Blair has posted the May 2015 Tool Newsletter for your reading pleasure. It’s one that is unlikely to win many fans amongst Blair’s critics, however may drop a few cryptic hints as to what Tool are up to these days. The most interesting part I got from it was:
How about the rumors of the band playing some festival date, where they can finally unveil Junior’s drone-suspended lightning configuration? No… what if the show never happens, or happens so far in the future that many Tool fans – believing this to be the most important event to ever occur on our aqueous gem in the cosmos – will incessantly question whether or not it is really going to take place, with some even driven to a premature madness by the very thought of it… But what about my commenting on the reaction of those fortunate souls that heard a (very loud) sampling of some new Tool material during the after party of Rynne and Danny’s baby shower the other night? Certainly not, much better to wait until the vocals are added. Maybe… just maybe, I could update people on the so-called “curve ball” now that it has finally left the pitcher’s grasp, and is – as seen by our slow-mo camera – heading towards the awaiting batter. No way, Jose, that’s old news!
It suggests to me a couple of things:
- That Tool are looking at playing in the festival season, presumably in 2016. This would suggest they expect the album to be done by then
- Danny & Rynne’s baby is due very soon, and that the new Tool material is getting closer
- The curveball should finally be revealed, presumably in the next month or so
There are also further parts of the newsletter that make me wonder if the curveball is a movie. I’ve always maintained that I think the “curveball” is some form of movie, possible integrated with live performances. We’ll see I guess!
Movie idea makes sense… Remember that ‘production still’ with that severed arm that Blair posted? He’s also hinted a few times at a project Adam has been working on that ‘has been draining the life out of him’. Maybe Adam could take a hint or two from Kung Fury and loosen up a bit!
You think Maynard got his martial arts skills from being simultaneously struck by lightning and bitten by a cobra while fighting crime in a city alleyway?
Does anybody else think that the severed arm that Adam posted looks like Samuel L. Jackson’s severed arm from Jurassic Park? Or is that just me?
Seems like I’ve read this before, seems so familiar… Seems like I’m slipping, into deceit within deceit. Damnitall!!!
“The curveball should finally be revealed, presumably in the next month or so”
^^^ LOL
Curveball surely is a film that will preempt the new album. I’m thinking this new film will be used as an introductory concept to the new album and will be used as part of their live shows too. I think it’s becoming more likely that a big part of the new album’s delay is because they haven’t achieved their artistic satisfaction following their own “no wine before it’s time ” ethos. I was just reading their Wikipedia page and saw lots of resources pointing back to 2012 when Maynard had joined the writing process. Seems entirely plausible that the material… Read more »
The curveball is a film, for sure. It’s Jurassic World. Adam has left the band to go back to special effects modeling and makeup. Maynard is making sure his wineshop has the proper feng shui. Danny is doing session work for whoever needs him. Justin is going back to Peach for a reunion tour. And Paul is an indie-punk guitarist.
It’s all come full circle.
At this point everyone has played out just about every scenario involving what might happen with a Tool release.
Someone’s bound to have guessed right, if by nothing other than blind luck.
Your definition of blind luck must be different to mine.
I’ve actually used my Nicholas Cage powers to see into the future and I know what the curveball. I’m not going to tell you what it is, because it’s a pretty cool surprise, but I will tell you that it is pretty curvy. In fact, it might be the curviest thing I’ve ever seen. I’d say this ball must have spent too much time at sea to develop a case of curvy this bad.
That’s golden.
oddly i experienced a strange high pitch buzzing as i walked towards my shop……stopping , backing up, moving around to figure where it was coming from….but i could not identify it…..
..sometimes i truly believe im more intune with some strange anomaly’s….then i ever could imagine
i believe that is just schizophrenia.
Actually would like to thank Blair for a moment. Have been reading the newsletters since day one, and yes, am a better Scrabble player (anyone wanna play dime-a-point?) because of them. Sometimes I’ll try and explain to people how Tool treats their fans like shit, with Blair usually being tagged as the culprit. I know, I know, Tool doesn’t owe us fans anything outside of the music, but their henchman in BMB is certainly on par with some of the more nefarious acts from any band, ever. Without a doubt the most learned person of the occult and esoteric topics… Read more »
God these newsletters are brutal. It is amazing how someone can write so much and yet say so little. We are al looking forward to new material or at least updates on new material yet month after month, and year after year, we get neither. Wouldn’t it be cool if they posted a 60 second clip of the new material played at that baby shower for the fans to enjoy instead of just talking about it in the newsletter? How hard would that be to do? Ugh.
I think there’s virtually zero chance they could keep any movie project more ambitious than a simple music video under wraps by any late stage of production. Way too many people involved in that. Either they are adding an original soundtrack piece to a hollywood movie or they are creating a music video(s) to accompany something (live footage or salival II type thing). These guys are way too lazy at this point in their lives to pull off anything major in the way of visual production. Outside the box I could see them creating something like a cover of the… Read more »
That’s one of the funniest things I’ve heard all day. First, you call them lazy. Then, you suggest you know exactly what they could or could not do with the “curve ball”. Finally, because a song of theirs was used in a trailer and Adam worked in the film industry 20+ years ago makes it more likely that they’ll be doing something to coincidence with a Hollywood production.
Hi-larious.
Thing is they haven’t kept it under wraps – there’s plenty of evidence out there they’ve been working on some kind of movie/video type project.
yeah the evidence was that there’s a still of a severed arm and someone dug up a production schedule labelled “The Pot.” So a music video is totally within the realm of possibility (though again, I wouldn’t consider that a “curveball”). I would even go so far as to guarantee that they’ve made some kind of music video which is probably the Pot or started out that way. But if you read what I wrote I was talking about trying to keep something more substantial than that under wraps. Like, a music video takes a handful of people to produce… Read more »
I don’t think they’re doing anything on the scale you suggest. You are correct in that you can’t keep that quiet. There is more than one way to fry and egg though, and you could argue that it’s much easier to make a movie on a smaller scale these days then it was back in the days of The Wall.
Hellboy, aren’t you kind of worried that the curveball is *only* a music video (The Pot video re-purposed for Opiate). Blair basically said on Children of Saturn that a video for Opiate is the curveball. If that’s all it is, I’ll be disappointed.
Not worried with the idea of getting a video. No problems with that at all.
My only thought is that the guess that the curveball is a movie or video seems wrong. That’s not much of a curveball – blind Freddy could see that Tool might make another video in the future.
Considering Adam’s love of claymation and animation, I could very well see them doing something along those lines and that could very well be done under the radar.
Very well.
I also lean towards soundtrack piece since a music video accompanying Salival II type thing could hardly be considered a “curve-ball”
Movie looks pretty dope. Here’s the trailer: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/188784/Pajama-Party-Original-Trailer-.html
Curveball = World Tour w/ Nickleback!
“outside the box”
you seem mad
According to his FB MJK just got a new hip.
CURVEBALL!!!!
as hellboy said at the end ”will see i guess”’ thanks for posting about the newsletter though, i couldnt bring myself to bother reading that gibberish. so i appreciate those that arent sick of the newsletters like i am after 16 years or whatever it is at this point.
I like the movie idea. He had “FREEDOM” in all caps and the band would have complete artistic FREEDOM for this project since it wouldn’t fall under any record deal and/or contract – they’d have complete, unfettered control about any/all decisions. Furthermore, as someone expecting their first child at almost 40 it’s easier to understand what’s taken so long between albums – although not easier to swallow mind you: Danny about to have a baby, Adam having a baby, some kind of automobile/motorcycle something or other accident, MJK having a baby, MJK having a vineyard, etc. The real world consumes… Read more »
chitin?
Hofmann?