Review: TOOL @ AEC Arena 28/11/25
Many are calling TOOL’s first performance at the AEC Arena the gig of the year. We were there to catch all the action.
Words Harry Nathan // Images Justin White
TOOL w/Headsend @ AEC Arena 28/11/25
Headsend, a surprisingly new band, have been given the gargantuan task of opening for TOOL on their tour. Despite their freshness, their top song on Spotify having little more than 16k streams, the trio looked more than comfortable taking on the big stage in front of the thousands of TOOL fans pouring in.
They delivered crunchy nostalgia-fuelled stoner rock grunge, sounding much larger than a three-piece thanks to their frontman Rasmus King, balancing punchy riffs with dense chords. They set an unexpectedly confident tone for the night – no small feat when you’re warming up a crowd for one of the biggest progressive metal bands in the world. With that energy still hanging in the air, the stage crew began the changeover.
The cover was pulled off the drums, giving the audience their first glimpse underneath.
The expected extravagance of TOOL’s percussion setup included Chekhov’s xylophone, a gleaming, unusual addition to a metal kit, practically promising to go off in the final act.
As a screeching, looping bell echoed through the arena, the screens erupted into a swirl of ghostly skulls and a psychedelic ‘60s-style liquid light show. Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones stepped into stark white spotlights, while Maynard James Keenan remained a silhouette, perched above the two guitarists like a gargoyle on a cathedral roof. They commenced the night with the title track from Fear Inoculum, a slow build into Maynard’s characteristically hauntingly beautiful vocals.
Upon the completion of their first song, Maynard demanded the audience “stay connected, stay present and stay with us” by not letting their phones control them, suggesting we “take your phone and shove it up your ass”. This led to one of the more unique concert experiences I’ve had, where not a single face in the crowd was illuminated by anything other than stage lights. No forest of screens, just the crowd as a single organism fully locked in, capturing the moment through their own organic lens, not a digital one.
READ MORE: Review: Korn @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre 04/12/24
From there, the band only continued to dive into their unique, dynamic soundscapes accompanied by trademark unearthly visuals. ‘The Grudge’ was unleashed on our ears through Chancellor’s commanding bass riff, cutting through the arena.
Casual TOOL fans may have gotten lost in the setlist that skipped almost all the big-name songs, yet the unpredictability became part of the night’s charm. Instead of a greatest hits nostalgia trip, TOOL crafted a set that felt deliberately challenging and deeply immersive. An experience that rewarded anyone willing to stay present, just as Maynard had requested. This was accentuated by him asking for a show of hands of anyone under the age of 22, saying, “the last tour we played this on you weren’t even sperm yet”, followed by Jones’ guitar into ‘Crawl Away’, sure to make the diehard fans scream.
One of the more recent TOOL hits, ‘Pneuma’, received the same energy as if it were the first song they played. As ‘Intolerance’ faded out, Chancellor crouched low, wringing noise and feedback from his bass. At the same time, Carey hurled his drumsticks into the crowd, sending a ripple of cheers across the floor. Lights dimmed and a 15-minute timer began counting down on the big screen, promising this wasn’t the last we’d be hearing from the quartet.
As the final seconds ticked away, we were treated to a drum POV shot from Carey as he smashed his drum solo into ‘Chocolate Chip Trip’. Then the band joined him for a triumphant tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with the Sabbath song ‘Hand of Doom’, punctuated with “rest in peace Ozzy” from Maynard.
The triumphant set was finished with ‘Invincible’ (with xylophone payoff) and ‘Vicarious’, with Maynard mockingly allowing the audience to take out their cell phones, being careful not to get poo on them (considering where he told us to shove them).
Not that anyone needed proof, but the night served as a reminder that TOOL remain at the top of their game, prioritising presence, intensity and craft in an era where most shows are viewed through a phone screen.
Want more pics of the gig? Check out our full photo gallery here.
