Tool Bassist Says Band Rejects Deadlines While Working on New Material

Tool bassist Justin Chancellor confirmed the group is working on new music, but they won't conform to any release schedule. The band believes art can't be rushed, and they refuse to hurry their creative work.

"We're working on new music. I don't know when we're going to finish it. We've been working on stuff on and off for a couple of years," said Chancellor to The Australian in an interview from this past August.

Just last week, the bassist hit the studio with drummer Danny Carey. They tinkered with ideas. He pointed out that their group's method sets them apart from other acts in the business.

"Art doesn't really have a schedule, you know what I mean? Like, you can't force it. And if you do, it tends not to work out so great," Justin Chancellor said. "I think, especially in our band, it's somehow it's just the way it works with our band. It's a different kind of alchemy."

Tool released their fifth studio album, Fear Inoculum, in 2019, 13 years after their previous record. That album shot to the top of the Billboard 200 and earned gold certification by August 2020.

Each member has side projects going on between band sessions. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan, Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and Chancellor all chase individual work that shapes their collective output.

"We've learned to sort of pare out the time when people need that space with busying ourselves with other things, which actually influence what we do when we come back together as well," the bassist said.

The group performed in Auckland last week. More shows are coming: Good Things Festival dates in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane from Dec. 4-6, then Japan concerts on Dec. 11 and 13. Fans can find their complete tour schedule on the official Tool website.