Tool bassist Justin Chancellor recently opened up about the band’s next album and the creative process driving it. Speaking in a statement shared with The Australian, he noted that although the group is actively creating new material, there is still no definite timeline for when the project will be completed.
According to Chancellor, the band’s artistic workflow can’t be rushed, and the members’ individual pursuits actually strengthen what they produce together. As he put it: “I mean, the fact is, you know, I’ll tell you, 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, you know, and we’re always working on new music,” Chancellor said. “I was in the studio with Danny last week, banging out some ideas. But we don’t— you know, I always say this: 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.”
He went on to describe how each band member—Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Adam Jones, and himself—pursues separate creative projects, which ultimately enrich Tool’s collective output when they come back together. As he explained: “I think especially in our band, it’s just the way it works. It’s a different kind of alchemy. And I think we’ve all learned… Maynard’s got his side projects, Danny does a bunch of different stuff, Adam does different things, and I’ve got my stuff. We’ve learned to sort of pare out the time when people need that space by busying ourselves with other things, which actually influence what we do when we come back together as well.”
Chancellor also commented on the lengthy gaps between Tool’s album cycles. He pushed back on the common jokes and criticism about how long the band takes, expressing confidence in the quality of their past work. “It is a bit of a weird question because everyone’s always taking a piss like it takes so long for us to to to make music, but I’m proud of everything we’ve done, you know, and I don’t like 13 years. They always talk about 13 years. It seems like a week to me, you know, when we were working on that stuff every day, we were grinding away at it. And it doesn’t really matter in the end if you you know if you do anything that’s decent even if it’s one thing it’s worth it, you know,” he said.
His remarks arrive as the group continues its steady, intentional approach to producing new material. Consequence reported that Tool’s Latin America tour will extend through March 2025, after which the band intends to spend roughly three months in the studio beginning around April 2025, organizing and developing their growing collection of musical ideas. This methodical structure highlights the band’s ongoing dedication to maintaining their high creative standards.
Tool has been developing new music intermittently for several years, with Chancellor emphasizing the slow, careful pace they prefer. Recent interviews suggest the band has been evaluating different release strategies—such as shorter tracks, EPs, or standalone singles—even though a full-length album remains their main objective. This willingness to consider alternatives shows their openness to evolving while safeguarding their artistic values.
Despite early talk in 2023 about recording starting in late 2024, progress has continued in spurts through 2025. Reports indicate that some of the new compositions are lengthy, exceeding 12 minutes, consistent with Tool’s complex and immersive style. A rumor referenced by Metal Injection about a double album titled Decem was later dismissed by Maynard James Keenan, who clarified that the band is simply continuing their steady creative grind and not working on any confirmed double album.
As of November 2025, the band has not announced a release month or official date for the forthcoming album. According to updates documented by Fourth Eye, work is still underway with no fixed schedule beyond the current studio period. This lingering uncertainty aligns with Tool’s long-held belief that art shouldn’t be rushed, and that quality remains their foremost priority. Fans continue to anticipate the band’s first new release since 2019, trusting in Tool’s reputation for delivering intricately crafted music regardless of how long the process takes.
