TOOL are set to appear at BLACK SABBATH’s final show—an event already steeped in heavy metal history. But as surprising as it sounds, the prog-metal titans came close to skipping it entirely.
In a recent interview with Guitar World, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones revealed that he and his bandmates were initially hesitant when approached to perform as part of the farewell celebration for the legendary Birmingham metal pioneers. Despite the honor of being asked, the band wasn’t immediately on board.
“The four of us [in TOOL] were on the phone, or texting – I can’t remember – and someone went, ‘I don’t think I can do it,'” Jones shared. “Someone else went, ‘Okay, yeah, I think I’m gonna do this other thing.’ I think I even went, ‘Yeah, let’s not do it.’ But it was really an honor that they asked us.”
The invitation came through Tom Morello, the show’s musical director and a longtime friend of the band. But even Morello’s initial pitch couldn’t sway TOOL at the time.
Still, Morello didn’t give up. Months later, he reached out to Jones again—this time with a more casual offer:
“Would you be down to play something with me?” he asked.
Jones recalls responding, “Hmmm, that could be fun. Yeah!” Morello then floated the idea of performing a tune with him and Billy Corgan, to which Jones agreed: “Let’s do it. But if plans change, I won’t feel bad—just let me know.”
What came next caught Jones by surprise.
“I was again talking to Tom, and I went, ‘Yeah, I’m sorry we all couldn’t do it.’ He goes, ‘Well, you know Dan [Danny Carey, TOOL drummer] is playing with these guys, and Maynard [James Keenan, TOOL singer] is playing with these people…'” Jones recalled.
“I went, ‘I didn’t know that…’ It hit me, and I said, ‘If the three of us are there – and I know Justin [Chancellor, TOOL bassist] will want to do it…’ I went back to our people and went, ‘Why don’t we just do it? We’re all going to be there.’ That’s how it happened – and why it was announced later.”
So, in the end, what could’ve been a near-miss turned into a full-circle moment. TOOL‘s performance will serve as a tribute to one of metal’s most iconic bands—one that nearly slipped through the cracks of scheduling conflicts and initial disinterest.
Set for July 5, the “Back To The Beginning” concert marks a monumental farewell as Ozzy Osbourne takes the stage for the final time, reuniting with original BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.
More than just a performance, the event stands as a global tribute to heavy metal’s roots, with TOOL joining a stacked lineup featuring METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GUNS N’ ROSES, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and many more. For fans around the world, the sold-out show will be livestreamed—offering one last chance to witness metal history in the making.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.