A photo posted by Adam Jones (@adamjones_tv) on

It may not be the exact Tool album news you were waiting for, but thanks to guitarist Adam Jones, Tool have shared an essential piece of the recording process. In a new photo posted on Jones' Instagram, the band members are shown together in the studio, including Maynard James Keenan, who historically does not join in on the process until a substantial amount of work has already been done.

Drummer Danny Carey was hoping for Tool's fifth studio album to hit shelves in 2014, but at this point, the feat seems nearly impossible. However, Maynard in the studio can only mean good things for the record's progression.

“I don’t write the music," Keenan explained earlier this year. "They [my bandmates] write the music. I wait for them to bring music to me. They tend to go back over and over stuff. It’s a long process."

Does this mean the instrumental sections of Tool's fifth album are complete? We can't say for sure, but Adam Jones' inclusion of "#SmokeOnTheHorizon" with the studio photo does imply progress and the possibility of Tool making that final leg of the journey.

Back in July, Adam Jones revealed that a lawsuit costing Tool millions has been a major factor in the album's delay. Back in 2007, an associate of the guitarist claimed that Tool had used his artwork without giving due credit. The lawsuit filed from this incident became compounded when an insurance company Tool hired for the band’s defense also filed a suit against Tool over “technicalities regarding the case.” Seven years later, Tool still find themselves wrapped up in litigation with the insurance company, with the case set to go to trial in January.

Stay tuned for more updates on Tool's elusive fifth album as news breaks.

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