10 Legendary Rock Songs That Feature Weird Instruments

Though metal was going through a dark period in the '90s, there was always Tool trying to push the genre that much forward. Although their beginnings may have been doing straight ahead metal, they seemed to have a knack for making even the nuttiest of ideas work later down the line, from wild time signature changes to making an entire song based on the Fibonacci sequence. There were different instruments, different sonic mindsets, and even some pets added into the mix.

Just like many Tool albums, Mantra is just a basic interlude on Lateralus, providing an ominous atmosphere before bleeding into Schism. The whole track practically sounds like some monster emerging from the depths of the ocean, but that monster might be a little bit closer to home than you realize.

When looking for different sounds to capture, this is the result of Maynard James Keenan bringing his cat into the studio and gently squeezing it while holding it up to the microphone. Rest assured, the cat was not injured in the process, and all they had to do was lower the pitch in post production to make it sound like some ethereal noise coming up through your speakers. While it might lose some of the shock factor when you learn what the sound is, Mantra is still a nice change of pace on the album, almost hypnotizing you before you're ready for the madness of Schism.