The wait for details on the new album is long, and so far unsatisfying, and it appears that even with a tour on the horizon only the most optimistic of us expect some kind of deliverance in the coming days. Even a much hyped website update seemed to reveal little.
Instead, we can turn to mindless speculation. Today I pose the following question – would you prefer:
- An album containing only “normal” length Tool tracks (say around 5-8 minutes long each)
- An album containing fewer, but longer songs (for example 5 tracks that are all ~15 minutes long)
- A mix of track lengths, like most of their post-Undertow albums
Personally, I’m keen to see more longer songs on the album, and certainly much of the speculation so far seems to suggest that many, if not all of the tracks are lengthy in nature. Does this also suggest that a “single” is unlikely?
Mix… as long as it sounds good.
The last three albums have all featured this as you’ve pointed out so I’m happy for that to continue. Right now though, I’d just like a fourth option: An album 🙂
Aenima hits the sweet spot for me, with mostly short-to-mid length songs plus a couple of long tracks.
An album with just lengthy tracks sounds like a bore to me.
I probably would not be able to shake off the thought that the song lengths have become a matter of forced princible instead of a creative “whatever happens, happens” mindset, including the risk of ideas being stretched out further than they are worth it.
Compelling argument. Your response leads me to say that whatever they do, and long as they’re using the same standards to hold it up to I’ll be ok with it. Long songs could be great if they’re true to their creative process. Which someone below touched on already. I can see a record where the songs have been in gestation for so long that parts are added onto parts on top of parts, and I can see this being good, or bad in the vein you suggested. Truthfully, I just don’t think these guys would be bothered with piling shit… Read more »
I’m certainly hoping fora healthy mix of longer and shorter (standard TOOL Length songs). I’m still in hopes for a double album though…
Lateralus has been my favorite since it came out but Aenima is and extremely close 2nd.
Didn’t Buzz say that no track is shorter than 10 minutes?
Wouldn’t be surprised now if they don’t release a single at all.
There’s a potential Guinness for ya, First #1 Charting Album with No Single. Though I do imagine that could’ve happened already, I’m too lazy to google it.
Radiohead ‘Kid A’ had no singles.
Didn’t it? My memory tells me that “Everything in it’s right place” was released before the album
Nah wasn’t a single.
Pretty sure Optimistic was a single.
Maybe that’s just what the radio picked out though?
Good memory. Optimistic was sent to radio stations as a ‘promo’, but was never a single. There were no singles/video clips. Radio just picked whatever tracks they wanted.
All information so far suggests it’s 6 or 7 long tracks. I was hoping for the balance that aenima served with 9 tracks. I’d love to see MORE songs, as opposed to long songs every time. But at this point, I’ll take a new album and be thankful for new music from these guys.
I don’t have any expectations on song length, as long as the songwriting’s good it doesn’t really matter.
What I’m really curious about is the sonic direction it will take, seeing how it’s been a while since 2006. I wouldn’t mind a more synth rich album.
Some more like straight up major key sounds? I could dig it.
Although I think it’s less likely to happen, since a lot of their songs tend to stick a certain pattern of noodling with roots and fiifths and then going off on some harmonicly richer tangent, I agree that it would be an odd curveball to have a fully majorish song; maybe something like APC’s So Long but with better execution.
For sure. I thought I heard a little more majorish themes in the breakdown of Opiate last tour and maybe even like a little reggae one drop kinda thing. Could’ve been the drugs. It won’t take much to execute better than the last APC. Actually it was executed well, but poorly planned. (Going into hiding now.)
Second this, and given Danny’s collection… why not get f–kin’ weird. A rumored Terrance McKenna sample points to this.
Definitely most interested in what they got up their sleeves sonically. Would dig seeing them going outside their comfort zones. Those twangy acoustic guitars Adam was jamming on in his insta feed, Jack Rose-style, could add some cool texture. We’ll see.
Biggest known unknown: what will Maynard go on about?
Totally this. I want to be surprised by them again.
10,000 days didn’t really surprise me much.
LOL is this what it has come down to in the world of instant gratification…
I like a mix but I’ll take whatever they decide on giving us. I love the segues as well so I hope they’re included.
It’s hard to believe this was from 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3bveYrlrlI
At this point in their career Tool seem to be more focused on producing longer tracks, which is perfectly fine as they are outstanding, however, I’d like to see a few, shorter, snappier tunes like Aenima and The Pot as well.
Whatever they as artists have come to in their creative process is what I want. If I had to guess, I’d say it’ll be almost all very long songs with maybe one shorter (say 7-8 minute) single. Perhaps a single could be a longer piece split up (like if you took Parabol away from Parabola). Many of the best Tool songs are really long winding progressive epics. But sometimes they are given power next to shorter more bangin’ tracks. Everything post Undertow has felt like this, where the album itself is a composition and the tracks sit relative to each… Read more »
Length doesn’t matter (within reason). Lateralus and Ænima are the closest to an album that you can listen to from beginning to end loving every track. Undertow has the best individual songs. If Tool can create a song better than Sober or Prison Sex that would be truly incredible. If Tool can produce an album that is near perfection, beginning to end that would be amazing.
I’ll bet 3-5 “longer†songs, with one of those 15+. 2-3 “medium†length songs, with one of these being a single. I really enjoyed the sequence of Lateralus.
I would love to see a mix of shorter, hard hitting stinkfist-esque tracks with some good vocal hooks interspersed with longer, more experimental epic sagas similar to Third Eye. I feel we are just going to get the longer tracks, with a more instrumental focus and slightly less Maynard than previous albums.
Mike Rutherford once said writing a long song is much easier than a short one. Maybe Tool have been working on the next Invisible Touch. Hope MJK has his riot gear ready for May 5th. Id be surprised if people dont pelt them with cabbages – lets be honest even tho nothing was promised this upcoming tour has been sold on the premise a new album would be out…
It’ll be a massive missed opportunity to not debut a new song at the upcoming shows.
about 7 songs and the odd segue is what i’m expecting
I heard some sort of source say it was 7 long songs without interludes. That each song feels like it’s own album. As a musician myself, I don’t want Tool to try anything different in the studio. At least not for the sake of trying something different. I want them to approach this the same way they did 10,000 Days, Aenima, and Lateralus. Whatever they want to do, whether its 7 short songs or 7 long, I trust them. I want guitars, guitars, guitars and no synths but I’ll take anything they make.
I agree with this post more than any other so far. When looking at the time that has gone by, as a TOOL fan, we have arrived at “the moment.”
And, in that said “moment,” TOOL have always delivered….ALWAYS.
This will be no different.
The moment is upon us.
And, once it arrives….that’s it….
It’d be cool to hear an Echoes-style, whole-side-of-an-LP epic.
I’ll be stoked to hear the new shit whatever length it is.
Holy shit guys! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6FGQknnAt/?igshid=15m84qityo9li
Damn, I’m really hoping they do drop the full version of Descending this weekend. If this practice is anything to go by…
Yeah, I dig it. I’m on the side of the fence that does expect some new material, but not quite as much as post-release tours. A full version of Descending would make a lot of sense.
Those tags on his post #MakingDreamsComeTrue and #TheFastingIsOver, it’s happening.
Slow work day so I’ve been hunting the internet for updates on the new album. The best I can find is this from Adam Jones’ Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6FGQknnAt/
Comes with some interesting hash tags:
#Nomad #Bitesize #lovethenonhaters #MakingDreamsComeTrue #TheFastingIsOver
It’s a section out of that song that’s supposedly called “Descending”.
Although punters are frothing on it, I don’t find it particularly “paradigm shifting”. Typical Tool riff #yawn. Hopefully AJ pumped out some more tech riffs than that on the new release.
I think any expectation about a paradigm shift being about how the band sounds is destined to fail.
#Nomad and #Bitesize are references to the guitar I believe.
Yep – http://www.fernandesguitars.com/nomad.html
Comments above weren’t posted when I posted this lol
It’s typical Adam Jones, however the effects are great. Really want to hear this in the full context.
I’m not expecting any type of paradigm shift with the new release. I just want new tunes with the classic Tool sound.
Well that may be a hint that ‘Descending’ is the first single, or song they will give to radio. I’m tipping that they might possibly stream a new song in the next few days before the first show.
It might also be a hint that they are going to play the full song at the upcoming shows.
Both could very easily happen.
If I were among the people attending the first shows, I wouldn’t worry too much about not hearing a new single, it’s a near impossibility they won’t play one. It would be bad business ; they know everyone’s expecting one and they know that everyone would bring the social media fire and forks if they didn’t deliver.
It would be one of their greatest (the list is long) fuck yous to the fans to not play any new songs.
It will make me literally shake my head as well as laugh at what they have become….
This.
I like what I heard here but I think it’s funny someone has ruled out the “paradigm shift” possibility from just that nice little snippet we got. 🙂
I’m glad Adam posted something here. Us natives were getting restless…
I think we are doing to get somewhat of a shift. Danny has been working with synths a tonne since 2006. That’s gonna change things up a lot.