Last week, Tool guitarist Adam Jones posted a cryptic video clip of a moving amp to Instagram, suggesting that the group had finally entered the studio to record their first album in over a decade. Turns out it wasn't a tease: Tool have shared a statement on their official website confirming that they've started pre-production for the long-awaited 10,000 Days follow-up, with the recording process set to "begin in earnest" imminently. They've tapped audio engineer Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Chevelle) to sit behind the boards for the new one, as he did for its 2006's predecessor.
UPDATE, APRIL 26: Curious about what gear drummer Danny Carey plans on using for the new album? Guitarist Adam Jones has you covered; he's just shared some studio footage of Carey's setup — which includes a Sonor drum kit and a vintage Ludwig set, the first kit Carey ever owned — to his Instagram. Jones captioned the post "#TOOL," "#recording," and "#Bestdrummerintheworld." Sadly, the clip doesn't feature any music, but hey, it's something.
Given how long fans have been waiting for this moment, we'll cut to the chase. Without further ado, here's the full message:
"Who's ready for some major breaking news? Brace yourself; get ready ... okay, here we go. We are very excited to announce what is sure to be welcome news for both fans of Tool and prog-metal enthusiasts in general. After all the years of writing and arranging (and re-arranging) at the band's loft, I can at this time officially report that the guys have moved into a major studio where the recording process for the next album is about to begin in earnest.
"For the past few days the band members have been getting sonically adjusted to their new surroundings – dialing in the equipment settings and restaurant catering choices — in preparation for Danny [Carey] to begin his tracking any time now — perhaps by the time that you read this!
"I am also excited to announce that 'evil' Joe Barresi will once again have his capable fingers at the engineering controls for what will certainly be another masterful Tool offering by the talented team. Pinch yourself if you want, but I have been told that all systems are GO at this point for the upcoming sessions.
"I will be posting periodic bits and pieces on the progress of the tracking once the guys get deeper into the recording process, and hope that all of you will keep checking back to the official website for these updates. In the meantime, be sure to also visit the individual band members' sites and socials (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) for more inside glimpses as Tool prepares for the next stage in their musical odyssey."
Below, see Maynard James Keenan detail his passion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu in "The Art of Work," episode 4.
