Tool - 10,000 Days
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Free Music Notes for 10,000 Days
Free Music Review: Fools will judge, but they know not of the awesome power of TOOL
Hit: 5 Stars
I must be blinded by the off-the-beaten-path time signatures and the tribal drum beats of Danny Carey and the bass heavy songs, but I felt that this was a very accomplished and amazing Tool release that was well worth the wait. Too many so-called "fans" and "experts" of Tool's music heckle this CD because they waited 5 years for 'THE BEST ALBUM EVER" and all they got was this. Well, you clearly don't know anything about Tool my friends. They aren't out to pacify and cater to you. They have always made the music THEY want to make for themselves, not for YOU. They are about change and progression. 10,000 Days is the perfect progression from their spiritual transcedance of Lateralus. Where else can you go when you have reached the pinnacle of your musical existence? Back to the world of Humanity my friends. What did you want, another Lateralus? Sorry, these guys call the shots, not you.
For those of you that are disappointed with this release, I think that you have no understanding of what Tool do in their music, they express through art, not always making songs that "sound cool" or head banging tracks for "METAL HEADS!". For too long the "wrong" fans have been listening to Tool and trying to call this HEAVY METAL. Its Progressive guys, get it right. Tool hate to be called metal as well because lets face it, the Metal scene is full of ignorant fools who think they know whats going on.
I have read and heard many things about 10,000 days. Mixed reviews, angry fans, lackluster reviews. I'm not sure what album they are all listening to, but it sure ain't the new Tool release, 10,000 days. Ever since Lateralus I have been anticipating a new Tool release, checking with record stores and on-line, waiting for the new album to release. Lateralus did much to slake my esoteric thirst and I knew that a new album by Tool would be, for lack of a better phrase, "off-da-hook". When I was able to get my grubby little hands on a copy, I was blown away, and apparantly everyone else was too. Everyone(including me) was expecting something that would shatter the very foundations that Lateralus built, destroy the remnants of all the Tool albums to date, and rebuild something so monumental that none could touch it or bask in it's infinite presence. WEll, for the most part, they did do just that. The only problem is that people do not see it that way. Most people expected their new album to top Lateralus, which it does in some ways, and in others, it does not touch Lateralus at all. But thats the point, because its not supposed to be anything close to Lateralus at all! And people don't realize that and they compare and judge. Lateralus is an AMAZING album that is one of the must have albums of our generation, if not of all time. The concept, the instrumentation, the lyrics, the overall production and mastery that is Tool all over the album. Lateralus is saturated and reeking of perfection in all forms. BUT, and this is a big BUT, 10,000 days is an AWESOME album, near perfection in its own right. Not meant to be a "clone" of any of their previous releases, 10,000 is its own entity, color, sound and vibration. 10,000 days sounds like itself, with minor influences from their past. Many reviews trash the album because it sounds like other Tool releases. But how could it not? Unless they totally changed their style, they are always going to have the Tool sound. And at the same time, the album sounds nothing like other Tool releases. Show me in Tool's discography a song that sounds like Vicarious, Jambi or The Pot? How about the epic 10,000 days/wings for mary? Right in two? Sure the other songs on the album have similar ideas to other songs in their discography, but 10,000 days leans on no shoulders. It is a giant of its own. Another qualm I have heard about is Danny Carey using a electronic drum kit for this album instead of an acoustic one. What's the problem? Not natural? An electronic drum kit just allows the user to incorporate other sounds and clarifies the sounds, thats it. It is still used the same way as an acoustic drum set. I was in a band with a buddy who used an electronic drum set and it allowed for many options. Danny Carey bangs that thing to perfection. I would say that 10,000 days is their most accomplished, in theory wise, in instrumentation and lyrics. Lateralus is the Pinnacle of Tool's existence, bar none, period! That is their best album ever in my opinion. Many would argue. Aenima was amazing, but still in the confines of rock/metal, same with Undertow and opiate. Aenima was the beginning of their true progressive nature, but Lateralus brought in the amazing concept/puzzle pieces style and complex mathematics. True, all their albums have complex rhythms and tribal influence. But its with Lateralus and 10,000 days that the tribal influence and the complexity arise more, more so with Lateralus. 10,000 days is poignant in its own way. I really LOVE this album and do not see why people trash it other than the fact that it did not appease their indulgant selfishness. Everything about this album is amazing. I find myself repeating songs over and over again so I can hear the songs in a cohesive whole, just like I did with Lateralus and Aenima, more so with Lateralus. The segues that everyone complains about are awesome and meant to be what they are, segues, not filler. You want filler go buy Green Day or Sum 41 or any other generic rock band. Lipon conjuring, Lost keys and Virginite Tres are ambient, atmospheric melodies that are not meant to be songs, just enjoy them for what they are. I recommend this album to lovers of music in general, amazing musicianship, and lovers of true lyrics and meaningful music and Tool fans that enjoy Tool's music because it is ever changing. This is Tool evolved, not regressed. You can track Tool's progression through the albums. First album Opiate= very angry and more heavy metal, very raw album, the foundation, Undertow=emotional pain and still angry somewhat metal, the roots, more personal issues on this album, Aenima= pregressive metal and angry but healing, the stalk, Lateralus= spiritual healing and very progressive and very evolved, the trunk, and 10,000 days, less angry and very much so progressive, more mature and evolved than the others, the branches. That's my cheesy anaolgy. I love this new album, do yourself a favor and pick it up!
People need to realize that this aint your typical angry "I hate the world" Tool release. They have grown up and evolved, and the music on this album shows it fully.
The lyrics are deeply reflective of present day society and ring true to me. The isntrumentation is as awesome as ever.
It is what it is folks, and those expecting the "GREATEST" thing to ever come out of in like forever!!!! is sadly mistaken as to what the who Tool belief is all about. I am not saying that I know, I just know that they did not make this for the fans, but for themselves. Many say that they did this for money, or that they are a burned out band that turned to "mainstream". How many times do you hear 10,000 Day's songs on the radio? How many times do you see their video on TV? I haven't ever...but I don't listen to the radio or watch MTV or any [...] like that, so I don't know.
You can judge this album all you want, the fact remains that Tool was in no way trying to "top" Lateralus or any of their previous albums. That's not the point and those of you who view it like that are sadly mistaken and I feel bad for your horrid outlook on life, always comparing and judging and being the critic when you probably don't create art yourself. Its not about crafting the "holiest of holies" album over and over again, its about creating art the way you want you.
NUFF SAID
Free Music Review: Unexpected. Grows on you like a fungus. Suddenly it is all apparent..
Hit: 5 Stars
I've now had an entire week to digest Tool's fifth and latest studio offering, 10,000 Days. I needed the whole week. Like nearly anyone else who has committed themselves to truly appreciating this album, it took me time to really get a feel for it.
These guys are certainly the most enigmatic band I'm aware of. They shy away from most festivals (save for Coachella), they don't jump out into the limelight, their videos don't even show their faces, and they generally are hermits. Not that it's a bad thing, but it definitely adds to their mystique. They can sell millions of albums just because of one reason - they just make damn good music. 10,000 Days is no exception. Many fans who are expecting a certain sound might be disappointed. But Tool are a very evolutionary band. Sticking to one proven formula for every album is entirely too safe for these guys. As singer Maynard James Keenan barks on 2001's release, Lateralus, the band have chosen to "spiral out, keep going."
That being said, while the songs on 10,000 Days may be a bit unexpected, one thing that we should always expect on a Tool release is unbelievable CD art. No one will be disappointed in the least bit on this one. Stereoscopic lenses built into the CD packaging?! You've got to be kidding me! The contest is over, give these guys a Grammy right now for Best CD Packaging. No one will ever come close.
On to the music.
1. Vicarious (7:06). The first single off the new album. Immediately we are hit with the guitar and bass harmonies from Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor, respectively. This song feels familiar with the odd timing and polyrhythmics from drum god Danny Carey. It would be at home on Lateralus. Awesome lyrics from MJK, referencing the utter junk that we absorb ourselves into on the television, but he carefully keeps his vitriol in check by not getting too political. Great message. Love the song, but it does feel a little bit too familiar for what I was hoping for.
2. Jambi (7:28). Now is where it gets interesting! Jones starts with a thrashy riff that we really haven't heard before, not from this band. Can't quite tell what MJK is singing about.. perhaps his son? Something about "wishing it all away" without pause if "they took you away". The part where he starts singing "DIM MY EYES!!" is the MJK vocal harmony that we pine for. The one that will make your arm hairs stand at attention, and certainly remind me of something off Undertow. Killer solo by Adam Jones! He dug into Peter Frampton's attic and pulled out a talkbox! Abrupt ending to the song, but it's one of the better Tooltunes I've heard across their entire catalog.
3. Wings for Marie (Pt 1) (6:11). Normally we can count on track 3 on nearly any CD to be something heavy, upbeat, possibly a single. Tool throws us a curveball on this one. It starts off very slow, quiet. Soft guitar. I can barely hear what MJK is saying.. but it's "you believed.. you believed in me". This is one of the most experimental tracks they've ever done, but hearing the words, it's obvious this song (and subsequently the next) is a tribute to his mother, who passed away nearly three years ago.
4. 10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) (11:13). Seamless transition from the Wings Pt 1. More soft singing, soft guitar. Slow buildup over the first five minutes. Great thunderstorm sound effects. The thumping bassline and kick drum lend an almost Middle Eastern flavor to the track. Tremendous crescendo midway through the song. A man singing about his mother ascending as an angel.. this song is incredibly powerful. You probably won't see a video of this song, and I doubt it will even be played live, but this is the most open and direct MJK has ever been about his personal life. Amazing song.
5. The Pot (6:22). I can't help but laugh when I read about people thinking it's not even MJK singing this song. Yes, the song has an awkward intro. But it's pretty cool that he has that type of flexibility in his voice. Once the song gets going, we have a classic Tool track going very strong. Carey and Chancellor are doing a great job of holding a beat down, and chorus is just awesome. Venomous aura about MJK's lyrics. This song is about the pot calling the kettle black. Love the bridge in the middle of the song. Jones' riffs are thick, chunky, and crunchy. The classic Tool fan in me makes me think this song absolutely kicks ass live.
6. Lipan Conjuring (1:11). A segue. Weird, tribal chanting with what sounds like a rudimentary tambourine.
7. Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) (3:46). Another segue, but one that actually introduces the subsequent track. Very eerie feedback effects from Jones layered behind a simple riff Then we hear a nurse and a doctor, confronting a patient who will not speak...
8. Rosetta Stoned (11:11). ..giving way to this song, starting off like a gerbil on acid. Heavily distorted, rapidly-spat vocals. From what I can make of it, we're hearing a story about alien abduction? Alien encounter? Hallucinogenics? The meat of the song is a total showcase of Jones' excellent riffage, Carey's monumental drumming, and Chancellor's creativity on bass. It's a little bit difficult to get into at first, but it's a great track. Will forever be known as "The Sh*t the Bed Song".
9. Intension (7:21). Quickly becoming my favorite track on this album. Revisiting the softness and subdued melody that starts the "Wings" suite, we have Jones' very simple guitar melody, Carey on what I think is a tabla and bongos, and Chancellor doing some serious slides (maybe using his Digitech Bass Whammy?) and MJK doing a chant that almost sounds Gregorian. This song sounds like a ritualistic conjuring of spirits. "Spark becomes a flame/Flame becomes a fire." Absolutely beautiful guitar melody halfway through the song, quickly helped out by what I think is the first time Tool have used a drum machine on an album. I'm not sure who did the programming (probably Carey), but it's perfectly fitting for the song. It lends an eerie, trip-hop feel to the track. The song is extremely relaxing.
10. Right in Two (8:55). Another song that thrives off of a killer buildup. Adam Jones never ceases to amaze me with his ability to write, simple, but great sounding riffs. The first half of of the song is soft with clean riffs and quiet vocals, but leads up to a monstrous climax with Carey killing his bass drums and Jones just shredding his strings. The lyrics imply an anti-war sentiment, and again, MJK is able to pull this off without getting too political. A great track with a thunderous ending.
11. Viginti Tres (5:02). A noise track. Of course we expected this, it's Tool!
Is it classic Tool? In spots, yes. It's certainly different from, say, Undertow (a CD that I believe is possibly the greatest album of all time). But that was released 12 years ago. No self-respecting Tool fan would ever expect them to rehash the same style of music. The band is older now. They are more experimental. They are pushing the envelope (and watching it bend? LOL! Couldn't help it, sorry!) of what rock music is about. Some parts on this album DO rock incredibly hard - see "Jambi" and "The Pot". But songs like the "Wings" suite and "Intension" show an introspective view into the band that we haven't yet seen. It's an aural buffet for this reviewer.
Free Music Review: not my opinion. best interpretation, but i do love it.
Hit: 5 Stars
I had bought this album 2 months ago on backorder. The album was released last tuesday and i recieved it that Thursday. It is Thursday again and i can say without lying that I have listened to this album once every night for the last seven nights so i'm going to try and attempt a commentary as opposed to my opinion of the album.
I heard 46 & 2 about 2 months after lateralus was released, little did i know what lateralus existed or what it was but when i heard and awesome song on the radio, i felt compelled to find out the name of the song and the band. I called the radio station, then bought Aenima. i listened to 46 & 2 only, that song only for about 5 months. I didn't grasp the rest of the tracks because i was younger and was ignorant to the complexity of tools music.
Then i heard about lateralus. i listened to the whole album and when i did, immediately when i heard reflection i flipped. i always yearned to find music that, when you heard an unbelievable riff or chord, you kinda wish it lasted longer. reflection was it for me. i later discovered that a wide percentage of their music tends to do just that.
At the time, i had my stereo blaring the album when reflection for the first time and it immediately became my favorite song ever and still is.
I tend to like the type of songs that Tool makes that don't really have a pattern. They're all like an independent little journey (which tends to be the longer songs). I love every song by Tool with the exception of "Hush" from opiate.
1.Vicarious-this song was on the radio. It has all the complexity of Tool, i can best describe this song as solid Tool metal, kinda straight ahead, really good.
2.Jambi-its about the character in pee-wees playhouse. Still heavy, guitar sounds more common of other rock bands. crunchy guitar in toolish form. Adam uses a talk box on this one, not bad at all.
3.Wings for Marie Part 1-quiet entrance, about a minute or so gradually progresses. soft and quiet at first then it leads to soft and loud then quiet again.
4.Wings for marie Part 2 "10,000 days"-i would tell you what this song is about but that would ruin the album. This song flows from the last one and starts with that signature solo low-bass that leads to the rest of the instruments, kinda dark start. almost like you feel like you're in a dark room for the beginning of the song and then the door opens to a beautiful clear sky.This song is one of Tools "beautiful" songs. it opens wide to all the soundscapes, kinda like at the finale of "The Grudge (track 1-lateralus) except it isn't heavy like that. kinda soft like you're floating on a cloud. very reflection-esque*album favorite of mine
5.The Pot-a song about what i enjoy when i listen to Tool. starts out kinda the way "schism (track 5-lateralus)does. it doesn't sound like it at all but the way..all bass then guitar. Maynards vocals start off high in this one, doesn't keep the same pattern throughout the song. very heavy fast bass song. kinda like cross breeding 46 & 2 with schism and speeding it up and making it lighter hearted. *album favorite
6.Lipan Conjuring-a Tool filler. sounds like someone shaking charms on the top of a staff while people chant quietly around a tribe ceremony as you hear someone scream in the background. perhaps a sacrificial ceremony?
7.Lost Keys|Blame Hoffman-tool filler. leads to "Rosetta Stoned". this song is about a patient on acid that won't talk to the nurse and she's discussing it with the doctor. creepy conversation heard over experimental guitar and a little feedback.
8.Rosetta Stoned-this song is very heavy and crazy song. i don't like the voice affects in the beginning. i mention this because i think there will be a people like me that won't appreciate it because it sounds like everything but tool but we've gotta keep in mind that tool crafts their songs slower in a way that is to appease THEIR desired product, not ours, what makes them happy.
this song kind of crests at the end and breaks and speeds up for the short leftover ending. I still love this song aside of the beginning.
9.Intension-very desiposition-esque. has some techno affect in Danny's pads (i think) making kinda techno drums, fits well. the guitar in the middle sounds very, very reminiscent to a Nirvana song but i can't put my finger on it right now.
10.Right in Two-song starts off slow. maybe it's just me but the guitar kind of sounds like the album is saying goodbye, just sounds like the finale. You can kind of tell where this song is going to end up when you play it and thats cool because where it leads to is a probable slot as the best Tool song ever.
i can definately tell that if they have this in their setlist when i go see them in concert that they will put it at the end of the concert and it will be like an explosion. everything gradually speeds up and gets gets very fast, very heavy, very tool.
11.Viginti tres-sounds a lot like "Faaip de Oiad (track 13-lateralus)sounds like something glowing at first then makes weird wind sounds accompanied by demonic voices.
*Overall Assessment*
this album sounds like they took undertow style and the way the guitar and bass sounded in lateralus, crossed them and then put the guitar in the spotlight with some undescribable new material. they also threw Adam in on the talkbox, Maynard with voice distortion, and Danny with techno drums.
Usually Tool has all the members have their time in the light equally but the guitarist Adam Jones was given the green light on this one.
I can tell you now, if you liked all the Tool albums, you will love this one..i think. If you Just liked Aenima like a lot of people out there, you will turn this off 2 tracks in.
Use your third-eye. This album is about 60% of stuff you'd never think you'd hear from tool and 40% of older style.
Unfortunately, this album is so different from their other ones that i think tool will lose some fans but then again, I don't care. They OBVIOUSLY made what they wanted to make, i'd rather they lose some fans so hopefully when they come around again it will be much easier to get a concert ticket
>opiate-more simple, very angry
>undertow-still not extremely complex, head on tool rock
>aenima-trippy, experimental, trance inducing, very climactic
>lateralus-chizeled masterpiece done in a candlelit room
>10,000 days-an album done with the lights on, lot of guitar
this album will need more time than any of the others to grow on you. even if you don't end up liking it, you'd wanna buy it for the kickass picturs that turn 3D when you use the stereoscopic glasses built into the album.
Maynard has started a wine making business called Cadacus, so they definately aren't playing for the money. He'd be wasting his time if he was out for money because a winery, besides the album is about $13 WITH all of the cool stuff inside of it.
all my love to bud and tool
Free Music Review: My review (hopefully)
Hit: 5 Stars
If you're reading this it means that these Amazon police have forgiven me, bless their hearts. If this is destined for obliteration... well... You see, I was banned for writing some nasty things to a fellow over Lateralus, I apologize now, really. They didn't even tell me that I was banned, (which is kind of lame, but...) so if they have the mercy in them to give me a second chance, I offer my gratitude!
!0,000 days is an entirely unpredictable step forward in the growth of Tool. Some other people warned me (who bought it before I possibly could where I live) that it's gonna REALLY confuse you on first listen. Guess my response. I could only say "It sounds sort of like old man music." Repeated listens magically revealed, in fact, nothing unordinary and a very obvious Tool record. How they've done this is beyond me, it's that kind of thing about the art of these 4 that makes me trust them so deeply. I kept listening to this unfathomable and disappointing hunk of an album because I had the trust within me to try harder, and I was actually - right in this regard.
!0,000 days is, if you don't mind me saying, one of the finest albums you are likely to hear within a considerable span of years. If you DO NOT agree, I can only supplicate you to give in and appreciate exactly what this piece of art is. For my personal interest the thing that most detracts from its overall greatness (or whatever you like) is that the guitar and vocals seem to be more pop oriented, which is mysterious. While I was on the phone, Vicarious was playing and my freind (who's a sort of tough-guy metalhead to a ridiculous point) said "That sounds like Avenged Sevenfold" with derision, upon which there was brief panic on my part. BUT upon a small degree of personal evaluation afterward I realized that this is... nonsense for you, because where this gruesome emo etc. is honestly clueless, Tool is very much determined, fully aware of their actions, and nearly uninfluenced by the tastes or demands of a pop audience. Which equates to the fact that even though it bears an accidental resemblance to truly useless music in a remote way to someone eager to denounce any sort of weakness because of fear, over the phone, who has no point of reference concerning tool - Why should I even give a f**k, or think any less of it? Disregarding all exterior likenesses, I let this music move me. Please do the same, it'll be worth it, trust me.
I get carried away. Ah, forgive me! All the tracks are exceptional by comparison to nearly anything else, to begin my actual review:
Vicarious is a wise choice for opener, it's fast paced, focused, and while your attention span is still relatively fresh, it instructs you about something which is very important for you to consider. The sort of driving, propulsive quality to the majority of the song is totally brilliant, and only seems to affect me better each time (Which is, by the way, something which an emo band would sacrifice a few organs to be able to write).
Jambi (IS this a character on PeeWees Treehouse or something? I'm so confused...) seemed like awful filler @ first, but it surely grows on me, and plus Maynards pig voice solo is too good. My grasp on what this song means is slightly deficient, but I can accept that because the music sounds so good.
The title tracks are absolutely the greatest things on here, a totally unconvential Tool epic. Man, and this is already so close to my heart. I can't exactly summon the proper praise, everything about these songs just mounts and flows perfectly, and it's so sincere that being casual in a listening (to me @ least) is a cause for guilt. The breakdown after the "pillar of faith " bit is just incredible, breathtaking...
The Pot... Hmmmm, seems to be a very good way to resume the album, and on first listening it was the only thing I could identify as Tool. Justins bass in this owns. I didn't recognize maynard either, I thought it must be some guest vocalist - for the intro, I mean. Aye.
Lipan Conjuring is perhaps my favorite interlude (excluding Harry Manback, which is genius) that Tool has done, and convinces me that all bands should include some sort of world music gem in their album. And make no mistake, I actually really like it musically.
Lost Keys, even with its cheesy skit (what's with the total babe nurse?... And the australian doctor?... ?!) is a very effective mood piece which I never skip leading up to Rosetta Stoned.
Rosetta Stoned not only has some of the most solid and intense music on the disc, its subject matter is very compelling. To you people who don't like Maynards sort of babbling/rapping, well... I think it's downright hilarious, and it never gets old. Especially his line about highschool. Geez, that one's too good. But then the part where he sings and there's multiple voices is probably one of the most unique and beautiful things I've heard on a record for some time. The climax of the song is almost momentous. Or rather is momentous, I guess.... In fact I accidentally heard it just suddenly by rewinding, and it was jarring and frightening with nothing to lead up to it.
Intension is a subtle but very masterful composition, with those mystical and difficult lyrics that I was expecting to encounter more of. The drum machine is sort of confusing, but I've come to accept it. The comparison to Disposition is easy, although I still like Disposition better, and for different reasons.
Right in Two is my least favoite song of the whole album, and made it seem much more flawed than it is by being the finale. I don't like political activism, and while this song isn't 'exactly' political, it might as well be. The only politically chrged music I ever really enjoyed for being just that was Radioheads Hail to the Theif, which was probably because the execution of that was original and very deft & subtle. This takes a common approach. I agree, the music is nicely progressive, but it seems less like Tool than... er... not Tool? I believe that my opinion of this will change in time, and after all, the perspective and values of an artist will almost invariably move toward a more general picture of humanity as he or she ages. I'm still a youngster, and soooo....
Viginti Tres is even freakier than Faaip De Oiad, and I love this song. The voice at the end: Genius. And then the pixelation sounds, the alarming swooping sounds, satic and so on. It's great craftsmanship. For people who call this unengaging or unnecessary, you baffle me. You must be desensitized.
SO - Anyone with the patience to go through that without having their thoughts drift @ least once is deserving of admiration. To finish I say this: It is uncertain at such an early time whether or not this album will endure (and endear) so magnificently as Lateralus (or I suppose AEnima...), it's something I simply can't tell you. Lateralus is still the greatest album I've ever heard, but the more I listen to !0,000 Days, I can honestly say that it's getting closer to that mark.
Free Music Review: Mother F'n Insane
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the best album I've heard in over a year, without QUESTION. And, know this -- I'm a piece of crap who, prior to hearing 10,000 Days, thought only of pretentious adolescent scrubby wubby's when 'Tool' somehow found its way into conversation. Thankfully -- oh God thank this blessed lemming -- a friend of mine (an avid Tool fan whose taste in music I actually respect) burnt me a copy of 10,000 Days. Quite honestly, the primary reason that I gave it a chance is because the album's cover promised some sort of epic, existential trip of brooding, mystical madness. Oh, the sweetness of not having disposable album art.
OK. Let's see. Whew. Hmmmm. Why is this music so utterly, compellingly fantastic? Second; let me think... For starters, these songs, from what I can tell, are some of the most intricately constructed I've ever heard. 'Vicarious' is so pathetically beyond 99% of 'singles' released on mainstream radio today that I am quite stunned it even made its way on the air. The first four songs sound like classically composed opuses. What they do with melody and timing is precious. Beautifully, 10,000 days contains such an ecstatic sound with often stunningly simple instrumentation; who in God's name could imagine such haunting music could be created with but guitar, bass, and vocal? Sorry, brothers, but we don't have the hip mentality of 'ugh, our music is completely half baked at this moment right here -- wait, I know... THROW IN STRINGS TO FILL ALL THE GAPS! TUBULAR.' While the guitars ultimately prove to be quite static and undeniably repetitive, each song here still manages to soar at varying heights. Maynard's vocal melodies are superb, often harmonizing with the calculated guitars to sublime effect. One qualm I (ignorantly) seemed to apply to Tool before hearing this was that the music seemed to be too edgy, lacking drive. Too static; a river flows, and what I'd heard appeared to be the antithesis -- rigid, deadlocked. 10,000 Days b*tch slapped me and showed me who's going to be on the receiving end at the end of the night.
OK let me get this off my chest. You can't listen to this album three mother FSDIO:J@!*( times. Could you take in a Rachmaninoff symphony in such a sitting? The comparison might seem psychotic to some, but I wouldn't present it if it were indeed so. This is the most complete production of music that I've heard within as much time as I can recall; when these guys penned the album... performed the album... they knew they were creating something special... something difficult... something remarkable on several levels. And you, you stupid pompous jackal, think that you have the brain capacity to absorb and (FAN:#Y*)!@Y%*)!!!!) critique it after 'THREE' listens?!?J!?! Like I said -- INSANE.
The first two songs on the album are intellectual, cathartic "rockers" (demeaning as that word may sound) that NEVER outstay their welcome, both clocking in at over seven minutes. And, despite their amazingly sophisticated arrangements, both songs possess alluring, accessible choruses which hit the right spot sans analysis. While I'm not particularly familiar with music of this kind -- and perhaps there is very little in modern music to compare it to anyway -- I cannot think of a piece of recent rock that can even stare '10,000' Days in the face without burgeoning shame. I am almost always a fan of gracious, powerful melody over everything else. Because of this, most of my favorite rock usually possesses some degree of pop sentiment, unsurprisingly. I love so many rock bands of recent -- from indie to metal -- but quite simply -- and again, I love these bands with my bloody heart -- none of them could write anything close to the material on here. Probably couldn't even begin to conceptualize it, let alone pull it off. They're still excellent, but they don't cross that line to utter, shining brilliance. They just don't. And how could they? Most of us aren't born with the genes to pump out such magnificence, no matter how much work's put into it. What I'm trying to say is that this, among the vast number of albums released this side of the 21st century, is a bonified work of ART -- a masterpiece -- that heralds devotion and craft to the umpteenth degree.
I don't write reviews this long and I apologize to any suckers reading this -- sincerely. But I have to express my thoughts and adoration of the album, because it makes that vein who lives within my forehead break out to the surface in all its disgusting glory when it sees the juvenile reviews of so many 'music fans' here on the site. Yeah, one star, you stupid APE. If I could piss on your face, I would -- because you are a maggot; surely I would feel pity for if I weren't so neurotic. And I'll say this honestly -- bigot that I am -- anyone who dismisses 'Wings for Marie (Pt 1)' and '10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) as filler doesn't deserve to be heard. Simple as that. I won't even go on about the tracks -- it insults me to have to attempt to overcome such derelict's opinions with an overwrought paragraph of dissection. Combined -- these two tracks, which total something like 18 minutes -- are more worthy than most albums you'll touch in their entirety. I am rarely hostile following disagreements in music, you see, especially when someone is cool, collected, reasonable, honest and convincing about their thoughts. But when something so mind-bogglingly good can be thrown at it two incomplete sentences with foolish, rash, childish reasons (i.e. often no reason at all), it sort of, how do I say it... Diminishes my hope in Humanity.
Truthfully, following the initial half hour, 10,000 Days can't keep up. It still remains stupendous, but inevitably is cranked down one notch. 'The Pot' is seductive, 'Rosetta Stoned' is overlong but generally intoxicating, and 'Right in Two' is an awesomely catchy, lyrically arresting, glum wonder of a song. But even so, these songs don't seem to possess that divine spirit, creativity, or sheer complexity of the first four. That being said, I am not complaining in the least.
And all of this I pen, I do it only in respect to the music. I haven't even attempted to really get in the state of mind to feel the album's pulse... it's thoughts, themes... it's experience. I'm sure I will soon, possibly after finding some mushrooms out on the grass nearby. It's obviously an intense experience if one opens to it, but again, I have yet to really do so. So, sure, this is a premature review. What, wanna fight about it?
I'm tired of writing, and you're tired of reading, if you are, in fact, reading, this, writing. Getting, delirious. So... late. Conclusion? Need I write one? F*@# no.
This is, for the most part, divine. DIVINE.