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Tool New Album Rumour File

There’s not much actual news around the new Tool album around at the moment, except for the announcement that it’s coming on August 30th. There is a bunch of rumours and speculation around the place, that in order to keep you guys (any myself) amused, I’m going to list, and then give some kind thoughts about whether I reckon it’s legit or not.

Note that some of below could be considered spoilers, so stop reading now if you don’t want to encounter them!

  • The next Tool album will be a double album. This has been suggested by many Tool fans on numerous occasions. Given that the band has spent 13 years writing, surely they must have enough material right? Maybe they do, but everything I’ve heard suggests that it will be a regular CD length album. Word is from a few of my sources are that we should expect less tracks than we think, but that they are all longer.
  • Descending and Invincible might not be on the album. This one’s a bit absurd actually. Some seem to think that these two tracks are just previews of sorts, and that they either won’t be on the album, or will exist in a significantly different form. I ain’t buying it!
  • The new album packaging will contain some kind of battery. This one was reportedly mention by Danny Carey at a Baked Potato show a month or so ago. I’m pretty confident at this time the reason the album is coming in August instead of July is likely to be packaging related, and while I have no insight as to whether it has a battery or not, it seems plausible that at the very least we’re going to see something out of the ordinary this time around.
  • Alex Grey will be providing the cover art once more. There was an Alex Grey interview with Metal Injection recently, in which there was a question asked regarding Tool that was avoided by Alex. Some took this to be a hint that Alex would be doing the cover art once more. I’m skeptical at this time – a reliable rumour I heard was that the artwork was an unseen piece of art, and that it wasn’t recognisably any particular artist. Given that Grey has a pretty strong artistic style, I take this to mean he’s unlikely to be the cover artist. That said, I would be a little surprised if there was none if his art in the packaging.
  • The first track will be released in July. There was a Reddit post recently in which a radio DJ announced he expected the new single in July. I’m unsure if he really has legit info to confirm this, but to me it seems a no brainer that we’ll see a more thorough album launch in July, including the album title, track list, packaging options and of course a “single”. Don’t expect this 10 minute plus track to be appearing on your typical radio station though. More interesting question is will there be a video?
  • Maynard doesn’t “scream” on the new album. A few sources that have reportedly heard the album, seem to confirm that Maynard’s vocals are a bit more laid back this time around, and that they heard no “screaming” on the album. Based on the two tracks performed so far, it’s easy to see how this could be a thing. Maynard is not an angry young man any more, and there are many songs he finds hard to perform live these days, the obvious one being Vicarious. I reckon Tool will be very keen to play most, if not all of the album live, so expect that Maynard’s vocals will be tempered with that in mind.
  • David Lynch will be making the first video. This is an odd rumour, based purely on a couple of band members “liking” his Twitter account around about the same time. Reportedly Lynch also mentioned listening to an unnamed 90s band recently. I guess Tool fits the bill. There’s nothing to rule this out, but I’ll be pretty surprised if he’s secretly filming some kind of Tool video for the new album.
  • The new album will be called Chöd. Yeah right…..

Any other questions?

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Z-Werewolf
Z-Werewolf
4 years ago

1. The hope is for a double album but I think the rumors about a normal length album with less songs/longer songs is likely. 2. Although it may sound absurd, I have felt a suspicion that these two new songs are decoys at times… We’ll find out. 3. I have not heard the battery rumor but it’s definitely intriguing. I’m hoping for a proper vinyl release and wonder how this would go down… 4. Adi Granov was in attendance at the 2017 Sacramento VIP. Is he a possibility for helping with album artwork? Also, we still haven’t seen the release… Read more »

Alittlevil
Alittlevil
4 years ago

Hi thanks as always Hellboy. I do want to throw in my 2 cents as a practicing Vajrayana Buddhist that Chöd as a title would be awesome and appropriate, also as some have pointed out is pronounced like the name “Todd” not like “toad”. Time will tell.

bent eye
bent eye
4 years ago

Lets debunk 1: Unlikely. I’m going with a single album with less, but longer songs 2: It’s possible. It’s weird to not release studio versions of these songs before the European tour. 3: Wouldn’t surprise me. Tool have it make the packaging next level with this release and I’d say this is why the release was pushed to August. That and vinyl work 4: Yes. Grey is the 5th member of Tool. He created the new August 30 artwork that was displayed on the latest tour so it’s easy to see Grey once again doing the cover art. 5: There’ll… Read more »

skute
skute
4 years ago

Hehe for the people saying 2 is a possibilty I wonder if they’re old enough to recall the decoy album debacle for 10,000 days.

bent eye
bent eye
Reply to  skute
4 years ago

Im 42 years old but wasnt active on this site or any others related to Tool when 10K came out.

mfmeitbual
mfmeitbual
Reply to  skute
4 years ago

I think you may be thinking of Lateralus? A whole list of fake track namse/etc was released. That was 18 years ago.

limeygringo
limeygringo
Reply to  mfmeitbual
4 years ago

You’re both correct. There was an officially fake tracklist and album title for Lateralus released by the band, but it was a fringe group of fans that rallied behind the idea of 10k Days being a decoy album.

Alittlevil
Alittlevil
4 years ago

Hi me again. My last odd guess. In regards to packaging what if the two new live songs were being recorded and filmed and put into a special edition package that played them on a hologram format.

PUSHER
PUSHER
4 years ago

I remember a few years back Blair leaving all kinds of clues in the newsletters about 2 of everything. I know I’m not the only one that picked up on that. Hell in my mind even the comment about saving some of the album for later tells me something. Probably wrong tho.

Maynerd
Maynerd
4 years ago

I’d be very happy if Descending wasn’t on the album, but that seems incredibly unlikely.
That song turned out to be just blah.

BellJH
BellJH
Member
Reply to  Maynerd
4 years ago

I do agree that invincible is a better track than descending. In its current form I would be happy for Descending to not be on the new album, and I hope the “rumour” that Maynard actually sings in the second half is true. Descending is missing something and does not feel complete. Seen it live four times now as well, and it doesn’t do it for me.

bent eye
bent eye
Reply to  hellboy1975
4 years ago

Adam played a new riff during Invincible at the Prague show, so they could well be holding back material until the studio versions are released. I like Descending but I’d love to hear Maynard sing through the entire song.

cultiv8420
cultiv8420
4 years ago

I want to know if that jam we heard from the guys rehearsing posted to Instagram (by member of Behemoth if I recall) will be on the album. It was like 5 seconds, and sounded amazing.

bent eye
bent eye
Reply to  cultiv8420
4 years ago

Do you have a link to that post?

bent eye
bent eye
Reply to  hellboy1975
4 years ago

Is it the riff that begins in this video at the 0:53 mark? This is the one riff I really want to hear on the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc95VxgUAAA

bent eye
bent eye
Reply to  hellboy1975
4 years ago

I remember that very brief snippet of the “One” style tune a while back. It was on social media somewhere.

cultiv8420
cultiv8420
Reply to  bent eye
4 years ago
nails
nails
4 years ago

I am concerned about the number of songs we should expect on this album. I was hoping that there were more than 6 songs..

I was really underwhelmed by the last 2 albums. And I think the number of songs had a lot to do with that..

There are always a few songs you like less on an album.. with less songs there is more of an impact to the overall album enjoyment.. especially when those songs are 15 mins long..

Also, I hate to add this.. but it has been 13 years..

Z-Werewolf
Z-Werewolf
Reply to  nails
4 years ago

You were underwhelmed by “Lateralus”? What on earth is underwhelming about that album? “10,000 Days” took me a while to appreciate so I can understand that but…. “Lateralus” and “underwhelmed” do not go together in the slightest.

nails
nails
Reply to  Z-Werewolf
4 years ago

Sorry Mr. Wolf.. I did not mean for that to be a troll.. It is just my opinion..

Z-Werewolf
Z-Werewolf
Reply to  nails
4 years ago

Copy that…

shed523
Member
Reply to  nails
4 years ago

10,000 is a masterpiece! My one and only criticism would be how the album ends. My least favorite end track of any TOOL release. Also with this line of thinking you are on a hard line track to dissatisfaction with the new album.

nemesis
nemesis
Reply to  nails
4 years ago

I’m with you, they peaked at Aenima, Lateralus was good, but 10,000 days (apart from Rosetta Stoned which sounds like earlier tool) was not worth the wait.

Still eager to hear the new stuff though.

MegaGil08
MegaGil08
4 years ago

I myself had a friend who was into Tool and he was honestly not a fan of Lateralus as well. His complaints with the artwork and felt the songs felt sterile and without the same angst as Aenima. However Lateralus was the Tool cd that got me into them so we just had two different perspectives on it. Just my cents on what I am reading: 1. This is an easy way to either set yourself up for disappointment. A double album is a nice idea but it’s also wishful thinking. While some of the guitar parts were played in… Read more »

faaip de oiad
faaip de oiad
4 years ago

Maynard had better scream somewhere on this album or i will be pissed. If he can’t muster that for a recording, then he is most certainly not consequential anymore.

Stinkfist
Stinkfist
Reply to  faaip de oiad
4 years ago

This is ridiculous. I can (somewhat) understand you being disappointed that their may not be any screams but to infer this makes him inconsequential to the band is laughable. I imagine (hope) you don’t actually feel that way and emotions got the best of you, but nothing surprises me with some of you on this site these days. And those of you who actually believe for a micro-second that Descending / Invincible won’t be on the new album are completely, utterly, preposterously out of your minds. It makes me wonder what all other nonsensical BS you believe in. Seriously guys…take… Read more »

Z-Werewolf
Z-Werewolf
Reply to  Stinkfist
4 years ago

You’re like a fuckin’ crystal ball Stinkfist… You know everything about TOOL… Unreal…

Stinkfist
Stinkfist
Reply to  Z-Werewolf
4 years ago

Admittedly; maybe I was a bit over the top, but i don’t claim for a second I know everything about TooL. But I damn sure have been around long enough to know for a fact that they aren’t going to bust out 24 minutes of highly fleshed out new material for the first time in 13 years only to not include it on the album that drops 3 months later. Then again, maybe these songs were just the cream of the crop from the long-delayed decoy album and they waited over a decade just to pull this prank right before… Read more »

Z-Werewolf
Z-Werewolf
Reply to  Stinkfist
4 years ago

HAHA! I was just giving you a hard time bud.

In all honesty… none of us know what the hell is going to happen… I personally think that them playing possibly 1/3rd of the new album live (2 songs) is preposterous.

I continue to hope there is more in store for this release than we can dream of. Not much time left until the release… We’ll find out soon.

Stinkfist
Stinkfist
Reply to  Z-Werewolf
4 years ago

SOON!!!!!!

That is something we can all get behind. 13 years in the fire is long enough. We’re going home!

Corpus Callosum
Corpus Callosum
4 years ago

1. I left a comment on YouTube several weeks ago about it possibly being a double album. With Adam saying they were all long songs, that means there would be fewer songs on the disc. And Tool would never do a radio edit version of their songs. We can all guess and hope. 2. ‘Descending and Invincible not on the record.’ – Good possibility. But why not? In their 1995 shows, they were already playing songs from Aenima. I think Descending is a great song. I just hope hearing it so many times live doesn’t ruin the studio take. There… Read more »

TOOL_Rules
TOOL_Rules
Reply to  hellboy1975
4 years ago

Our local St. Louis radio station that plays TOOL has their own (I’m assuming) chopped version of Jambi. It is horrible and makes me cringe every time I hear it. Just don’t bother. Their music is too good for radio anyway.

bloo-mune
4 years ago

Another tease? toolband mentions “Double Double” and “bootleg”
Also, I read people are hoping for something in July. I’m thinking July might be too optimistic since the album is released at the END of August. Just a thought. I haven’t listened to Invincible yet. I only listened to Descending because I had already heard most of it live. Anyone know if there are any new nuggets of interest related to the new album: Artwork, songs, posters, t-shirts stuff Keenan says between songs during this international tour?

mfmeitbual
mfmeitbual
Reply to  bloo-mune
4 years ago

100% sure double double is a reference to In and Out.

Jethro Tool
Jethro Tool
4 years ago

Maybe Salival 2/live stuff and new album released on same day – 1 fulfills contract and 1 self released and bundled to death? June newsletter should be here next couple of days…

Maynerd
Maynerd
Reply to  Jethro Tool
4 years ago

There’s no way that is gonna happen.

DRURY
DRURY
4 years ago

1. NO
2. These songs are on the album
3. No idea
4. Not the cover art, but maybe inside
5. More info in July. Dunno about actual single.
6. He can scream still. Don’t think a whole song will be screaming but I predict there will be a song where he has a short “scream” (strange word, scream)
7. NO
8. NO

bonzer5
4 years ago

9. Companion DC synth/drum EP

undertopiate
4 years ago

If the album is leaked before the release date, will you indulge? I purposely avoided the leak of 10k Days, which I actually kind of regretted because I saw them live the same day that 10k Days was released and thus, wasn’t familiar with any of the news songs, except Vicarious. I didn’t have time to buy the album after working that day and then driving 3hrs to Seattle to see them live. On another note, I am considering opening for the first time my signed Lateralus vinyl. Might do it on the release date. It’s been easy to let… Read more »

daha33
daha33
Reply to  undertopiate
4 years ago

I myself definitely will. I did so for the leak for 10,000 days but I went right out and bought the album when it was released 2 weeks later. I just can’t wait I love their music so damn much. The night of the first concert in Jacksonville I was listen to both new songs over and over despite poor quality. I’ve settled on 2 recordings on YouTube from the Birmingham show that are pretty solid. As one commenter pointed out Adam did play an additional riff during Invincible during the Prague show (which sounded amazing btw) but Im guessing… Read more »

fulcanelli
fulcanelli
4 years ago

I don’t know why people think the new songs won’t be on the album. That makes absolutely no sense. They are playing them live because the album was most likely supposed to come out before the tour but something held it up. They decided to play some new songs live, pretty simple really. I know that it’s likely 1/3 of the new material but that’s just how it is. Most bands do this when the tour starts before the album release.

lukas
lukas
Reply to  fulcanelli
4 years ago

” That makes absolutely no sense. ” Most of the things Tool fans come up with make absolutely no sense.

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