10,000 Days [CD]

I purposely waited one year after the release of "10,000 Days" to give this review so that it would be a better indication of my feelings towards the record, rather than a quick and excited review about a hugely anticipated album.

After what felt like an eternity since 2001's incredible album "Lateralus," Tool unleashed their most progressive album to date in the form of "10,000 Days." The album was shrouded in secrecy, as is Tool's way, revealing very little other than the track names a short few weeks before the album's release.

It quickly surfaced that the album's title was related to the amount of time lead singer Maynard James Keenan's mother spent paralysed from the neck down, and the album's longest duo of tracks "Wings For Marie / 10,000 Days" is a surprisingly touching yet angry account of that story. Clocking in at a collective 17 and a half minutes, the duo is an epic Tool song, so different to anything they've done before, a live masterpiece and by far and away the best thing on this album. Fans were slow to warm to the track but all eventually come around to its sheer strength, vocal complexity and lyrical and emotional power.

The album itself, in its entirety, is a revelation, much like "Lateralus" was and "Aenima" was before that. Opening with powerhouse radio single "Vicarious," the album starts with a roar and continues its charge through second song, live favourite "Jambi." After the assault on the senses that is "Wings For Marie / 10,000 Days," fans experience Maynard James Keenan's highest vocal attempt yet, the unusually apt "The Pot," which boils with energy reminiscent of the "Undertow" days.

The enigmatic "Rosetta Stoned" oozes with drug-induced paranoia and is the heaviest guitar track Tool have done since "Aenema" nearly ten years ago. The song must be heard to be believed, sporting various different vocal styles and an even more prolific variance is rhythms and styles thoughout.

The album's second-to-last track, "Right In Two" is possibly the band's most ingenius lyric writing showcase to date with unforgettable comparisons between human beings of today and our ancient monkey ancestors, with some interesting comparisons unmistakeably drawn together.

The only negative thing I can say about "10,000 Days" is a common complaint I have about Tool's records despite being a huge, huge fan, and while a bit nit-picky, it is regarding their shallow attempts at expanding the CD length by pouring the likes of "Viginti Tres," a four minute distorted sound that leaves the album ending on a particularly low point after such a strong start and fantastic run all the way through. One wonders why "Viginti Tres" is even there.

But that is a very minute scuff on the shining trophy that is "10,000 Days," in my opinion, one the best album released since Tool's own "Lateralus" in 2001. Every song (proper song!) is conpletely stunning and entirely different from the next and people will be listening to this record for decades to come.

There seems to be a tendency to compare 10,000 Days to other Tool material, however I urge the discerning music-lover to ignore all the comparisons and approach each album individually. Tool has managed, yet again, to push the boundaries and deliver a truly amazing album that deserves your time. It may not 'make sense' on the first few listenings, but persevere and you will enter a world of musical mastery unlike anything you will have experienced before. And one from which you will never look back. Whether you are into rock, metal, 'progressive' (whatever that really is), industrial or whatever - this album should be in your collection. You will read other reviews picking apart each and every track, but I strongly urge you not to take any notice, buy this album, stick it in your CD player and listen to it non-stop from beginning to end. Then, and only then, start to make sense of it yourself. The less pre-conceptions you have about this album (and any Tool album) the better. What you think of 10,000 Days is all that matters, and with Tool especially you're unlikely to come to exactly the same conclusions as someone else.

All I will say is that you will not be disappointed.

It's been a long five year wait, but the new Tool album dropped onto my doormat this morning, and having now listened to it twice I can safely say two things; 1. It was well worth the wait, and 2. Maynard and the lads have surpassed themselves!

The tunes on this new CD are superb, ranging from the atmospheric thunderstorm-backed title track to balls-out heavy stuff like Jambi, all with their usual complexities and wierd time signatures! Maynard's voice just gets better and better, there are times on this CD where he sings unlike I've ever heard him before with Tool or A Perfect Circle.

Contrary to the first review here, the titles and artwork are not fake, the titles are as they appear here, the cover is slightly different.

Speaking of which, the CD case design is outstanding but quite difficult to describe. The case contains two lenses which when folded out and looked through, the inside booklet gives a series of stereoscopic pictures of the band and the gorgeous artwork, total class!

The only downside to this album coming out now, is that this is probably the beginning of another long wait for the next one!

Also, a lot of the other reviewers calling themselves long-term Tool fans are moaning about the soundscape 'fillers' on here such as 'Lipan Conjuring' and 'Vigniti Tres', have they forgotten there have been tracks like this on EVERY Tool album? Remember 'Disgustipated' on Undertow (strange diatribe on vegetables taking over!), 'ions(-)' on Aenima (3 minutes of electrical buzzing!) or 'Faaip de Oiad' on Lateralus (some guy blubbing about being abducted by aliens!)??