Ardent fans of the progressive metal outfit Tool who are thirsting for new material may have to continue to stretch their patience as the band continues its legal battle with its record label.

The group will go to court on October 5 to begin the final stage of a legal tug-of-war that began more than a year ago when Tool's record label, Volcano Records, sued the band claiming that Tool made a "wrongful attempt to abandon its exclusive recording contract" by negotiating with other record labels.

Tool has long contended that its contract with the label had in effect expired, and the band actually filed its own lawsuit against Volcano (which has since become Freeworld Records) the very day that the label sued the band.

This week, Tool's manager told MTV News that the band's immediate recording future is on hold until after the trial, which will decide where the group's next album will be released.

The band has not released an album since 1996's chart-topping

and Grammy-nominated "Aenima.

Of course, the recording hiatus hasn't stopped the band from touring. Fans have been able to get their Tool fixes during the group's stint on this summer's Ozzfest as well as its own headlining tour last month.