The November edition of Tool's newsletter seems to confirm that the band have begun tracking for their upcoming new studio album with longtime producer/engineer Joe Barresi. An excerpt from the newsletter follows:
"That's right - while most of you were still digesting your Thanksgiving bird, highly acclaimed recording engineer and producer (not to mention vintage candy aficionado!) 'Evil' Joe Barresi was seated at the mixing console in the band's home studio - the only evidence of the holiday being a bowl of pumpkin-pie cheesecake Kit Kats that was placed there by one of the girls from Tool's business management. Believe it! Hours after your cranberry sauce was still jiggling, members of the band had gathered at the loft to begin tracking. For the sessions, the place looked like a gear-junkie's wet-dream, and with the 'evil' one deftly punching in bars on the remote control, as the night wore on, song after song -in all their musical complexity - were being captured on tape."
Of course, Tool's newsletters can be dubious, at best, but we've been assured that the information is indeed accurate. There is, however, no confirmation on whether these sessions constitute pre-production or the actual recording of the album.
The band's as-yet-untitled fifth studio album will be Tool's first since 2006's 10,000 Days.
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Josh Hart is a former web producer and staff writer for Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado magazines (2010–2012). He has since pursued writing fiction under various pseudonyms while exploring the technical underpinnings of journalism, now serving as a senior software engineer for The Seattle Times.