F O U R T H E Y E

@Specter - Me too. It sounds like Danny is going to start tracking any moment now.

@ Mog - I agree with you. I see some sort of Salival-type release this year and a spring 2019 release for the album. It should be a fun buildup.

Blair will announce a release date two weeks after it's actually released

Bill Hilly wrote: Children
I had to read your post twice - not because I didn't understand it - but because it was so good. I, also, hope that you are correct in your assumption that the next album opener will begin at the point of ascension. Although, I'm not quite sure Maynard is going to be on that same page. 10,000 Days had some of the most beautiful lyrics to date, but also had some very somber moments as well. The world has become an even darker place since he last put pen to paper for Tool. As he is still a sentient being with compassion and sensitivity, I would be surprised if we do not have more apocalyptic and dystopian themes on the new record.
I am excited for the members of Tool. It must be such an exhilarating feeling - probably more so than ever - to finally get back in the studio with each other after so long. I'm also excited for Fourtheye and the excellent contributions and debates that are happening again. We have a good community here. It's nice to see some old faces gracing this site now that there is some actual activity happening. I look forward to experiencing the next cycle with all of you.

It is hard to imagine where they could go from 10,000 Days. Each album seems to lead into the next and I don't see where else they could possibly go other than ascension. We already know "Descending" is a song or part of one at least, and you cannot go down without having gone up first. It would be cool to start the album off at ascension and then be taken back down to earth again or something. It could be an actual rebirth, with a soul being recycled back into another vessel, coming full circle and being reincarnated. It's a stretch but where else can TOOL go at this point?

All their albums seems to connect and tell a story of some sort. Opiate start off primal and animalistic with Sweat talking about being a hunter and a fisherman with the sun burning hot, and how it all seems so familiar like being in a dream within a dream. He even says it's almost like he's swimming, which connects to the song Aenema, so right at the very beginning we already are seeing themes appear that will continue throughout. The song Opiate is obviously directed toward Christianity, but is about people blindly following dogma and being led like sheep by authority without question.

Undertow then starts with Intolerance, another reference to Christianity, which continues the theme of authority figures lying and cheating and stealing from the masses to maintain control, and how none of us are innocent because we tolerate it in the first place and continue to follow them anyway. I imagine Swamp Song having a connection with Tick and Leeches, talking about hoping the belligerent fucker gets sucked down by the quicksand, and the fact that ticks and leeches are found in swamps makes it work well. 4 Degrees says: "Let's go digging/Lay back and let me show you the way to find the the cavern of treasures that no one has been to/Take it all in/All the way in/Let it go in/Take it up higher/4 degrees warmer/Give in now/Let me in/You'll like this/Don't pull it out/Come on, you can take it all/Just like that." It is clearly a sexual reference and I guess anal sex is 4 degress warmer than vaginal sex so that is an abundantly clear connection with the theme of Stinkfist, as well as Aenima as a whole, although both songs go much deeper than the surface (or borderline haha).

At the end of Undertow we get Flood: "All I knew and believed are crumbling images that no longer comfort me/I scramble to reach higher ground/Soon the water will come and take what is mine/I must leave it behind and climb to a new place now/This ground is not the rock I thought it to be/This changes everything/The water is rising up on me/Cleanse and purge me in the water." This blatantly takes us straight into the theme of Aenima. The whole flood theme in general touches on so many different levels of art and culture beyond TOOL, and is such a great song to lead them onto their next phase of evolution. The line "cleanse and purge me in the water" is a direct reference to the meaning of the whole Aenima album. Taking us through a cleansing of the soul, all the way through to the opening of the third eye and enlightenment, until we get to the eventual ascension, theoretically. Also "Life feeds on Life" on Disgustipated feels like foreshadowing for Vicarious. There is a lot more connections I could point out but these are a few to show how cohesive TOOL's music is.

tys0n wrote:Blair will announce a release date two weeks after it's actually released

^ Truth

@Children - I think you are looking WAYYY to deeply into this...but hey, if it makes ya happy....different strokes mang

Bill Hilly wrote:@Specter - Me too. It sounds like Danny is going to start tracking any moment now.

@ Mog - I agree with you. I see some sort of Salival-type release this year and a spring 2019 release for the album. It should be a fun buildup.

I doubt we will get a Salival type release. Nothing seems to point to that being a thing. Would be great if you are right tho. Would love to have that extended version of Opiate and a video for The Pot. Just don't see it happening.

tys0n wrote:Blair will announce a release date two weeks after it's actually released

M0G wrote:

Bill Hilly wrote:@Specter - Me too. It sounds like Danny is going to start tracking any moment now.

@ Mog - I agree with you. I see some sort of Salival-type release this year and a spring 2019 release for the album. It should be a fun buildup.

I doubt we will get a Salival type release. Nothing seems to point to that being a thing. Would be great if you are right tho. Would love to have that extended version of Opiate and a video for The Pot. Just don't see it happening.

Well they would release the new Opiate and the video for The Pot at some point. Why the hell would they make them if they don't intend to release them. Surely, at the very least they will release them either this year or the next, and it is not inconceivable that they may be included among another Salival type release, alongside the videos for Parabola, Schism, and Vicarious, and an audio disc with Opiate extended.

What I am extremely curious about is what kind of live/bonus material they may potentially include with it. An official live version of every song they have ever recorded would be nice. Multiple versions throughout each era they were performed in would be great. If they could put together some kind of live box set with entire performances of every tour they have ever done, that would be amazing. I wonder what they will actually do. If we only got another few live tracks just as Salival was then it would be a tough choice.

I saw them this last tour at the TOOLfest in San Bernadino. If I could get a live version of The Grudge from that show I would be happy. That shit blew my mind. Other than that, a live version of Stinkfist (Suspicious Minds/White Lines) needs to be released, as well as Prison Sex (O.T.R.M). Honestly, I am more excited for any live material they release over a new record. That will be nice too though!

^ if all the broo haha is to be believed about record deals n such i imagine they'd rather wait til their current label commitments are done (post new album) to cash in 100% of all takings from any salival part deux release

I feel we will get a Salival mark II before the next album, but as to a treasure trove of live shows and rare shit, I'm pretty sure they will hold off until off contract to release that shit.

Fuck off Busty, get out of my head

holy moly

the update doesn't read like it was written by Blair.

Schwiiiiiiing.

ziggy23 wrote:

Now that is a beautiful sight.

Busty McCracken wrote:^ if all the broo haha is to be believed about record deals n such i imagine they'd rather wait til their current label commitments are done (post new album) to cash in 100% of all takings from any salival part deux release

tys0n wrote:I feel we will get a Salival mark II before the next album, but as to a treasure trove of live shows and rare shit, I'm pretty sure they will hold off until off contract to release that shit.

Very excited that they are finally recording. Haven’t posted to much in this thread or forum, but there is a ton of activity which is awesome. Anyways, I agree with Busty and Tys0n, I think they would want to wait to release anything like a Salival type thing. Which sucks because I would love some live tracks or opiate reworked recording or even a 10,000 Days vinyl released this summer to get me even more hyped for this new album. Do you all think that they would wait to release a 10,000 Days vinyl after the album or do you think that since it was released under Volcano, that it doesn’t matter if it comes out before or after, they still get their cut of sales?

Speaking of 10,000 Days, I went on a great walk on the Pacific coast while there was a little mist and listening to the whole album with head phones on(which I haven’t done in years). It was so great and really got me stoked for new Tool. That album is really good and even though it’s not my favorite, it still give me chills on certain songs and really ages well. Really would like to add that and an Ænima vinyl to my collection.

Not that I have any knowledge on the subject but I assume regardless of how the package is dished up, the label would be entitled to their cut from the album.

I had a random thought yesterday too, going back a few pages how there's been criticism of how the band has been delivering updates on social media as juvenile. If you got told in the 90's how your favourite band would be delivering updates directly to you as they are happening from their own words/ viewpoint, everyone would have been likely loving the idea. Fast forward 20 years and people now seem disappointed that its not being delivered from their website by a moderator. Kinda funny when ya think about it

Call a spade a spade. It's one person on here that's complaining about it.

C’mon, have a heart Bill. I know Moggie’s liable to create a diamond by inserting coal into his bunghole, but he’s part of our club. Besides, give him a hand because he’s quite a card. What’s your deal?

My main gripe is not that news is being delivered by Social Media, it's more the radio silence on the main website (and to paying TA members to a lesser extent) up until this weekend.

Social media updates were a regular thing on Adams Myspace page during the 10k Days recording, but we were also getting frequent updates on Toolband.

Kittaan wrote:C’mon, have a heart Bill. I know Moggie’s liable to create a diamond by inserting coal into his bunghole, but he’s part of our club. Besides, give him a hand because he’s quite a card. What’s your deal?

I never said he wasn't part of our club. I just told Mog I loved him, like a few days ago?! My deal? Honestly, Busty's head is so far up Mog's bunghole some days that I wouldn't be surprised if his head is now a diamond in the rough. That is why I found it amusing that he called Mog "people".

Bill Hilly wrote:

Kittaan wrote:C’mon, have a heart Bill. I know Moggie’s liable to create a diamond by inserting coal into his bunghole, but he’s part of our club. Besides, give him a hand because he’s quite a card. What’s your deal?

I never said he wasn't part of our club. I just told Mog I loved him, like a few days ago?! My deal? Honestly, Busty's head is so far up Mog's bunghole some days that I wouldn't be surprised if his head is now a diamond in the rough. That is why I found it amusing that he called Mog "people".

Please tell me you didn’t miss all the blatant card puns?!?!

That was the sole purpose of my post... jeebus.

Imagine the food at the canteen this studio must have. Just....mind blowing!

Count me (yes) the one of.!

00.001

Kittaan wrote:

Bill Hilly wrote:

Kittaan wrote:C’mon, have a heart Bill. I know Moggie’s liable to create a diamond by inserting coal into his bunghole, but he’s part of our club. Besides, give him a hand because he’s quite a card. What’s your deal?

I never said he wasn't part of our club. I just told Mog I loved him, like a few days ago?! My deal? Honestly, Busty's head is so far up Mog's bunghole some days that I wouldn't be surprised if his head is now a diamond in the rough. That is why I found it amusing that he called Mog "people".

Please tell me you didn’t miss all the blatant card puns?!?!

That was the sole purpose of my post... jeebus.

Now my head is in the sand. I see what u did there. The funny thing is, I'm a card player and I missed it. FML