Why Has Tool’s New Album Taken 13 Years to Make?
Since the release of Tool’s fourth studio album, 10,000 Days, mankind has discovered water on Mars, invented the iPhone, legalized gay marriage, gone through three presidents and built an entirely new World Trade Center. For more than a decade, a new Tool album has eluded fans, who are looking more like Maynard James Keenan by the day, thanks to ripping their own hair out in frustration.
Why has Tool’s fifth album taken so long to make? Here’s the full story of every road block, distraction and creative impasse that’s caused the 13-year wait.
After playing over 200 concerts from 2006 to 2007, Tool essentially went on hiatus in 2008, performing zero shows and beginning a decade of minimal touring. Keenan’s attention shifted dramatically from Tool to Puscifer and his growing wine business, staying extremely busy while his bandmates began collecting ideas for a new record.
So many obstacles were thrown in Tool’s way throughout the 2010s, from Danny Carey seriously injuring himself in a Vespa crash, to a massive lawsuit, to the band members second-guessing themselves for years at a time.
Most recently, Danny Carey told a fan Tool’s fifth studio album would be out in April or May, but as you’ll find in this video, this wouldn’t be the first time a new album promise went undelivered.
Find out exactly why Tool’s new album has taken over a decade to make in the clip above.
Every Tool Song Ranked