Much has been made about the length of time between albums for Tool, but guitarist Adam Jones insists that it was not a major distraction for the band as they worked on the forthcoming Fear Inoculum.

Speaking with Revolver, the guitarist stated, "It has been a while. I never felt pressure, though. I felt anxiety because they would blame our singer, and it's not his fault." He added, "We all have our own things going on — lives, families, other projects, other interests — so it's ready when it's ready. But I appreciate the dedication from our fans — the very strong dedication. [Laughs] But the record turned out cool and it's very different than our last record. I think that's what we all wanted."

Tool are known to be meticulous when it comes to their music, something that Jones says he feels should be the standard. "The writing is the same, and that's the thing I really like about it. We really suffer for our art — which you should do. If it's worth having, it's worth suffering for," says the guitarist. "We're not trying to worry about if it's going to be accepted or is it gonna be like the last record. You take the same path but then go on a different path and then just make sure the four of us are happy. It's a reflective process."

It was recently revealed that the physical copy of the new album will come with an HD video screen and speakers. The band has also employed Alex Grey and Mackie Osborne to assist in the artwork and layout of the album, thus ensuring the visuals will be on par with the music. Plus, Jones confirmed that the band has "big plans for videos," with a couple currently in the making.

Tool's Fear Inoculum will be released on Aug. 30 and if you want to catch the band live, be sure to check out their tour dates here.