A new Tool album is definitely coming this year, drummer Danny Carey has promised (on multiple occasions now.) With Carey out promoting his side project, Legend of the Seagullmen, we should be seeing new quotes with morsels of info about the album.
In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Carey was asked about the time signatures on the album, a favorite of Tool fans to explore:
“Well, whatever those guys play is how they express themselves. Adam [Jones] and Justin [Chancellor] aren’t musically educated, so they just come up with the weirdest shit. I just try to anchor it down and make it simple. The cool thing is every time I think I’ve simplified it as much as I can, we’ll give it to Maynard [James Keenan] and he’ll do something even more simplified – to the point where practically anyone can sing it! It’s simple shit and it’s coming out, man. The tracks are long…too long! Definitely too long for the radio (laughs)!”
That reminds me of what Melvins frontman Buzz Osbourne said last year about the Tool music he heard saying "Adam [Jones, Tool guitarist] told me the shortest song they’ve been working on is twelve minutes long." Of course, that was over a year ago, so who knows how different the music sounds now.
Carey noted the album is a work in progress when asked if he could discuss the concept of the record:
“It’s all still a work in progress. We don’t even go there until the record is done. It needs to have a voice of its own – just like this new Legend Of The Seagullmen record. You don’t think about that until the project’s finished and it all comes together and connects. Everything has its own voice. It’s funny how people understand it all when it comes to concepts. I know from Pink Floyd, Yes, all these bands – there was no fucking concept. Those guys would just go in there and do it until it was done…and that’s when it takes shape. At that point, it will tell you what to do, just like any piece of art ever made.”
With the band 90% done with the album in the summer, they sure are taking their time with the last 10%. Although, Tom Morello has said he's heard new songs and praised them heavily, so they have to be relatively far along.
All I'm saying is we've waited this long, we can wait another year!
