10,000 DAYS

Tool is a great band. They have tons of rabid, loyal fans who love pretty much anything they do. After Lateralus, they anticipated another killer album on the same high masterpiece level. This is possibly why there is so much dissapointment for this album. Many say it sucks, many think it's the worst piece of music ever. Although it's not a masterpiece, this album is still excellent music.

Compared to their other atmospheric and experimental alternative metal work 10,000 Days is probably the heaviest and most rhythmically complex. It lacks the slow atmospherics of Ænima and it doesn't have the intricate song structures of Lateralus, but it makes up for it in some great heavy and groovy riffs. "Jambi" and "The Pot" have a killer groove and bring out the rhythm section of the band a bit, along with sections in "Rosetta Stoned", and the other songs tend to focus on percussion and bass quite a bit.

Of course, part of what brings this album down is the experimentation. Ænima had plenty of experiments, but they were just short tracks which if analyzed closely, actually brought out some of the meaning of the album. However, there are experiments in 10,000 Days that simply don't work. "Lipan Conjuring" is one of Tool's 'filler' tracks that do not add atmosphere or anything to the album, and is simply a short native american chant. "Intension" contains a bridge section with an electronic percussion break. Although it sounds cool, it sounds closer to what could be a B-side on a single. And finally, the album closes with "Viginti Tres" which is put on the album and meant only to be synched with "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)" to add atmosphere. It is mostly just strange background noise, akin to "(-) Ions" but without any interesting headphone tricks.

However, there is far more good music that outweighs the bad. "Vicarious" and "Jambi" open up the album energetically, and the latter is quite a journey of interesting rhythms and a killer talk box solo. The centerpiece of the album has to be the two parts of "Wings for Marie", which is a tribute to Maynard James Keenan's mother. "Wings" begins atmospherically and hauntingly. As the second part moves on, it builds slowly and subtlely, gaining dynamics and energy until it explodes. "Lost Keys" paired with "Rosetta Stoned" is a killer musical project, with some of the most complex rhythms Tool has ever utilized and killer atmospherics, including some emotional singing despite the somewhat banal topic of an alien encounter. And the last real song on the album, "Right In Two" is an excellent heavy, brooding song with a strong commentary on the state of man and society.

Tool fans, despite what some say, this album is essential. Other prog fans may want to be a bit more cautious, but if they enjoy Tool's other work, then this should be another great album for them to have. A dissapointment compared to past efforts, but still an excellent album.