Richard Kingsmill (interviewer): Well, I mean, I think we should talk 
about the album as well because the pronounciation is something that 
obviously alot of people around the world are going to be scratching 
their head about, the new TOOL album.  I've been saying Inima, am I 
halfway correct?

Adam: Yeah, I mean, I guess being Australian you can get away with that.  
*laughs*

Richard: Don't patronise me.

Adam: It's Onoma.  It's Onoma.

Richard: It's Arnama is it?

Adam: Onoma.

Richard: What's it mean?

Adam: It's um, a basic philosophy of, of maybe the end of the world, or 
the end of what's going on in our world, and evolving because of that.. 
stepping up. You know like, we're not evolving, I think alot of people 
have just slowed down, technology's gotten to the point of yeah, we're 
moving on, but we're moving on very slowly because people are becoming 
very comfortable, and the thing that I've found out, most people don't 
like to think and I'm one that, I like to be stimulated, and like to think 
and like to get my mind open and whatever can do that, I'll do. If it's 
music, if it's taking a walk, if it's doing drugs, if it's having sex, or 
whatever, reading a book, whatever, as long as my mind is open and I'm 
expanding my consciousness and I'm aware of my surroundings and I don't 
take them for granted, I mean, that's what it's about, and I think most 
people don't wanna think about that or don't think about that, and um, I 
don't know, it just kinda makes me sick. They all want answers and they 
all wanna get wrapped up in stuff, so it slows down our evolution. 
Bill Hicks said you know, evolution didn't stop at our songs, we can keep 
going, language is just, you know, like spoken language is just one way of 
communicating, but there's so many other ways, you know that, you know 
what I'm saying?

Richard: Yeah, sure, I mean um, I'm just trying to wonder if you're very 
optimistic about the future and how then you can raise that consciousness 
amongst a planet that's so heavily populated..

Adam: I can't do anything.  I can't do anything.  All I can do is just 
try to open my own mind.  And that's what we're expressing through our 
songs.  I mean, we're not a band like Rage, who I respect alot, but 
they're very political, and you know, they're trying to make a change, 
and they're trying to change people's thinking and all that kinda stuff, 
and all we're doing is just going "hey, this is what we're about"

Richard: But at the same time you'd like to feel like you had the power 
within the band that you were opening up a few minds out there as well

Adam: Oh I think we do, I think we do and I think there are people who 
want that you know, but I think most people don't, but I think um, the 
success of our band is because of that.  Because, I mean, really, I mean, 
this album is doing a lot better than anything we've ever done, but we 
have done well for ourselves in the past (bowling alley people make 
announcements over the P.A.) Argh!

Richard: *laughs* Well you are in a bowling alley..

Adam: yeah... But we have done well for ourselves because of our fan 
base. It's been very underground, and the lack of advertising and 
marketing with the band, it's been more of a thought process, it's 
been more of you know, people getting in touch with the music and taking 
it a lot further than just being the hot pick of the week, or taking it 
further than just the catchy song lyric. You know, we don't print our 
lyrics because we want people to really sit closer to the speaker and try 
and hear what Maynard's saying versus what's going on in the music.  Cos 
we treat everything with as much importance as the lyrics.

*cut to stinkfist*

Richard: It is a whole, I mean I find listening to TOOL's music at some 
times I am stretching my ear to hear what Maynard is actually singing, 
but to me, it's not all that important.

Adam: Yeah, I mean, exactly, you know what I mean, like I'm saying, most 
people are going to listen to it and it's not going to be important to
them

Richard: No, but I'm saying it's the whole picture, I get this sense of 
the communication of intensity, of passion, of feeling and I don't need 
to sorta listen to find out exactly what the key is behind each of the 
songs.  I don't find that that's a necessary part of me listening to your 
music though.

Adam: Yeah, and it's also like a lot of people don't get it, and they'll  
say they get it and if it's positive, I go "okay, that's cool".  You 
don't go "oh no no man, you're not getting it" I mean, if someone's 
negatively not getting it, I go "dude, that's *not* what it's about".  
You know, like people come up to us, and we have a song called Opiate, 
and it's about you know um, the corruption of Christian religion being 
forced down our fucking throats.  Alot of people take that as like a pro 
Christian song, and these Christians come up to us going "Dude, you know, 
that song saved my life, and thankyou Jesus" and I go "ok, cool".  See 
it's positive.  I'll give you another example. Sober.  It's about doing 
drugs, and why can't we do drugs if something positive happens?  And we 
get a lot of people who can't handle drugs that think it's about not 
doing drugs, and being sober and they come up going "man, I really relate 
to that song" and I go "great, if that's what you get out of it".
But I don't wanna go "oh, we're such an edgy band and everyone must get 
us" and all that kinda thing.  Like I said, it's just personal, and if 
you get it, cool, if you don't and you like it, cool. You know, as long 
as it's all positive.

AJ: All my friends think like I do, they all think positive, and if I hang
out with them more and then it can be like, just meeting them, or I can
be, you know, friends, or really good friends or be even intimate with
them.  If they don't think like I do, I don't want to hang out with them.
Coz all they're going to do is drag me down.  You know, and I think a lot
of people are unhappy, and they don't want to evolve, and they don't want
to.. like, you know, I'm not saying that I'm evolving.  Like, you know,
"Look at me, if you want to see what the future is". No. But I'm trying. 
I'm trying to look at things in a new way, I'm trying to expand my
consciousness, and I'm not trying to take life for granted at all. Because
I believe that this is it.  You know, you live, you die.. that's it. 
Whatever else is out there, is beyond our comprehension and it probably
will be for a long time, you know, I don't think the world needs answers,
you know.. there's going to be questions that can't be answered and don't
have to have.. it's ok not to know the answers.. 

[cut to Sober.. ]

END OF PART I

PART II:

AJ: Justin has, well.. it's mean to say, I mean, I love Paul and all that,
and I wish him well, but, I'm so happy that happened. [laughs]  Justin
Chancellor is the most amazing person I've ever met.  He.. his favourite
band was Tool, he was my best friend in England, he writes like Tool, he
thinks like Tool, he likes all the same kind of music I do, you know,
he just fit the glove, perfect.  And, you know, most of the new songs
that you've heard, or.. are riffs that he wrote.

K: Are they really?

AJ: Yeah.  At least half of them.

K: Wow, that's pretty interesting.  Because, I mean the song credits on
the album is just simply Tool, so I was kind of wondering where the
initial spark came from.

AJ: Well, we don't look at like this.  Like I said, you know, we treat
everything with equal importance, and what happens is.. noone comes and
goes "Here's the song that I wrote".  Justin will come in with a riff.
Then I'll come in with a riff, and then, Justin will come in with two
riffs, and we'll kind of start playing with them and expanding them, and
making choruses for the riffs, or taking riffs here or there.. or Maynard
will come in with at riff.  All the lyrics are written last.

K: It sounds very complex too, you listen to Tool's music and you
kind of wonder sometimes how long it took to create something like that.

AJ: Well, sometimes it takes 2 days, sometimes it takes, you know, 3
months.  So, it's just.. but it's all fun.  I mean, we'd rather just do
things our way, do it slow and not worry about how long the song is, not
worry about, you know, if it's going to have mass appeal, you know.  We're
making ourselves happy. The biggest message I can give to anyone is, if
you truly want to be happy, do what you do, that makes you happy.  Don't
do something that makes you money, to bring you happiness.  Because
that's.. I don't know about Australia, but in America, that's what they
really try and push.. that.. you have to go to college, and have to get a
degree, and have to get a good job, and you'll be happy.  You know, and
it's like, no.  You have to be happy, and that will bring you success. 
And that's what we do.  And that's why I'm saying, this is so much fun,
that you wouldn't believe it, and it's never felt like a job.  As soon as
it does, you know, I'm going to quit. And go do something else. 

[cut to Prison Sex]

AJ: The best part about it is, no one knows what I look like.  I can
go out right now, we're playing a show, like, 5000 people, and no one will
recognise me, I can watch the two opening bands, and then go onstage.
It's wonderful.  And it completely keeps your mind open for everything
that we're doing, and everything that we want to do, and all of the goals
that we have.  I mean, we're not rock stars.  We're geeks.

K: Seriously?  You're geeks?

AJ: Yeah.. we're geeks.  You know, like, Danny and I watch Star Trek,
Maynard, you know, he loves watching cartoons and doing stupid stuff,
and watching the same movie over.. like we love Caddyshack, and I mean,
we're just, we're a bunch of friends, who're all geeks.  That's why, it's
not about what we look like, and how we "rock out" or whatever the fuck,
you know.  A guy, in an interview the other day that was complaing what
a shoe gazer I was, you know, onstage, and it was like, they miss the
point.  Because you can barely see me onstage to begin with.  We have
all these projections, we have lights, they have really atmospheric
emotional, trippy kind of, dreamy presentation with our music which
completely stimulates each other, and they totally missed out on it.
Because I wasn't rocking out, swishing my hair.

K: You weren't living up to the rock and roll stereotype.

AJ: I guess so.  And I guess I never will.  And if you don't like that,
then don't come see us.

K: Which one are you on that.. I've actually just changed the slicks of
the cd and put in the one where the guy's doing that.. interesting yoga 
position.  Are you actually..

AJ: Actually, it's a woman.

K: It's a woman, is it?

AJ: Yeah, Rolling Stone wrote that it was a guy blowing himself, and no,
it's actually a woman who's a contortionist.  It's like an art she does.
And.. I'm the one with the suit on.

K: Ahh.. the black suit?  

AJ: Yeah..

K: OK, cool.  Well, it's still pretty hard to see what you look like
there.

AJ: Exactly.

[both laugh]

[cut to Aenima]

THE END.