Maynard James Keenan has refused to confirm drummer Danny Carey’s statement that a new Tool album will arrive in 2018, reports Alternative Nation .
Danny Carey and Legends of the Seagullmen bandmate Jimmy Hayward were giving an interview to Loudwire when Carey made the claim about a 2018 Tool release.
Fans of Tool went into meltdown and a number reached out to frontman/lyricist Maynard James Keenan on Twitter asking if Carey was right.
Keenan, who is known for encouraging a degree of intrigue and uncertainty regarding the meaning of Tool’s songs, and for being protective of his own privacy and public image, refused to give a straight answer.
One fan said she was having a mental breakdown over the prospect of a new Tool album and asked Maynard if it was indeed coming. “Never said that,” Maynard replied.
The humorous frontman also sent a simple one-word reply — “Burp” — to another fan who asked if Danny was right.
The reclusive Keenan has been developing his wine business since the release of 2006’s 10,000 Days, telling interviewers that he regards it as more rewarding than music in some ways because it involves forging a deep connection to the land and the local community.
Maynard gave a straight answer to a Tweeter who asked about the production and distribution of his wines. “Martin Scott. Been there for years,” Maynard wrote.
Maynard may be evasive on the issue of new Tool music, but Carey is not the only voice who has spoken about it.
Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello claims to have heard the new Tool material.
Morello is quoted as saying that the new music is “epic, majestic, symphonic, brutal, beautiful, tribal, mysterious, deep, sexy, and VERY Tool.” He even said that it’s the best he’s heard from Tool.
Maynard James Keenan’s other band, A Perfect Circle, is also thought to be releasing a new album in 2018. They released the first single, The Doomed, on October 17.
A Perfect Circle received wide critical acclaim for their 1999 release Mer de Noms and for 2001’s Thirteenth Step. Fans accused the band of rushing the release of 2004’s Emotive and for taking too many liberties with covers.
Maynard started A Perfect Circle with one of his Tool sound techs, Billy Howerdell, and the original band lineup also featured a female bassist and violinist, Paz Lenchantin. The current A Perfect Circle lineup features Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel, James Iha, Matt McJunkins, and Jeff Friedl.