Brace yourselves, Tool is reportedly in talks to finally make their entire musical catalog available on streaming services ahead of their upcoming fifth studio album.
According to Bloomberg, Maynard James Keenan and Co. are in talks with multiple streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, about the best way to release their music online.
The long-anticipated untitled fifth album will be Tool's first album in over a decade, and the release marks the first time that fans will be able to legally download and stream the greatest rock band of the 90's. With Metallica giving in and allowing their catalog to be streamed via Spotify in 2012 (wow, it's been that long already?), Tool is the last big metal band that continues to refuse joining the digital age.
Not surprisingly, Bloomberg could not reach Maynard for comment and the music streaming services declined to comment altogether. It is kind of crazy to see Tool, of all bands, make Bloomberg's financial radar, but I guess that happens when your arena dates sell out in 60 seconds or less.
Tool is no doubt trying to capitalize the best way possible now that the revenue from streaming services is giving the music industry growth for the second consecutive year in a row since the pre-Napster era of the 1990's.
Bands and musicians in other genres have almost all given in to the lure of streaming services, as Prince's catalog was put online in February. Whoever manages The Beatles' music gave in several years ago. Garth Brooks and Church of Satan clone Taylor Swift are the only two artists that come to my mind that are still refusing to join Spotify, although I think you can stream the latter on another platform.
While Tool has not announced the release date of their upcoming album, the band has been in the studio with Maynard James Keenan. Which is great news since that has historically meant the band is near the end of the recording process. We named Tool's forthcoming record one of the most anticipated releases of the year, could we actually get it in 2017?
It is hard to believe that it has really been 11 years since Tool released 10,000 Days in 2006. YouTube was only a year-old and the original iPhone was still in development and unbeknownst to the public — just to give you some perspective.
Beginning in May, the prolific rockers will trek North American roads for a tour that is mostly hitting the East Coast and Canada. If you ask me, it sounds like the beginning of an album cycle. New music now, please.
