Music News

The Sad, Stupid Reason We Haven’t Seen a Tool Album in Eight Years

As I write this, it’s been 2,997 days since the release of Tool’s 10,000 Days album.  That’s nearly eight years.  To put it another way, there hasn’t been a Tool album in the era of the iPhone.

Seriously, though.  How hard could it be to come up with another fifty minutes of music over eight years.  There has to be a problem.  Is it issues within the band? Writer’s block? Conflicting schedules?

Nope.  None of the above.  It’s a stupid, stupid legal problem.  Rolling Stone has the story:

“The fans are pissed at us,” [guitarist Adam Jones] says. “And while part of me is selfish and goes, ‘I’m not necessarily doing it for them,’ it’s time that they understand what’s going on.”

Although both Jones and Carey acknowledge that two albums ago, when they were creating 2001’s Lateralus, they could settle into a lengthy creative process that external obligations now prohibit, the biggest problem has been a multi-level lawsuit that has weighed on all of the group members. This stemmed from a claim that a Tool associate had made against the group, but it eventually spiraled into the labyrinthine legal equivalent of a Laurel and Hardy routine, amounting to “who’s suing whom.”

Initially, in 2007, a friend of Jones’ claimed that he had created artwork for the group that he wanted credit. But the suit got complicated when an insurance company that Tool thought would defend it against lawsuits turned around and sued the band over technicalities regarding the case. The band then filed a countersuit to defend themselves against the insurer’s claims and now, seven years later, Tool are still deeply mired in litigation with the insurer. The case is scheduled to go to trial in January.

Shit.  Read the full story here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38040 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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