10 Greatest Bass Players In Rock Music History

10. Justin Chancellor - Tool

The common problem that every bass player find themselves in is having to play second fiddle to the guitar.

Even though you might have the most juicy bass riff imaginable, it's not going to get nearly as much attention as a face melting solo. If you have the right idea, most of the time the bass is able to shine through all of the distortion.

After a few shakeups with their lineup in the early days, Tool's recruitment of Justin Chancellor was practically a godsend, bringing with him a heavy vibe and a a strange sense of rhythm that completely gelled with what Danny Carey was doing behind the kit. Back in the Undertow days, most of the bass grooves just felt aggressive for the sake of being aggressive, only to be given a more intellectual vibe on albums like Aenema and Lateralus.

Hell, if you were to listen to songs like Schism, the bass guitar is practically the lead instrument, carefully moving everything along as the guitar decides to just follow in the background.

Using everything from chords to random time signature flips, Justin Chancellor isn't the kind of bass player who keeps things in line. This is a guy who is here to intentionally try to mess with your internal rhythm, and you'll end up thanking him for it by the end.