In a piece newly published online via Revolver, members of alternative metal icons Tool can be found discussing their tentative plans to work on the follow-up to their 2019 comeback album, the GRAMMY Award-winning, gold-certified “Fear Inoculum“. The group are expected to convene in their The Loft studio to continue to hammer out new material for that effort sometime this summer.
However, whether or not their next release emerges as an EP or full-length album remains up to debate. Drummer Danny Carey previously expressed his hopes that the group could get an EP ready during the pandemic, but that obviously didn’t happen.
Speaking on a newfound sense of urgency that age has presented the band with, bassist Justin Chancellor told the aforementioned publication:
“It’ll be different this time. Everyone’s life is different, and everyone’s expectations are different. Time is precious now, so you try and look for ways to be more efficient with the process. We’ve had a lot of discussion about that and how we can bring a new record to fruition in a slightly different way.”
Carey added:
“Our filter system is pretty intense. If it gets by the four of us in the band, then we figure it’s going to work. It’s a really painstaking process that we go through to finish [an album], and get it where we are all completely convicted. It pays off in the long run because we never really get tired of performing our songs. It gives rise to a vehicle that we can all believe in.”
The potential direction of it remains undecided as well, as Carey stated, “Who knows? It could flip-flop and we could just go back to doing an ‘Undertow” [type of] record. That’s kind of appealing to me. I always like change, whatever direction it goes.”
Carey did confirm in the interview that Tool remain free agents, with the band having maintained that status since the release of “Fear Inoculum“. Carey stated, “We’re free agents now. We aren’t signed to a label anymore. We are free to do whatever we want.”
This latest piece also shared some more insight into Tool‘s opening artists. The band are known for taking out unconventional opening acts on their headlining tours. As members of the outfit have explained in the past, they’re not bothered with the prospects of aligning with artists who can draw crowds and sell tickets. Rather, they set out to share their spotlight on bands they find interesting, friendly with, or want to see succeed.
They’ve also taken a democratic approach to that, with each member of the band taking turns selecting openers. In the past this has resulted in Adam Jones choosing Brass Against, vocalist Maynard James Keenan opting for Blonde Redhead, and more recently, Steel Beans.
For the band’s impending winter headlining run, it was Carey‘s call, with stoner doom outfit Elder receiving the nod. Given that Justin Chancellor appeared on Night Verses‘ latest album, it would appear that they were his choice to open the band’s approaching spring/summer European/UK tour.
Guitarist Adam Jones laid out that selection process back in April of 2022, stating at the time:
“I mean, a lot of bands that are our level do the industry giveaway, take out a band that will actually pay them for the exposure. We’ve never done that. Never done pay-to-play back in the old Sunset Strip days, and never charged bands that we take out with us. We always pay the bands and ask them ourselves, and we always take out bands that we like.
We don’t have to look for a band to draw tickets, because we don’t really have a problem doing that, so what we do is we take turns. It’s Dan’s turn so he picks this band, then it’s Justin’s turn and he picks that band, Maynard’s turn and he picks a band. This time it was my turn and I picked Brass Against. I have always really liked them: their energy, their cover songs, their wind section…you don’t really see that anymore.”
You can find more from Tool and their experience at the first-ever ‘Power Trip‘ festival this past fall via Revolver.
With Elder:
01/10 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
01/12 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
01/13 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
01/18 Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
01/19 Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
01/21 Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
01/23 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
01/24 Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
01/26 Birmingham, AL – The Legacy Arena at The BJCC
01/27 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
01/30 Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center
01/31 Austin, TX – Moody Center
02/02 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
02/03 Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
02/05 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
02/07 El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center
02/09 Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
02/12 Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
02/14 Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
02/15 Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
02/17 Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena
02/18 Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
With Night Verses (on select dates):
05/25 Hannover, GER – ZAG Arena
05/27 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggo Dome
05/30 Birmingham, UK – Resorts World Arena
06/01 Manchester, UK – AO Arena
06/03 London, UK – The O2 Arena
06/05 Paris, FRA – Accor Arena
06/08 Berlin, GER – Parkbühne Wuhlheide
06/10 Wien, AUT – Wiener Stadthalle
06/11 Kraków, POL – Tauron Arena
06/13 Budapest, HUN – BudapestAréna
06/18 Köln, GER – Lanxess Arena
06/20 Dessel, BEL – Graspop Metal Meeting
06/22 Copenhagen, DEN – CopenHell
06/25 Stockholm, SWE – Tele2 Arena
06/27 Oslo, NOR – Tons of Rock
