TOOL Guitarist Reveals New Album Is 80 Minutes Long And Revolves Around Number Seven

According to The Pulse Of Radio, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones revealed several tantalizing bits of information about the band's upcoming album, "Fear Inoculum", in a new interview with Guitar World, including the number of tracks on the record, the running time and the strange themes behind the LP.

The LP, TOOL's fifth full-length album, will sport seven tracks but will run an astounding 80 minutes, with virtually none of the songs adhering to the standard format for a radio single. As for the concept of the disc, Jones said it came to revolve around the number seven.

Jones explained: "I took a picture pointing to the number seven while we were recording, and a lot of the riffs Justin [Chancellor, bassist] and I brought in were in seven. You don't really go, 'I'm going to write a riff in seven!'" He added, "Without being too descriptive about the concept, the main thing is that the seven beat just kept coming up, and riffs in seven kept coming up. It was really weird!"

Jones continued: "Then Maynard [James Keenan, singer] told me about a whole concept he had about the number seven. We were all, like, 'Oh my God! This is too weird!' Then Alex Grey [TOOL album artist] basically said the same thing and he has a concept that will reveal itself through video."

Jones told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he and the other members of TOOL have always been deeply involved in TOOL's artwork and visuals. "I've always been into art and drawing and sculpting, and I did makeup effects for a long time, and it's always been a big part of my life," he said. "And Maynard too, and, you know, the other band members — you know, when I met those guys, they were all doing something kind of creative, and I think that's why it clicks."

"Fear Inoculum" is TOOL's first new album in 13 years and is slated for an August 30 release.