Review Summary: 10,000 Days is a Tool album. That's pretty much it. While not their most excellent efforts, with some few nice songs, but mostly uninteresting fillers, 10,000 Days is not the most invigorating release, but still holds up to Tool's name.
It has been a few years since Tool's monolithic masterpiece Lateralus, and the band has done some other things for a bit. It's 2006 now and the band is back in the studio with their new 11 track record, "10,000 Days". The album's title name references the number of days lead singer Maynard James Keenan's mother was paralyzed from a brain aneurysm. This leads me to believe the record is dedicated to Judith Marie Keenan, but I could be incorrect. After all, a song about aliens and ***ting the bed doesn't really pay your deceased mother respect, but again, I could be wrong. Most recognizably, this is Tool's final record before their hiatus of making new material. Tool has not released anything in 9 years, and next year it will be a full decade without one. There is talk of a new record in the making, but it seems one particular bald band member keeps denying it over and over again. We may never know if a new Tool record will be put on store shelves for the masses to enjoy, but I sure hope there will be one. Enough with the brief history lecture, lets get to breaking down Tool's final record.
For starters, the album is just what you'd think. It's a Tool album. It's got everything there. The intricate polyrhythms created by the behemoth Danny Carey, the very precise and inventive guitar and bass lines, and the screams of passion and anger by Mr. Baldie James Keenan. It even has the silly and inane filler tracks, except this time they're worse and longer. Now "Vicarious" is the opening track to the album, and it is a perfect opener to the album. The songs guitar riff is most memorable in my opinion, but the bass and drumming is just as brilliant. Maynard's vocals in the song set up his vocal style in most of the album. His vocals here are more growling and "screechy" then before. His writing is fantastic and do spew truth. We tend to dislike things unless something tragic or death-related is involved. Human nature for some reason is like that, and Maynard addresses it finely. "Vicarious" is an immensely memorable opening track, but I'd have to say the follow up "Jambi" is a thousand times better. Jambi is a lot heavier, with downstroke/upstroke guitar riffs, hard bass lines and pounding drums. Maynard's vocals are also powerful here. One of the more memorable parts of the song is the talk-box solo, (which unfortunately failed at the Monster Mash show, which I was in attendence), which is a very nicely done and inventive touch to the song. Jambi is an excellent song which doesn't have any un-impressing moments. However, the repeating chugga-chugga riff and other components turn the song slowly into a straight ahead rocker/metal song. That isn't bad, but Tool can evolve off of that as they're known to do.
Now the two emotional songs. "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 Days" are 2 songs that go together episodically, and turn out 17 minutes long when put together. The song is based upon Maynard's mother, who had a brain aneurysm and ended up paralyzed, and then unfortunately passed away. The first part "Wings For Marie" is a slower and a bit more boring of a song. It's not bad, but it isn't as interesting as the second song in the couple. The song is repetitive at most, but the most impressive part is the underlying and excellent bass line. One of Justin's best perfomances, it builds the song up and intrigues to no end. After a slow song, with only about 12 seconds of any heaviness, the real impressive one "10,000 Days" comes. It is primarily the same structure as Wings but far more experimental and built upon. The song really shines at the "10,000 Days and the fire is long enough, you're going home.." part. From there on, the song just gets better and better. The riff is mostly repetitive and kind of uninteresting, but keeps the mood of the song. The drumming is simple enough, and you can tell Danny probably got bored while playing it, as he doesn't do much until the straight-ahead metal part of the song. Maynard's delivery and lyrics are fascinating and invigoratingly emotional. His vocals are possibly the most emotional they have ever been in any Tool song made. The two songs are excellent and emotional and make for a great two-part epic.
The album really keeps climbing with "The Pot". The Pot is probably my favorite track on the record. The entire song is a masterpiece with no un-impressive moments. Justin stacks his claim as one of the best metal bassists, with a truly amazing bass line and performance. Adam's riff is almost as good, but falls behind a bit. However, his riff is still great on it's own. The drums are one of the highest points to the song, with very intricate and perplexing rhythms. Maynard's vocal delivery is noticeably different then his other vocals. He doesn't sound all like himself, and he sounds like a different person. His delivery is still powerful and vehement, even when sounding different. The lyrics are not the best he's ever written, but do speak truth about hypocrisy. "Who are you to wave your finger?" should immediately debunk any suspicions that the song is about marijuana. However "you must of been high," can start to restate those claims and thoughts. Besides that, the song is near-perfect, but is my favorite track on the album.
Then, the album slides down. The uninteresting and boring filler "Lipan Conjuring" is just that. Boring and uninteresting. A rattling chains with the echoing chants of monks and a slightly distorted chant coming in every bit just makes it silly and stupid. Maynard squeezing his cat and listening to repeating hissing was more absorbing to listen to. Then it just keeps falling with "Lost Keys." This 3 minute filler is an increasingly irritating track. A fine bass, but the ringing of the one guitar string almost makes me want to shoot myself. The dialogue is fine and sets up
the next track, but it is annoying, uninteresting and unpleasant that it makes you just want to skip over it to the next song, which is what I do. You don't even really need it to set up the next track. Speaking of the next track, the album mildly recovers with the epic "Rosetta Stoned". Rosetta Stoned is a pretty fearsome track. The drumming and bass is definitely the most awe-inspiring component to the track. Justin's driving bass and Danny's labyrinthine drumming make the track very cool to listen to instrument wise. The riff also adds with it, but it is a pretty basic Tool-like riff, but complex in it's own. Maynard's vocals and lyrics are the worst part to the song. The "Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position. Such a heavy burden now to be the one..." part is his best delivery and highest lyrical point to the track, but the rest of it is just borderline-terrible. I have come to not mind it so much, but on first listen, it is truly dreadful, both lyric and vocal.
However, the song is still a very epic 11-minute track, though it is no Third Eye.
The album continues climbing up with "Intension." Intension is one of the coolest songs I've heard and a very mystical Tool track. The whispering vocals, light bass, simple riff and tabla rhythms make a very interesting song. The guitar solo part is nice, but it really starts picking up when the bass and drums join Adam, and begin to build up to the end of the song. The song is intriguing and magical, and reminds me of the occult. However, the song turns out to be an extended intro to the next track "Right In Two". Right In Two is a truly excellent and powerful song. The instrumentation is very calming but still mystical and very easing to listen to. Maynard's vocals in the song are the high point in my opinion. His vocals are spirited and passionate, which really soothe. The song then cuts into a tabla solo by Danny, with bass and guitar adding. The song then drops to a very heavy part. The riff, bass, and drumming get very aggressive. The guitar and drumming is the high point to the heavy section, with Justin's bass being mostly drowned under them. Maynard's vocals go from heartfelt to aggressive, to fit the songs current theme. The song cuts from the heavy part back to the passionate and intoxicating part, which keeps up to the end, making a truly epic song. Then the album just sinks down for a final 5-minute track "Viginti Tres" which is just uninteresting soundscape that really didn't need to be on the album at all. In fact, remove Viginti Tres and add a few more real songs and you got yourself a deal. Personally, one of my bigger complaints is how short the album is. 11 tracks and 3 of those are just boring fillers. 13 tracks would've satisfied.
The instrumentation in this album is still very Tool-like. The drumming is impressively intricate and inventive, and the polyrhythms are most intriguing. Danny is truly one of the best drummers of today's era. Even though the spiritual themes of Tool may get into his head too much, he is still a wonderful drummer and all that sacred geometry bull*** really brings those polyrhythms to life. Justin's bass is still underlying and driving, and continues to lay the foundation to the songs. His bass performance is undeniably important, and is possibly the most impressive part to the track. In all honesty, the riffs on this album are a bit weaker then previous releases, but still hold up and are performed well. Maynard's vocals are still powerful, but also fall a bit. It starts really aggressive and screechy, goes to emotional with the Wings saga, gets screechy and wrathful again, then mixes all of that in the last real 2 songs, and that's pretty much his vocal work. The instrumentation here is still excellent, but is it as impressive as Lateralus and Aenima? No. But in it's own, it's still imaginative, and truly no one sounds like Tool.
In the end, 10,000 Days is a Tool record. It's got everything there. The main issue with this record is that it's short, some of the lyrics fall a bit, the riffs are weaker, and the songs are a bit more uninteresting. Let's also not forget the fillers, but this time double the length and double the amount of annoyance. While Tool's talent is still there, and the album is not forgettable, it falls short from the previous releases.
With memorable songs like "Vicarious" "Jambi" "The Pot" "10,000 Days" and "Right In Two", the album still proves itself nontheless. In the end, 10,000 Days is not as intoxicating as the past releases, but still holds up and is near-worthy to be Tool's final record.
Favorite Track: The Pot
Least Favorite Track: Wings for Marie
