The members of Tool discussed the meanings and messages found in their long-awaited fifth album, Fear Inoculum, which will be released on Aug. 30.

While none of them wanted to provide too much detail, they appeared to agree on the notion that the subject matter centers on the effects of growing older and becoming wiser as a result.

“I feel like that’s always an individual’s right to process things in the way they wanna process them,” frontman Maynard James Keenan told Revolver in a new interview (via Loudwire). “I wouldn’t wanna take that away from you. So if anything is a broad stroke of this album, it would be embracing where we are right now, acknowledging where we’ve come from and some of the things we’ve gone through.”

Guitarist Adam Jones added that the album is "about the little things in life. … It’s making those choices that are important to you and moving on and growing.” “I suppose the main overview of it is getting older and more comfortable with yourself," drummer Danny Carey noted. "It’s kind of an evolution in that way, getting through and getting over criticisms and our fears of various kinds, I suppose.”

Bassist Justin Chancellor argued that the 13-year gap since Tool's previous album, 10,000 Days, had been worthwhile. “They've all taken a long time,” he said of the new tracks, “but I've never felt so satisfied that we did everything we wanted to do. That's something that comes with maturity. You have to be completely brave and sincere about what you're doing to just not ever compromise and change it to what you think someone else might want.”

Tool Albums Ranked