According to The Pulse Of Radio, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones has given a new interview to Revolver magazine about the upcoming 21st anniversary re-release of the band's debut EP, "Opiate", but naturally the conversation turned to the band's long-delayed new album. When questioned about its status, Jones replied candidly, "It's unfortunate that we haven't put anything out in a while, but you know, we've changed as a band. It's just like a marriage — you grow older, people change, and you've gotta adapt or move on. We've become even more eclectic and distant, so getting things done and getting together is very hard."

Jones insisted, however, that this was "not a bad thing," adding, "We live kind of cushy lives now, so we get together when we want. It makes everything go slow, which is unfortunate — we all would have liked to have been done with a new record a long time ago — but when it's done, it's gonna be good . . . We also had two really bad things happen, things that I'm not gonna get into, that set us back emotionally and mentally. But we're past them now, everybody's recovered, and that process has kind of actually added to us focusing on being creative."

Jones also spoke about the deluxe reissue of "Opiate", which will come in a limited edition of 5,000 copies with five different covers, new artwork and other bonus material. He said, "What I want is to go to the store and buy something and go, 'Damn, I got more than my money's worth.' I want something where you can tell a lot of time went into it."

Jones has always been deeply involved in TOOL's artwork and visuals, telling The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his interest started long before the band. "I've always been into art and drawing and sculpting, and I did makeup effects for a long time, and it's always been a big part of my life," he said. "And Maynard too, and, you know, the other band members — you know, when I met those guys, they were all doing something kind of creative, and I think that's why it clicks."

As for revisiting the music on "Opiate", Jones said, "It's kind of like a time machine. It takes you back to that time and what you were thinking. Creatively speaking, there's always room for improvement . . . but overall I like it. It's something I'm very proud of."

The 21st-anniversary edition of "Opiate" comes out on March 26.