I remember when I came to this forum years ago as a youngster and there was always some buzz around here regarding Tool- those days are long gone. Anyone excited for some new music? What direction are you hoping they take?

I hope they make a 180 and head back toward Lateralus and Aenema, but don't see that happening.

Agreed.

It's not much more than a 4 degree turn imo

Also, I'm excited as I am about all Tool cd's, but the real excitement won't really set in until we get some indication they are at least recording the album.

I feel you guys. I would also like some fucking heavy Undertow era shit too. Sober is still one of my favorite songs from them. That fucking beat is incredible, even if the song is pretty played out.
But yah, I still think they got some good shit up their sleeve even though most people have given up on the gang who got most of us into appreciating music more.

On the Puscifer website in early December, this was posted...

Seems as good an indicator as any.

That being said, I'm really eager to hear some new material. I had a hard time with 10,000 days at first, now I think it's great. Still I can't help but agree with Dan and Reign3 about a similar sound to the old Lateralus and Aenema albums.

I had to try so hard to like 10,000 Days, then I realized that I really didn't like it at all. That album can't stand on its own, nobody would listen to it were it not for Tool's previous albums.

I'll admit that It's my least favorite. There are some standouts Wings 1 and 2, the songs were very enjoyable live when I went to see them. I enjoy that album in a very fragmented way.

Billy Howerdel mentioned APC being pretty active in 2011 as well, so I'm not sure if Puscifer, Tool, AND APC can put out albums all in the same year...

It does seem a little hard to imagine a release from all of them, especially with Maynards wine running parallel. I'm sure the balancing act is pretty rough.

That said, hasn't there been mention of a live dvd release from Tool? For the last 10 years, I'm sure. I'm just trying to generate some ideas of how each band might get a little face time.

Possibly APC will release, Tool will tour, Puscifer will put out an Ep? Maybe throw in a Dvd and some festivals. Maybe even a small solo run with Puscifer.

I agree with you Dan, there's no way we'll get a Cd from each project. We'll be damn lucky if the balancing act doesn't push a staggered release that leaves us waiting for a while longer.

Just pulled this from the Puscifer site. It's dated from Valentines Day.

I think an APC release is much further away than people seem to think. I read an article with Billy where he said he didn't even have anywhere to write music, so I don't imagine there's really all that much going on there. I don't see them recording a full album anyway, at best an EP of some form.

As for Tool, I think it's less about MJK's schedule, and more about Danny, Justin and Adam getting to point where Maynard can join them. I'm actually reasonably confident that when that point is reached, Maynard will be on deck pretty quick (wine harvests pending). I'm going to wait and see what my spies can tell me, but I reckon that dedicated songwriting (sans-Maynard) will start pretty soon, if it hasn't already.

My prediction for this year is we'll see a Tool album, a Puscifer EP (likely to be mainly remixes) and a few dates from both APC and Puscifer, but not a "world tour" or anything like that.

Oh and just to throw something else into the mix, I hear that Volto! should be recording early this year as well, though I don't think this will be a huge imposition on Danny's non-Tool time.

i'm hoping for more sweet electronic goodness, in the vein of the intro to intension at the melbourne show and the (extended) intro to vicarious that they've been using for a while - i also like the electronic drums in intension (in fact i'd be happy with half an album's worth of intension-flavoured songs)

also, nothing like wings, at all, please, but softer music a la right in two would be nice

but most of all, i just want maynard to be able to reproduce his vocals live, adam to write inspired riffs again, and for not a single work by alex grey to appear in the album art

I dunno, Billy sounded like he was pretty sure APC would be doing some heavy touring at least in North America in 2011... It can't be easy for Maynard to record Tool songs from the road.

I think I like their Opiate/Undertow stuff the best as well, it's too bad they're probably never going to go in that direction again. I think we'll see a 2012 release, maybe with some fun Mayan stuff thrown in.

Maynard just isn't angry enough for that to happen. And I think he wants to distance himself from his own Tool identity, thus Puscifer (which is 95% merchandising, 5% music), wine making, and 10,000 days...

i think some of adam's best riffs came from this era

i'm hoping for a real decoy album this time around.

teleincision in 2011

im thinking there is a more positive attitude in the air. maynard has been able to do work on his projects. he is in a better emotional space. the other guys seem happy as usual.

looking forward to another positive productive tool album. that sounds shponglized.

Better no album than a half ass-ed one that leaves you wondering what happened.

I'm fine with waiting, and always have been, if they get whatever inspiration/motiva$ion they need and put out another album I'll certainly check it out.

I'd rather Maynard put APC, Pussyfur and the grapes on the backburner to actually give Danny, Adam and Justin some respect and get his ass into the studio with Tool. It's been 5 years, I'm sure those 3 have written an album full of music, they are probably just waiting on him.

Made even worse that we're been waiting for 5 years to see if Tool could actually make a good album again, because 10,000 Days was pretty staggeringly disappointing and forgetable and the weakest part of their catalog.

just sayin.

im expecting the unexpected. hopefully they'll manage to surprise us this time around even more than they did with 10000 days.

maynards voice has gone to shit so they need to change the game to make the songs interesting. hopefully they'll become more instrumental. i do miss the good ole days of undertow, but the last thing i want is for them to purposefully bring em back for the fans...

I agree, and I think that this will be key in regards to how the new album will come together. 10,000 Days took a step in another direction but ended up in a mudpuddle, imo, maybe this time they will get it right by building from what they learned with 10,000 Days.

Why can't the music be heavy and lyrics positive? I would love for them to make a fucking classic going back to their roots.

I'm not saying it can't, just look at lateralus. Heavy and largely positive. But considering the majority of their best works were angry, that's the logic for hoping they return to that.

If the next album was as good as 10,000 Days I'd be happy. Sure I don't think it's as good as Aenima and Lateralus, but it wasn't a bad album or a disappointment to me.

I'd love to see something even remotely as good as Aenima or close to Lateralus level. I actually like 10,000 days, but only under the influence of psychedelic drugs. Sober I can't really get into it, I can also appreciate it live. But driving down the freeway the last thing I really want to listen to is Wings 1 or 2. The album is good in it's own right, just not in the same way as their previous work. I really think Aenima was the height of their career, and Lateralus was a great followup showing the more positive sides of life. I'm embarrassed to say it, but that album really had a big impact on me in the past. Gave me a lot of positive direction, it's sad that that's what opened me up but hey why lie, it's true.

After so many years, I think I've finally got to the point where more often than not if a Tool song comes on I'll skip it, but Aenima is still one of the most listenable albums start to finish for me out of most the music I like. I burnt myself out on it a long time ago. But the entire thing is good, not a single song I dislike on it.

That's funny, because when I listen to the CD, I listen to all the songs except Wings 1+2, and Viginti Tres. Wings was incredibly moving and amazing live...but it's so shitty on the CD for me. I always skip it. Even when I try to listen to it, I usually find myself just giving up and skipping ahead.

10,000 Days hasn't grown on me. I liked it when it first came out, I liked it on tour, I started getting sick of it listening to the same songs on every bootleg for 3 years, but when I put it in my car's CD player the other day, I realized I still really like it. My opinion really hasn't wavered over the years, I think it's a solid album.

I hope they keep moving in a more eccentric direction. They need to go back to doing psychedelic drugs imo

Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned was fun to hear live. Looking forward to hearing some new stuff in 5 years. haha

I agree that it's much better live than on cd. I skip around on that album quite a bit. I'm really unconcerned about the direction they go with their next release I just want to listen to it all the way through without getting bored.

..,.

I hear you on that one. 10,000 Days is the first Tool album where I don't soak up every single glorious moment from start to finish. Wanting to skip tracks = no bueno.

I want the mix to not be so fucking awful. Aenema and Lateralus sound very organic in their own way. 10k Days puts some pretty lame riffs upfront and compressed to fuck whereas the same potentially 'lame' riffs when mixed in the back were incredibly rythmic and additive to the music. (ie: Aenema and Lateralus)

I could never fully get into 10K Days. I thought it had some real killer moments, but also a lot of moments I just wish they had taken in a different direction. Its the album I listen to least- even compared to Salival.

Its hard though not to have high expectations for these guys. After Lateralus, I was just like fuck, these guys just keep one upping themselves. So my high expectations for 10K Days is probably a factor in my dissatisfaction for it.

Usually I find my favorite albums are those I discover on my own time rather than anticipating it.

The LAST thing Tool should be doing is trying to sound like some techno electronic shit...I have to disagree

This is possible, the Mayan part...would give the record some substance to the unknown of what will happen come 2012. Plus I recall an article that said Danny was taking samples of the rainforest for his mandala pads.

who said anything about techno electronic shit? i'm not talking about rave music here, and i'm not even talking about electronically-dominated music; just more electronic "embellishment" and some nice soundscapes to look forward to

I just want to hear them make something evil.