Salival

Lore & Background

The inclusion of tracks featuring original bassist Paul D'Amour alongside new bassist Justin Chancellor highlights a transitional phase in the group's lineup. This collection preserves the sonic landscape of a specific time when the band was experimenting with different textures, moving away from pure thrash influences toward a more atmospheric and rhythmic sound that would define their future work.

In Their Own Story

The warehouse is quiet now, but the air still hums with the phantom resonance of a thousand drums. A fan holds two discs like sacred relics, spinning them to hear the ghost of a guitar solo that was never meant for radio waves. In this moment, the boundary between the studio and the stage dissolves; the raw sweat of a live performance mixes with the polished perfection of a demo, creating a sonic time capsule where every note feels like a secret being whispered directly into the listener's soul.

Reader's Guide

Salival was conceived to celebrate Tool's tenth anniversary, offering fans material that had never been officially released or was only available on rare bootlegs. It charted moderately well upon release, debuting within the top forty of major charts, though it did not reach the heights of their full-length albums. Critically, the album was received as a definitive archive for dedicated followers rather than a casual introduction to the band. The tracklist includes iconic live renditions like "Disgustipated" and "Undertow," alongside studio rarities such as "Third Eye" and "Ticklish." Notably, the lineup shifts are evident; tracks feature both Paul D'Amour and Justin Chancellor on bass, marking a pivotal era in the band's history. The album also includes a DVD with music videos and live footage, adding visual context to the audio journey.

Did You Know?

• The title 'Salival' is a portmanteau of 'saliva' and 'festival,' referencing the sweat and intensity of their live shows.
• This album was the first time Tool released studio outtakes that were not part of a standard LP.
• It features tracks recorded before Justin Chancellor officially joined, preserving Paul D'Amour's final contributions to the group.
• The DVD included with some versions contains the band's official music video for 'Schism'—the only video for that song at the time, though the band had previously released videos for 'Sober', 'Prison Sex', 'Stinkfist', a