Tool is hitting the road in Europe to perform a series of arena shows across the UK. This tour represents another milestone in the successful album cycle of their 2019 release, “Fear Inoculum,” which has already seen them play massive dates in the United States.
However, as the touring cycle for the album seems to be reaching its final stages, Tool‘s massive fanbase has pondered how much longer they will have to wait for a follow-up album. Well, this time around it seems the wait will be much shorter.
In a revealing interview with Kerrang!, Tool‘s bassist Justin Chancellor opened up about the band’s current creative endeavors. Reflecting on the multitude of ideas they’ve accumulated, Chancellor disclosed: “There’s absolutely tons and tons of hard drives full of stuff. Some ideas go back to before Fear Inoculum that are just simple riffs that we never incorporated into a song.”
This treasure trove of material, however, presents its own challenges. “Sometimes that’s a bit like grinding the gears when you’re trying to resurrect or revisit them, so it’s really appealing to work on the newest stuff.”
The band’s collaborative energy remains a driving force behind their innovative sound. Chancellor shared insights into their dynamic process: “Each time we come together, people also have so many new ideas and then we’ll spend all day playing them. We’re constantly introducing new stuff but then sometimes that’ll marry with the old material.”
This fusion of fresh and familiar elements is already yielding promising results. “We’ve been writing for the last couple of weeks, meeting a couple of times each week – we’ve had some really good sessions, and a lot of it has been brand new. We already have a couple of solid, what I would say are, skeletons of songs waiting to be finalized.”
When asked about the emerging sound of their new work, Chancellor described it as a “real mixed bag,” highlighting their unique approach to the creative process. “We’ve been doing this round-robin thing of saying, ‘Danny, give us a drum rhythm that you’ve been working on,’ and then we’ll work on that. Then Adam will present one of his, and I’ll present one of mine. As soon as one idea gets exhausted, we’ll move onto the next.”
This method fosters a diverse range of sounds and starting points, ensuring each session is a fresh experience. “We’re doing what we can to try and give a fresh approach to the writing experience, and part of that is trying not to overdo it so we’re not banging our heads against the wall. It’s knowing when to take a breath.”
Tool‘s ability to balance intensity with creativity is evident as they continue to write and refine new material, even during soundchecks and backstage moments. “We’re all really excited about it but we’re just letting it come as it does. We’ll probably work a little bit in soundchecks and in the dressing room. It’s great.”