Tool fans have been waiting for a new album since 2006, and the band seems closer than ever to that goal after several years of legal turmoil.

From the group's webmaster (via Ultimate Guitar):

"Good friend and King Crimson percussionist PAT MASTELOTTO stopped by the TOOL LOFT the other day to listen to the guys working on new material. Since the recent sound-proofing renovation, I'm told that the writing/arranging sessions have been progressing rather nicely (welcome news for those waiting for a new record.) As for PAT and the new King Crimson configuration (with 3 amazing and inspiring drummers!), the L.A. shows were nothing less than a mind-boggling sonic experience (as prog rock as prog rock can be!)."

The last line was in reference to King Crimson's recently concluded national tour that spanned 20 shows in 27 days. Meanwhile, Tool have been going through a gauntlet of legal battles that have raged for nearly a decade, according to Rolling Stone.

"The fans are pissed at us," guitarist Adam Jones said in July. "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."

"The whole thing is really depressing. The bad thing is [the legal issues are] really time consuming. As we've gotten older and our priorities have changed, it's hard to get the band on a good, solid schedule as it is. People have kids now. And there's lots of other things that pop up. To throw this into the mix, it makes everything that much worse and stresses people out."

Adam Jones noted the tough task of appeasing supporters while dealing with all the legal tape.

"The fans are all going, 'We want a new Tool album. What the f---?'" he said. "And you don't want to pull people into your problems, because they don't understand."

The update from the band's website is encouraging, but what can fans expect from the final product?

"Sometimes I feel we get a little too proggy or too into exploring time signatures but not getting heavy enough for my taste," Jones said. "There are some good nose-bleeding riffs happening, and I'm really happy about that. It's not out-of-the-gate crazy heavy, but there are these little journeys with nice paths that end up very heavy."

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