There’s one big reason why bassist Paul D’Amour quit Tool back in 1995.
D’Amour became Tool’s bassist when the band formed in 1990 after being introduced to them through Adam Jones. Thus, he played on the band’s first two official releases — their 1992 EP Opiate and their 1993 full-length debut Undertow.
“I never really had any inclination that [Undertow] would blow up and be sustained. Right now it’s as popular as it ever was. It’s crazy.
I always knew we had something like a nice, special energy and it was unique. But no one can predict that stuff,” D’Amour told Bass Player in an interview.
The bassist recalled that everyone was happy when the band was in its infancy, as they had all come into it with ideas and material. But, he thinks they hit a bit of a “sophomore slump” during the creative process for Undertow’s follow-up.
“When we got to writing Ænima, we spent a year and basically wrote five songs. That, to me, was so frustrating. And I think Adam was really in this moment where he was trying to find his voice as a guitar player,” D’Amour explained, adding that Jones played his parts over and over again.
“I just felt like that was never going to end, no matter how much we beat that into the ground and talked about this and that. I’d probably would have left that band 10 times by now because they still operate the same way,” he continued.
“They make great music – but dude, you don’t need to spend 10 years to make an album, you know? They’re great riffs, but they’re not that complicated.”
READ MORE: Justin Chancellor Cites the Most Exhausting Question About Tool
So, there you have it. Even people within the Tool camp get impatient with how long it takes them to put out a new album. Maynard James Keenan gets frustrated with the process to this day, but ultimately “you just have to kind of respect it.”
Fortunately for D’Amour, he’s been involved with several other music groups since his departure from Tool. He’s been playing bass for Ministry since 2019, and has released two albums with them since (although he only played on one song on 2021’s Moral Hygiene) — and they only came out three years apart from each other.
Dave Mustaine, Metallica
This is one of the most well known examples of a band member being replaced right before commercial success, and most of you who are reading probably know the story, but we’ll tell it for those who are new here.
In 1983, Metallica were on a trip to New York to record their debut album, Kill ‘Em All. After becoming fed up with his drinking and drug habits, the band decided to fire Mustaine and replace him with Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett.
Dave wasn’t too unlucky though, as he would immediately go on to form Megadeth, who have sold 38 million records worldwide to date.
Dennis Stratton, Iron Maiden
While some may think it was Paul Di’Anno who departed Iron Maiden early, it was actually guitarist Dennis Stratton, who initially joined the band in 1979 after receiving an invitation from bassist Steve Harris.
Stratton played on the band’s 1980 self-titled debut album, but he quit the band just a year later citing disagreements with Harris and manager Rod Smallwood.
He was replaced by Adrian Smith and Iron Maiden got their big break just two years after Stratton’s departure with 1982’s Number of The Beast.
Jason Everman, Nirvana + Soundgarden
Imagine getting the chance to play with two of the biggest grunge bands of all time, but you get fired right before they both take off. That’s exactly what happened to Jason Everman.
Everman joined Nirvana in 1989 as a second guitarist to help with the band’s debut album Bleach. However, he was fired shortly after the tour had concluded due to his “moodiness.” The band burst onto the scene just two years later with 1991’s Nevermind.
After his departure from Nirvana, Everman joined fellow Seattle band Soundgarden, replacing founding member Hiro Yamamoto on bass.
Everman toured with the band in support of their album Louder Than Love, but was fired again for being too moody. After this second firing, Everman spent some time on various projects before leaving music behind to join the army as a member of the U.S. Special Forces.