Maynard James Keenan on New Tool Album: “We Can’t Drag This Out Another 14 Years”

Tool has been renowned for their leisurely pace between albums, a trend notably exemplified by the 13-year hiatus between 2006’s 10,000 Days and 2019’s Fear Inoculum. Yet, Maynard James Keenan, the band’s vocalist, now asserts that such delays cannot recur.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Keenan elaborated on the intricacies of Tool’s creative process, acknowledging the presence of various egos and life commitments within the band. He remarked, “But all the creativity’s there, the songs and the ideas can flow and the arguments ensue.” Keenan humorously added, “As soon as we get past the arguments, we can get shit done! [Laughs] I think we could do it more efficiently. And I think everyone’s on the same page that we have to get through that, because we can’t drag this out another 14 years.”

Similarly, guitarist Adam Jones echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the band’s commitment to their artistic integrity. He noted, “Most of the people that you hear from on those things – like, ‘When’s your next record?’ – when you do finish it, they’re like, ‘OK, when’s your next one?’ You can’t make people happy. We have this very selfish approach to art. It’s our rules.”

These statements align with bassist Justin Chancellor’s recent comments to Heavy Consequence, where he expressed the band’s intent to enter the studio later this year. Chancellor affirmed, “We have, as usual, loads of ideas, loads of stuff that didn’t get used — constantly writing new stuff. I write something, I immediately know it’s for Tool. It sounds the right way.” He added, “We’re not going to be taking so much time over it if we’re going to do an album. We’re going to figure out how to do it a little bit quicker.”

Despite their upcoming UK/European tour in May and June, and Keenan’s ongoing “Sessanta” US tour featuring A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, Tool remains steadfast in their determination to expedite the album-making process.