A few other interesting tidbits of information come out overnight, mostly related to the Welcome to Rockville Tool show coming this Sunday.
A note regarding spoilers: I know some of you Fourtheye readers are keen to avoid spoilers, and I’m also keen to protect you, but the reality is that this is a news site. While I’m going to keep spoiler information out of the titles of posts here, if you delve past the first paragraph you may not like what you read.
First up is a shot of the merch booth, which contains a new tour shirt with are created who Adi Granov. It’s a cool looking shirt – some are quick to assume this is some kind of album cover, but I’m not sure this is the case. I suspect posters featuring this art will be available as well, but that didn’t appear to be the case at the festival merch booth (yet)
Adam also shared via Instagram some new additions to his Silverburst collection:
Everyone love a new axe, but possibly the most interesting part of this is the range of tunings we have going on here. We know the band us Drop D extensively, delving into C for song such as The Pot and Parabola. But the fact that we have a wide range of tuning presumably heading out on tour, suggests a couple of possibilities.
Will they play the aforementioned songs? That’d be nice, but probably not what many of us are especially excited about.
More likely that new music using some different tuning could be played. There has been a rumour floating around that suggests that many of the songs on the new album are tuned down so that they suit Maynard’s voice a little better. I guess we’ll find out soon enough!
I really like that art work
Really digging the new art. Probably not album related, yet surprisingly refreshing none the less.
It will be Ten Thousand Days since the release of Opiate on Saturday, July 27, 2019 … just sayin
I’m loving Granov’s Tool artwork and really hope some of his work makes it into the album artwork. As for tuning, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the new material is down. Maynard’s voice surely has changed in 12 years. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Soooo…
Any chance of the image above being the front view if the “being” on the Salival cover?
Interesting theory, but I don’t see any reason to think it’s likely.
The eye in the neck seems to be a theme. The animation on toolband has something that looks like an eye on the neck also.
I hope it has nothing do to with the artwork for new album. Looks so cheesey.
Yeah, if this turned out to be the art for the album cover I’d be very disappointed.
I think it looks fine, but not expecting it to be the album cover – not so sure Tool are ready to release than information via a shirt at a festival.
That said – 10,000 Days taught me to not judge a book by it’s cover. The overall package is far superior to the cover, which was the weakest element of the artwork.
This just doesn’t feel like TOOL artwork to me, reminds me of something from game of thrones or Indiana Jones & the temple of doom. Alex Grey is the fifth member of TOOL and I hope he represents accordingly.
Beyond that, merry TOOLsmas eve, all … after 13 years, we finally get new music tomorrow, in some for!!
It won’t surprise me if we don’t get any new tracks tomorrow. Maybe just a bit updated version of Descending. Everything I hoped for (new single, new albums details, etc.) did not come, so I am giving up.
IIRC parabol/a is in drop BE
Yep, there are several songs not in Drop D.
Yep and Prison Sex is drop B. Everything else is drop D.
Not 100% sure on some tracks off Salival.
The pictures added on spotify is no gone
So they’ve played the full version of Descending and another new song at Rockville.
https://twitter.com/ToolPusciferAPC/with_replies
Holy fucking shit. Its happening
1. Ænima
2. The Pot
3. Parabola
4. Descending FULL SONG w/vocals
5. Schism
6. NEW SONG w/ new visuals
7. Jambi
8. 46 & 2
9. Sweat
10. Stinkfist
Already on youtube for those who want to risk it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hjZHGk2G-g
2nd new song is apparently titled ‘Invincible’.
Setlists.com…
Invincible
(New song, name seen on setlist)
Invincible …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peu3IzsYrSQ
The sound quality of the Invincible video is awful. Hopefully a better one surfaces. Descending isn’t too bad.
Best recording of Descending I can find (despite the people talking):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyUgw8ji74w
Yeah that one is heaps punchier.
They had a really good mix. Guitar sounds huge.
Yeah, this video is the best of the Descending bunch so far.
It won’t get much better than that.
That’s an ideal position sound wise.
Only improvement would be someone standing not far, but out of range of people making noise.
For a youtube video the current one is decent. I don’t think we’ll get a better one, unless ToolArchive can unearth something.
This will do for now. You can make out the song and it sounds huge. Hopefully, the same person uploads a decent Invincible video.
Best version of ‘Invincible’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2k-Kh8L_Yc
Holy shit Invincible is awesome Tool.
That’s like an instant classic.
Very surprised.
I’m with you. Invincible is fantastic. It runs rings around Descending. When it changes at the 6:44 minute mark, holy shit!
9:25… is super satisfying beat. Very Jambi solo-esque
Very Jambi-esque. That guitar just chugs. Love it.
Yeah I strongly like this one. The sound, approach, and the colors in the visuals are fantastic.
My anticipation for the new album, as high as it already is has just skyrocketed.
Tis’ gonna be so good to hear the guitar and vocal layering on that song on the album.
Yeah it’s far more interesting than Descending (sounds like a reinterpretation of lateralus and the grudge stuck together). Still it’s quite hard to make it what’s really going on. I’m not sold on Maymays singing as yet.
I think we need to be prepared to accept that Maynard’s singing on this album is probably not going to be like it has been on the rest of their catalog.
That said, I liked what I heard, though it’s certainly not testing his higher range.
Yeah totally. Very much looking forward to studio recording. I feel like we are missing out on so much with these recordings. Hopefully we will get a date soon to look forward to. My curiosity has been somewhat satiated for now. Just need to hold out for the real thing.
Only part that sounds weird to me is the ‘bass solo’ at the 7minute area…
That sounds really wrong for the section.
No hating Descending, it’s just that we’ve heard that snippet they’ve been playing for 4 years over and over. Invincible is completely fresh and it sounds awesome so far. I can’t wait for the studio versions of both songs.
Not quite fresh, parts of Invincible have been teased over the last 10 years, though not to the extent of Descending.
Definitely. Parts of Invincible have been heard before but not as much as Descending. I’m really liking hearing all of these little bits and pieces finally put into one song.
Enjoy this while it lasts.
So Maymay was dressed as a Roman soldier.
I’ve seen people talking about that, but some better footage just shows him with his usual festival outfit : the fake mohwak, jeans and tee. Dunno, it may or may not be a theme, we’ll have to wait.
Yeah, hard to see. Some talk of a Roman theme with the album. There are some connections.
The songs sound oddly unfinished to be honest. It might be that they’re jamming and testing the waters, but some sections seemed naked, like MJK was supposed to have some parts that he didn’t play ; they kind of feel like Triad but some vocals peppered here and there.
I probably wouldn’t get too carried away with this line of thinking. Given that these were the debut performances, I’d expect them to be rough and not overly free flowing. And it certainly sounded like that was the case – numerous parts where it seemed like the band were not quite on the same wavelength yet.
We need to give these tracks time to breathe.
For live debuts, they sound pretty good, but I’m sure they’ll be refined somewhat over the coming gigs.
Descending doesn’t really do much for me.
Just feels like a single kind of ‘idea’ drawn out way longer than it ever should have been.
The vocals for that do feel kind of aimless and just trying to fill spaces.
Not sure why they felt it needed to be that long of a song.
The lead guitar part that comes in at 9:52 feels way overdue.
I tend to agree with your sentiment unfortunately, but considering the circumstances, this being their first live, me not being there and the quality of the recordings, it would be unfair to be too critical.
Have they used Aenima as a set opener before?
Anyone able to make out any lyrics?
I was them in Hawaii in 2011, they opened up with aenima. I missed that song because the line to get into the arena took forever.
Yeah, I thought it had happened before, though rare.
Great day!
DC goes absolutely sick in those final two minutes of Decending!
Here’s a better video of Invincible. Audio is a lot clearer. Nothing to see stage wise as its filmed from way back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s5J3HzZUlw
Video of Descending. Same source.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xsoASQ2vPs
What a day to be alive!!! I’ve made it. 😗 shit the bed!!!
call me underwhelmed but i’m sure these songs will sound better on the cd. Too many one note riff sections that feel like filler. Maybe edit 10 minutes down to 6 to make a better song.
Seems to be lots of comments around on various forums about punters not being overly impressed and the feeling that they didn’t try very hard with those songs. There’s also some suggestions that these are just jams that might not make the album?
Personally, I was stoked to hear anything new from them. But I am inclined to agree that a lot of it does sound like “one note riff sections that feel like filler”.
I agree with the both of you, and while I think the album will give them justice… I also had a low chance theory that those songs, specifically ‘Invincible’ may be a mash up of more than one song from the new album. While they have had start-stop moments in songs before (Rosetta Stoned), this seemed a little less fluid for them, unless that’s because it’s their first public live show playing it…
I wish Tool knew how much better their past albums sound when I (we?) know new music is imminent. It really seems to sound better. I know it’s psychological. It feels so great though.