Tool's fifth studio album, "Fear Inoculum", was released on August 30, 2019, through Columbia Records. The album marks the band's first studio release in 13 years, following "10,000 Days" (2006). The album's title, "Fear Inoculum", refers to a concept where exposure to a small, manageable amount of a pathogen can build immunity to it. In this context, the album's themes revolve around confronting and embracing fear as a means to overcome it.