I admit it: Tool scares the crap out of me. They’ve been that band that I’m afraid to admit I like. Not because I’d lose indie cred if anyone knew, but because I’m actually afraid of Maynard and his buddies. That being said, they make some good music.
One of the most reclusive and, well, weirdest bands out there currently, fans have been waiting five years for a new album. Personally, I was not a fan until Aenima (the second disc), which found heavy rotation in my CD player my senior year in high school. And with substantial speculation that 10,000 Days was a full-blown fake disc meant to throw off fans, I had my doubts.
With “10,000 Days,” Maynard and company don’t disappoint. Such lag time between releases (and with only four major releases in fourteen years) makes it easy to assume that Tool could easily have fallen off the wagon with this one. But they don’t. In fact, I think that they took the spacey parts of Lateralus, toned them down a bit and brought back the harder sound of Aenima. A nice balance of the two albums, in my opinion. Though it’s still very apparent they’re all on heavy drugs. Or something.
The first single, “Vicarious,” is stylistically very close to the chord progressions of Aenima in the intro, but eventually kicks into a rocking seven minute foot tapper that builds upon previous efforts. “Jambi,” the second track, features some truly impressive guitar/bass skills while fundamentally showing off the chops of one of the best drummers in modern rock history. “The Pot” is another stand out track with a great vocal performance by Maynard, and consequently perhaps the only track on the album that takes a divergence from the standards “Tool sound” in terms of melody.
The album is not free of oddities though. The lyrics are more obscure and perplexing this time around, as if the band has taken too fondly to tripping and navel gazing. I get it that they’re all about mystery, intrigue and hidden messages (an angle that I think has helped them sell more albums than just their sound alone), but c’mon guys. “Now you’re weeping shades of chosen indigo, got lemon juice up in your eye / And when you pissed all over my black kettle…” Huh? I’m all for artsy albums but if I’m supposed to buy into your brand of intelligent progressive rock at least gimme something. To their credit, though, the lyrics of this album are almost exclusively personal and introspective, as opposed to the usual soap-box style edicts and judgements.
They’re still up to their old tricks of being weirdos (read: swirling instrumentals of chanting and guitar acrobatics) and still making songs that keep me shifty in my chair for some unknown reason. But 10,000 Days is a strong disc that for once has Maynard’s vocals faded to the background to allow the instrumentals to fully shine. I doubt it will top Aenima for me, but it’s got some impressive tracks that are definitely worth hearing, even if it’s a faux prelude to the “real” Tool album yet to be released.
