Tool

Fear Inoculum

First released2019

Fear Inoculum, Tool's fifth studio album, was recorded primarily at Volcano Studio in Los Angeles with additional work at other facilities between 2017 and 2019. The album was produced by Tool with Quinton "Q Tip" Moody serving as recording engineer and mixer, while David Bottrill contributed to mixing on several tracks. The band employed cutting-edge recording techniques and spent considerable time on production details, with frontman Maynard James Keenan recording vocals across multiple sessions to achieve the desired artistic vision. The album's release in August 2019 marked Tool's first full-length studio release in thirteen years, following a lengthy hiatus and legal disputes with their former label that had delayed new material. The production process emphasized meticulous attention to sound design and instrumentation, reflecting the band's perfectionist approach to their craft.