For Tool‘s ardent fans, August 30th, 2019 was practically a revelation. After some 13 years of waiting, the progressive alt-metal band finally issued their fifth studio album, “Fear Inoculum“. That record immediately skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard 200. By August of 2020 it was certified gold in the United States.
The arrival of that album also came with a fresh round of enthusiasm from the band, who championed the prospect of being more prolific in the future. However, despite admittedly having some material leftover from past sessions, and a renewed drive to work on more material, we’re now closing in on seven years removed from “Fear Inoculum“. While the storied band have remained active on the road, it would seem they have been less so in the studio.
Given their laborious creative process, that isn’t so much of a surprise. However, with the band readily admitting age is catching up with them, there was a sense of urgency in the first few years after “Fear Inoculum” dropped that more new music wouldn’t be far behind.
In a new interview conducted this past August, but just now published via The Australian, bassist Justin Chancellor, himself previously a vocal proponent of the band getting back into the studio sooner than later, showcased a more relaxed approach on what eventually will come next.
While he did confirm that work continues on new music, he went on to caution that the group aren’t adhering to deadlines or schedules with it. Here’s what he had to say [transcribed by theprp.com]:
“We’re working on new music. I don’t know when we’re going to finish it. We’ve been working on stuff on and off for a couple of years, you know? And we we’re always working on new music. I was in the studio with Danny [Carey, Tool drummer] last week, banging out some ideas. But we don’t… I always say this, art doesn’t really have a schedule, you know what I mean? Like, you can’t force it. And if you do, it tends not to work out so great. So, I think, especially in our band, it’s somehow it’s just the way it works with our band. It’s a different kind of alchemy.
And I think we’ve all learned, you know, Maynard‘s [James Keenan, Tool vocalist] got his side projects, Danny [Carey, Tool drummer] does a bunch of different stuff, Adam [Jones, Tool guitarist] does different sh*t, and I’ve got my my stuff. And we’ve learned to sort of pare out the time when people need that space with busying ourselves with other things, which actually influence what we do when we come back together as well. So it kind of gives us a little headroom that speaks to the new stuff that we do when we come back together.”
He went on to say:
“…Everyone’s always taking a piss like, it takes so long for us to make music, but I’m proud of everything we’ve done. And I don’t like 13 years. They always talk about 13 years. It seems like a week to me. When we were working on that stuff every day, we were grinding away at it. And it doesn’t really matter in the end. If you do anything that’s decent, even if it’s one thing, it’s worth it.”
When posed the question that the fan’s constant complaints for new music could also be interpreted as a compliment, he added:
“I think it’s more interesting to take a long time to find something unique than just to keep repeating yourself. No offense to anyone that, you know, I guess we… let’s just call it pop music, right? They just keep churning out the hits. I mean, people love that stuff, so, there’s a place for it. And there’s a reason that there’s people that are good at that, but that’s not us. We’re into trying to create something unique that hasn’t been heard before as musicians, as a band. …Sometimes it gets harder and harder. Sometimes it just comes to you, you know, like some some days you’re like, ‘Whoa, what’s this?’ And you play it to your friends and they’re like, ‘Whoa’, that’s you know, it’s amazing. It just comes out of the blue.
But you can’t really… it’s not a formula, you know what I mean? There is no formula. And if anything, the formula is just to carry on living life and exploring and letting it come in from your life experiences. I think with us, that’s the way it works a lot more. but I get what you’re saying. It is a compliment that people are excited for new music. But we just don’t want it to be on a schedule. We want it just to be good. We want to be proud of it, and we want to all agree that this is what we want to share. So like I was saying, the side projects are a really good way of us alleviating that that time, and kind of keeping the fitness up, but like not pushing the whole issue.”
Having just delved deep into their catalogue for some setlist surprises last week in Auckland, NZ, Tool will soon be back out on the road as follows:
11/28 Adelaide, AUS – Adelaide Entertainment Centre (feat. Headsend)
11/29 Adelaide, AUS – Adelaide Entertainment Centre (feat. Headsend)
12/01 Perth, AUS – RAC Arena (feat. Headsend)
12/04 Melbourne, AUS – Flemington Racecourse (‘Good Things Festival‘)
12/05 Sydney, AUS – Sydney Showground (‘Good Things Festival‘)
12/06 Brisbane, AUS – Brisbane Showground (‘Good Things Festival‘)
12/11 Kanagawa, JPN – K-Arena Yokohama
12/13 Hyogo, JPN – Glion Arena Kobe
12/19 Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Arena
12/20 Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Arena
