Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has confirmed that their long-awaited album is now in the final mixing stage.
The Los Angeles band have not released a studio album since 2006’s ‘10,000 Days‘. Its long-awaited follow-up was initially expected to be out in 2017 but was delayed, and now the new record is expected at some point this year.
Keenan took to Twitter today (January 4) to post an update for fans, writing: “Update- Final vocals tracked MONTHS ago. Then U.S.-UK-Euro run w #APC. If Tool all inst are tracked, long process of Mixing now.”
Update- Final vocals tracked MONTHS ago. Then U.S.-UK-Euro run w #APC. If Tool all inst are tracked, long process of Mixing now. Meanwhile write/film/track w @puscifer for #puscifer2020 & troll the band FBs with wine posts. #funnyshit #whileyouwerewhiningiwasworking
— Maynard J Keenan (@mjkeenan) January 4, 2019
Keenan shared progress on the album throughout 2017. They also debuted new track ‘Descending’ in April, using an instrumental demo in the background of a promotional video for their forthcoming tour.
In February, the frontman updated fans with production news, saying that he had started to receive “music files from the boys w the word FINAL in the title a few months ago after 11 years of begging.” He added that the words and melodies for the new record were “100% DONE on all but 1 [song].”
This was followed by an update in September, when Keenan tweeted: “Scratch Vox tracked awhile ago,” he wrote. “[Adam Jones] deep in Guitars now. Final Vox after. Step back. Adjust. Mix. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Master. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Long Way 2 Go But Much Closer.”
Keenan previously blamed the long wait for the album on his bandmates’ indecisiveness. “I like to release records and write things a little more quickly than those guys like to write,” he said. “Their process is very analytical.”
The band are also currently preparing for their 2019 European tour, which kicks off in June in Germany and finishes in Portugal in July.
Tool 2019 Europe Tour Dates:
June 2: Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
June 4: Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
June 5: Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadhalle
June 7: Nurburg, Germany – Rock Am Ring Festival
June 9: Nuremberg, Germany – Rock Im Park Festival
June 11: Krakow, Poland – Impact Festival at Tauron Arena
June 13: Florence, Italy – Firenze Rocks Festival
June 16: Donington, UK – Download Festival
June 18: Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
June 20: Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell Festival
June 25: Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
June 30: Madrid, Spain – Download Festival Spain
July 2: Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena