Tool is one of those rare bands that is intelligent, arty, loaded with sly wit--and has earned mass appeal. Perhaps the quartet's darkly psychotic heaviness is what brought it to multi-platinum status; its fierce independence and subtle touches are appreciated by its more discerning fans.

The L.A.-based quartet formed in April, 1991, and before the year was out, the original lineup of singer Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Paul D'Amour signed to Zoo Records. Unlike most naive young groups, Tool was exacting in the contract's terms--they insisted on having full control over every single artistic aspect of their albums and videos. And few bands probably have had the capability to handle all this as well as Tool has--Jones was a sculptor and special effects designer before joining the group, and on videos such as "Sober," and the MTV award-winning "Prison Sex," he used stop-motion and clay animation to full effect. The band also constructed its controversial album artwork as carefully as the recording of its music. As a result, such striking images as a grossly obese woman lying under a diminutive man (both naked) on 1993's Undertow and the various action images of 1996's Aenima (California falling into the ocean; the band watching a pornographically-posed contortionist) underscore the group's haunting sounds.

With Aenima, Tool acquired a new bassist, Justin Chancellor--D'Amour bowed out because of the usual "creative differences." But the member change only served to sharpen the band's already razor-like work. Although the group's rise was swift--it was 1993's Lollapalooza tour that first brought them to national attention--Tool has proved to be anything but a flash in the pan. And while many of Tool's fans don't quite understand its more esoteric details, that doesn't really matter to the group. While appealing to the millions, Tool's goal has been, nevertheless, to be a thinking man's heavy band.

GARBAGE

Using real live! grinding guitars and all the samples, loops and studio tricks at their disposal, Garbage tossed off the most imaginative hit album of 1995. With frontwoman Shirley Manson focusing the sound and lyrics, star producer Butch Vig and his studio-rat buddies, Steve Marker and Duke Erikson, casually stepped out of the shadows into the pop spotlight.

Wisconsin-born drummer/studio whiz Butch Vig (shortened from Vigorson) and Nebraska native guitar/keyboard/bass/studio whiz Duke Erikson had been in indie pop-rockers Spooner and the rootsier Firetown. Guitarist/bassist Marker, originally from the suburbs of New York, and Vig had founded the Madison-based Smart Studios back in '84. Since then, Vig had produced everybody from Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins to Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum and Killdozer. Coming up with a few of their own ideas between remix projects, the trio of 40-ish knob-twirlers decided they needed a singer, spotted the gamine Shirley Manson (born 1967 in Edinburgh, Scotland)--then in Angelfish, previously in Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie--in a rare MTV video appearance, and asked her to join them. Unlikely as it sounds, the partnership worked beautifully. Garbage--their self-titled debut--was chock-full o' nutty production touches (the dropout on the intro of the lead track, "Supervixen"), dark lyrics and vicious pop hooks ("Only Happy When It Rains," "Stupid Girl," "Queer"). Centered by Manson's tough, icy vocals, the astonishingly solid album played like a smash single, and the band wound up doing hundreds of live shows.

While the world breathlessly awaited a follow-up, Garbage surfaced with another hit ("Number One Crush," recorded for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack) and a cover of Vic Chesnutt's "Kick My Ass" for the tribute/ fund-raiser Sweet Relief II: Gravity Of The Situation LP. The band's sophomore release, Version 2.0, has been a relative commercial disappointment compared to their debut, but with compelling singles and videos like "Push It" and "I Think I'm Paranoid," Garbage continue to be a fascinating fixture on modern rock radio and MTV.