After much anticipation, progressive metal band Tool has finally released the name and tracklist for their new album, Pleistocene, which will be released in late 2018. Lead singer Mayneard James Keenan has said of the album, “We tried to do a conceptual album with Lateralus a few years ago, but this time we decided to really commit. As we find ourselves facing threats like climate change, we thought it would be relevant to talk about the historical epoch where the homo sapiens really began to resemble who we are today.”

Drummer Danny Carey explains that they were inspired by the fluctuating levels of Arctic ice, as well as the persistent attempt to “bring back the mammoth”. Says Carey, “My drumming on this album was highly influenced by trying to understand the physicality of each of the different major megafauna species. For example, on “Glyptodon Tank”, I use 2.5 lb drumsticks to create a lumbering, massive sound on my kit. Or on “The Discovery of Fire”, I asked my drum tech to set my kit on fire so I could capture the excitement of early humans as they began to harness that technology.”

Tool fans have long anticipated a follow up to their 2006 release, 10,000 Days, but Maynard explains the principal reason: “We actually have spent the last decade obtaining doctoral degrees in different fields to help us prepare for this album. I got mine in climate science, Danny studied paleontology, Justin got his in bioethics, and Adam just has to finish up his dissertation to complete his doctorate in Korean film. So, we apologize, but we had to keep all of it under wraps, which explains the radio silence.”

Tracklist

Disc 1: The Gelasian to the Calabrian (2.58 million years ago to 781,000 years ago)

Gephyrocapsa (Start of the Gelasian) The Magnostratosphere When the Poles Freeze Rise of the Invertebrates (Start of the Calabrian) Mollusk Battle The Glaciers Part 1: The Freeze Part 2: The Melt

Disc 2: The Ionian to the Tarantian (781,000 years ago to 11,500 years ago)

Underground Sloth Tunnels Glyptodon Tank Mammoths and Mastodons Glaciation (Fall of the Megafauna) Mass Extinction Upright Apes (The Apes are Upright) The Omo Kibish Formation The Discovery of Fire Ice Age Coming The Nomads Monte Verde (Time to Settle)

Tool’s newest album, Pleistocene, will be released in April 2018. It can be preordered here.