rock and helped define Prog Metal (because Prog Metal started in the '80s and was directly inspired by the '70s Prog groups) always had a complexity of composition that Tool tends to lack. A lot of Tool riffs are like 2 or 3 power chord riffs. That's fine, but it's not complex...meaning not very Prog. Compare Tool's compositions to groups like Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, & ELP (Emerson, Lake, & Palmer). Those groups were inspired a lot by classical music compositions. To me, Tool sounds very derivative by comparison. Derivative is fine, but Prog doesn't really tend to be derivative in general.

But since they do have elements, that's why I say pseudo-prog. Elements of prog isn't enough to be fully prog. It's like how a comedy for little girls may not be considered a shojo show, even though there may be similar elements in both.