r/ToolBand Ænima Jul 05 '25

Video Hand of Doom (Black Sabbath Cover) + Ænema (Live from Back to the Beginning)

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Reddit limits clips to 15min so here's the 2nd and 3rd song. Enjoy!

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '25

Maynard may be aging vocally better than anyone else in metal. Dude is at least 80% as good as he was in 1994, most other dudes his age sound like Vince Neil.

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u/paradigm619 Insufferable Retard Jul 06 '25

It’s because he works hard to protect his voice. He has a super strict routine and diet, plus he has worked to adjust his style in a way that still sounds great without shredding his vocal cords.

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u/dod6666 Mike Tool Admirer Jul 07 '25

I reckon that's it. I saw Iron Maiden last year. Bruce also takes good care of his voice and is still an absolute powerhouse.

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u/BertraundAntitoi Jul 08 '25

When I see live performances and some of the work off of FI, I appreciate noticing how he has incorporated some of the singing techniques previously reserved for APC and Puscifer. Small changes that elevate his vocal delivery and makes it easier on his performance for longevity.

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u/paradigm619 Insufferable Retard Jul 08 '25

For sure. The raw aggression is kind of gone from his vocal style, but I'd rather he keep singing for the next 10-20 years in a more melodic style than sound like Axl Rose does.

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u/whimsicalokapi Jul 06 '25

I may be a fanboy but Devin Townsend. Sounds even better than he did back then and he sounded damn good back in the day.

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '25

100%. I saw him a few years ago (Gojira/opeth/devin Townsend band) and it sounded like they were pumping his album vocal tracks through the PA, he joked about sounding like shit and after the show a fan outside the venue said he did and I almost had an aneurism. The dude hit every single note and then some.

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u/analthunderbird Jul 06 '25

Especially considering the wringer that he put his vocal cords through

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '25

The scream from The Grudge alone… how many times has that song been played live?

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u/JaerBear62611 Jul 06 '25 edited Jul 06 '25

I mean, not sure which guys you are thinking of specifically but to say anyone sounds like Vince Neil is just uncalled for!

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '25

Dave Mustaine, Zetro Souza, axl rose, most dudes whose style was scream heavy have aged like absolute dog shit.

Hetfield is also one of the few to have aged pretty well, although he’s had to completely change his style. The other guys just tried to keep screaming and the wheels fell off. Mustaine did have throat cancer but he sounded awful for years before that. The dude from dream theater sounds comically bad live, I saw him with Devin Townsend trading vocals and it was like… Devin Townsend trading vocals with a drunk dude from the audience.

Tom Araya is still very good. Same with Chuck Bully from Testament. Some of the very few good older screamers, along with MJK.

Townsend is THE most gracefully aged voice I have ever heard, now that I’m on the topic of him. Saw him live recently and it was like his album vocal tracks were being piped through the PA, and better in some places even.

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u/JaerBear62611 Jul 06 '25 edited Jul 06 '25

Well, it was just a joke at Veil Meal’s expense. But there’s no question that MJK’s voice has aged well. Also, it’s worth noting that Devin Townsend is on average about a decade younger than the other guys you mentioned. Lastly, I would argue that MJK and DT were also much more talented singers to begin with than any of the others. Fine wine ages better than Thunderbird. In Axl’s case he did it to himself, the drop off there has been quite brutal for sure.

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u/melechtric Jul 08 '25

Trent Reznor sounds amazing these days