Maynard James Keenan Discusses Tool’s Evolving Music and Future Releases

Maynard James Keenan won't sing some Tool tracks anymore. In an interview, he said, "The words are just dumb. ... There's some old Tool songs that I don't like playing them because I feel like I failed them. They're popular songs, but I was trying to make a joke, and it was a dumb joke, and I should've just moved on. I feel like the lyrics don't hold up under scrutiny.” 

The 1996 track, "Stinkfist," also came up. Keenan mentioned how certain verses clash with the instrumental work his bandmates built. He's been the vocalist since day one.

Tool hasn't dropped an album since Fear Inoculum arrived in 2019. Bassist Justin Chancellor discussed new material with NME in 2024, suggesting singles might surface before a full-length release. "It definitely comes on our own terms," he said. "The only pressure comes when we announce that we're working on something new, because then we have to make our own predictions for when it'll come out, and obviously you feel like you let people down if you don't release it in a certain amount of time."

The band hit the road in late 2025, and shows stretched across the US and Canada, wrapping up with two nights in Toronto during November's final days. Setlists included rarities and a version of Black Sabbath's "Hand Of Doom." Meanwhile, Keenan's other project, Puscifer, drops Normal Isn't on Feb. 6.