For nearly 20 years, Tool have developed a well-deserved reputation for being secretive, cryptic, even evasive. Judging from a November newsletter the band released yesterday morning, the progressive, psychedelic and emotive hard rockers remain as frustratingly elusive as ever.

At a time when fans are hungering for morsels of information about the follow-up to Tool’s 2006 album ’10,000 Days,’ Tool posted a wordy, playful newsletter on their official website that suggested they were in the studio with producer Joe Barresi. As it turns out, the studio sessions were for drummer Danny Carey’s side project Volto, not Tool.

The original newsletter read: “How about some exciting TOOL-RELATED NEWS… That’s right – while most of you were still digesting your Thanksgiving bird, highly acclaimed recording engineer and producer (not to mention vintage candy aficionado!) ‘Evil’ Joe Barresi was seated at the mixing console in the band’s home studio – the only evidence of the holiday being a bowl of pumpkin-pie cheesecake Kit Kats that was placed there by one of the girls from Tool’s business management. Believe it! Hours after your cranberry sauce was still jiggling, members of the band had gathered at the loft to begin tracking.”

After several websites, including Loudwire, reported that Tool were in the studio with Joe Barresi, Toolband.com revised the post to clarify that the sessions were for Volto.

The cryptic newsletter later also stated: “What about TOOL’s new album, you ask? Are they still making progress with the writing and arranging sessions? Will they be working during the holidays as a Gamma ray-mutated pterosaur tramples on foreclosed gingerbread houses? Absolutely! (for the quintillionth time).”

In the meantime, Tool fans can take some solace in knowing that not only is Volto on the way, but Carey recently tracked a new song, ‘The Fourth,’ with ex-Tool bassist Paul D’Amour for Amour’s new band Feersum Ennjin. The song appears on Feersum Ennjin’s self-titled debut, which was originally scheduled for Nov. 15, but was bumped to Nov. 22 so he could add the extra track. It marks the first time the two musicians have played together since Tool’s 1995 album, ‘Aenima.’

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