Tool have been hard at work on a new studio album, and a recent update from guitarist Adam Jones paints a somewhat positive picture of where things stand.

At a recent meet-and-greet held prior to the band’s show in Salt Lake City (via reddit), Jones told fans that he, Danny Carey, and Justin Chancellor are in the studio working three days a week. The good news? They have two albums worth of material recorded. As of now, however, only five of those songs “meet their Tool standard” and Maynard James Keenan has yet to write any lyrics (he traditionally waits until 90% of the instrumentals are written, Jones explained).



Jones also reportedly played the attendees a riff of music from the new album.

As of now, there’s still no timetable for the album’s release. With Tool currently on the road touring and Carey battling a Staph infection, things probably won’t pick up steam anytime soon. But, remember guys, positive thoughts only!

In the meantime, brush up on Tool’s back catalog with our new “In 10 Songs” feature, and pick up a copy of Keenan’s autobiography.