By now, fans are probably familiar with the newsletter posted on Tool’s website, the same one that had us assuming the band were finally recording new music. And while it later turned out that Tool wasn’t the band in the studio being referred to (hey, at least we’ll get a new album from Danny Carey’s project Volto!), the newsletter did address rumors about a mini-Winter tour Tool could be embarking on.

Well now it looks like Tool could very possibly be performing a few dates this Winter. According to The PRP, two Southwest dates for January have leaked up on Ticketmaster. However, it would appear that these two dates have since been taken down from Ticketmaster, and no official word from Tool has been made yet. However, it wouldn’t be the first time Tool performed a few one off shows or headlined festivals outside the States to kick off the New Year, or even embark on a mini West coast tour. Plus, Tool have time to perform a short (key word being short) tour before frontman Maynard James Keenan hits the road with Puscifer again in March 2012.

Here’s the two dates that The PRP found:

1/17 Tucson, AZ – Tuscon Arena
1/18 Albuquerque, NM – Tingley Coliseum

We’ll have to wait and see if this actually comes to fruition. And while this may not be as exciting of news as an update on a new album would be, Tool put on a fantastic show and are a must see live (even if they don’t have a new album to promote).