We’ve been getting mixed signals regarding the progress behind Tool’s long awaited new album for years now. At this point, we’ve lost track at how many times a promising update about a new album seemed to get debunked shortly after (though to be fair, legal issues have gotten in the way). That’s why it’s rather exciting when Maynard James Keenan himself offers more than a vague tweet regarding new music from Tool… even if it’s not exactly the update we want to hear.

The Tool frontman shared a photo of him visiting his bandmates in what appears to be a practice space, offering the following update:

“I’ve been making regular trips to LA to check on the writing progress of my Tool brethren. Things a progressing nicely. Slowly, but definitely progressing. Nothing is recorded yet, but the guys are confident that the pieces are coming together swimmingly and will be ready for me to begin writing melodies and content ‘soon’. I’m as anxious to get this album completed as everyone else. But as history will show, you can’t rush these gents. Patience is Gold in this Sound Mine. In the meantime, as always, other things are simultaneously occurring. Life is too short not to create something with every breath we draw.”

Ok, so it’s a little disheartening to learn that Keenan still hasn’t even written vocal melodies for the songs, let alone that nothing has actually been recorded. With that said, at least we know that things are still progressing (despite how slow its moving), and at least Keenan shares our anxiousness for new material from Tool.