Tool Offer Latest Non-Update Update on New Album

Tool guitarist Adam Jones recently allowed a writer from Rolling Stone to meet him for free so that he could promote the band’s North American tour, which kicks off in January. And since we’re all still pretending that Tool are hard at work on a new album, said writer decided to ask Jones about the group’s progress:

How is the new album coming along?
I’ll tell you, it’s wonderful. Things are really flowing and going really well, and I’m just blown away at the stuff that’s coming together. I’m excited and can’t wait for it to be done. It’s something I’ve been missing for a long time [laughs], that beautiful collaboration that we have because we’re all so different and have different tastes. But again, when you are all meeting in the middle and that thing you do that meets in the middle is just beautiful, it’s very rewarding. So yes, I’m very happy.

Earlier this year, you said you had 10 song ideas in various states. Where are you at now?
We probably have 20 potential song ideas now. Of course, 20 won’t be on the record. We’re just jamming. But I’ll tell you, there’s nothing better than having too many good songs then not enough. It’s great. You pick your faves.

Has Maynard heard the music?
Yeah. We have an FTP and a Dropbox and we’re in communication. He’s got other stuff he does, so we keep him in the loop, and he has written lyrics, but he’s still working on that and he’ll commit. The best thing for all of us is when the song is done. I don’t write leads until the song is done. You want to get a vibe. And Maynard can work on lyrics, but until the song’s done and he knows how the end is, he’s still figuring out the flow.

The thing with Tool is you have four critical thinkers who like different stuff, so our process is not an easy one but it’s a very rewarding one. So yes, he is exposed to new music. It’s always been this way and it probably will always be this way and it’s just how people work.

Which all actually sounds pretty fair and makes me feel a little guilty for busting the band’s balls all this time. But just a little guilty, because even if you factor in the band’s long-running merch lawsuit, which was only resolved earlier this year, they’ve still had a decade to work on ideas. You’d think they’d have an album in their back pocket, ready to go, but I guess Maynard is too busy rearranging his sock drawer.

Read the whole interview here. Hopefully Tool will release a new album before I qualify for Social Security. Just kidding, there won’t be Social Security by the time I qualify.