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Tool - 10,000 Days (2006)


DudeAsInCool

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Tool

10,000 Days

Friday, April 21, 2006

Tool’s signature elements, such as epic songwriting and grungy metal chops, return revamped in their new release, 10,000 Days, replete with the dark and borderline-creepy cover art one might expect from the band. As per usual, they involve latent, sophisticated references in their songs, including the genie from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, “Jambi,” and 10,000 itself, which refers to the time period from the point at which Maynard James Keenan's mother (for whom he names track “Wings for Marie (Part 1)”) became paralyzed due to a stroke until the point she died. “The Pot” fuses together cynical lyrics and Maynard’s passionate vocal delivery with the hard edge of bassist Justin Chancellor. It's easily deemed commentary on irresponsible stoners, especially compounded with the imagery of “Rosetta Stoned,” but in a recent interview, guitarist Adam Jones acknowledged that the title refers to “the pot calling the kettle black.” Regardless, the album still seems to make several references to herbal substances.

Read more at

Glide Magazine

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Lateralus was a great album - here's an old review from Pop Matters...

Tool

Lateralus

Tool are the ultimate rock band. They sound cool enough for causal fans while still remaining smart enough for critics. They mix testosterone-driven heaviness with sensitivity, to appeal to all tastes. They make videos that are weird enough to scare your parents. They package their CDs in fascinating ways. And as befits their status, they had the customary label struggles (what band doesn't?) before releasing the huge Lateralus, their first album since 1996. Like all ultimate rock bands, Tool make their fans feel like they're part of some select group (although since Lateralus debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, that's obviously not true). No matter what, Tool are your personal secret.

Lateralus is exactly what you'd expect from Tool, which is exactly what you want: meditatively dark. Lead singer Maynard James Keenan sings and screams over the driving guitars of Adam Jones, the gloomy bass of Justin Chancellor, and the pounding drums of Danny Carey. There is nothing revolutionary about Tool's sound, but that doesn't matter. Tool are good at what they do, and they know it.

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Edited by DudeAsInCool
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OK, so what is the 2006 dealie?

Are they re-issuing it on the eve ot the new album release?

Great album, btw.

heh ive said it before and ill say it again, 10,000 Days kicks so much ass best album of 2006

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OK, so what is the 2006 dealie?

Are they re-issuing it on the eve ot the new album release?

Great album, btw.

Late night posting fuckup. I added the old album to Method's post so his comments made sense. :lol:

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I was wondering wtf happened. I have made billions of drunk posts which I don't recall but that was too good for being drunk

when did I actually post that? lol

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Like most progressive rock and heavy metal-- hell, maybe most popular music in general-- suspension of disbelief is key with Tool. Taken at face value, with their song suites, meat puppet videos, and histrionic singer, they're pretty goofy. People make fun of Tool fans because they assume they take the band seriously-- these spotty, greasy kids with bad shoes and worse hair who already wear an insult on their T-shirts. At 28, I'd feel funny mocking 15-year-olds still finding their place in the world. And as for taking them seriously-- well, I take Tool about as seriously as I do black metal or Lil Jon or the films of Tsui Hark. Which is to say, not very.

A Pitchfork-friendly analogy: Tool are the Radiohead of nü-metal. Both bands predate scenes they later became avatars for; both were more creative and inspirational than their followers; both were incredibly pretentious; and both still managed to sell an ass-load of records. Tool didn't release an album between 1996 and 2001. They missed nü-metal's entire rise and fall, an era of whiteboy dreads, bonsai facial hair, funk bass poppin', and constipated balladry. And much like Radiohead when they dropped the Kid A/Amnesiac doubleshot, Tool released Lateralus early in this decade to radio silence and huge numbers.

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PitchForkMedia

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Like most progressive rock and heavy metal-- hell, maybe most popular music in general-- suspension of disbelief is key with Tool. Taken at face value, with their song suites, meat puppet videos, and histrionic singer, they're pretty goofy. People make fun of Tool fans because they assume they take the band seriously-- these spotty, greasy kids with bad shoes and worse hair who already wear an insult on their T-shirts. At 28, I'd feel funny mocking 15-year-olds still finding their place in the world. And as for taking them seriously-- well, I take Tool about as seriously as I do black metal or Lil Jon or the films of Tsui Hark. Which is to say, not very.

A Pitchfork-friendly analogy: Tool are the Radiohead of nü-metal. Both bands predate scenes they later became avatars for; both were more creative and inspirational than their followers; both were incredibly pretentious; and both still managed to sell an ass-load of records. Tool didn't release an album between 1996 and 2001. They missed nü-metal's entire rise and fall, an era of whiteboy dreads, bonsai facial hair, funk bass poppin', and constipated balladry. And much like Radiohead when they dropped the Kid A/Amnesiac doubleshot, Tool released Lateralus early in this decade to radio silence and huge numbers.

Read more:

PitchForkMedia

pitchfork needs to take its head out of its ass.

and to take a lyric from the great album...

"Foot in mouth and head in ass, whatcha talking bout?"

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Well, at about midnight of May the 2nd, I downloaded a lossless copy of the new Tool album to give it a listen:

The first two songs sounded almost like a mix between Tool and A Perfect Circle (with the sound being Tool while the vocals sound more suited to an A Perfect Circle song). However, I don't like the lyrics. The don't fit together well and it isn't at all appealing. The melody of the first song mirrors the first song from Lateralus (The Grudge) a lot. The second song is really just a continuation of the first.

Track 3 (Wings for Marie) begins very very much like Parabol from Lateralus. 2/3 of the song is a waste of time, even using the excuse of artistic expression. They get an F for creativity.

Lyrically and musically Track 4 (The Pot) was great. However, the creativity of the lyrics individually wasn't all that impressive. The words fit well together, but the words themselves didn't deliver. It kind of reminded me of "The Noose" and "The Outsider" from "Thirteenth Step" by A Perfect Circle, only those songs were more intricate and impressive. Tool's best quality was always metaphors and subtly. This was lacking.

10,000 Days, Track 5, was fed into by Track 4 with very little to add. I didn't even notice the switch in songs.

Track 6 was filler disguised as artistic expression and mysticism. I've always gave Tool the benefit of the doubt when it came to filler because they were always so subtle about it, but this was ridiculous.

Track 7, Lost Keys = Filler + a ScfFi movie plot.

Track 8, Rosetta Stoned made me want to beat a baby dear to death with a tire iron. I'd rather hang myself by my testicles than listen this shit fest again.

For "Intension", track 9, they decide to use the same fucking drum from "Disposition" (Lateralus) in the same fucking fashion. Consider this a remix of Disposition with different lyrics.

Track 10, "Right in Two" was pretty good. A lot of different sounds from previous Tool songs were mixed in. The lyrics were ok too. They fit.

Track 11 was filler and possibly an ending to the SciFi movie plot they had going in track 7.

My overall rating of this album, even taking into account Tool's unique style, is 1 out of 5 stars. Were it not for "Right in Two", I would have given it 0 stars.

If you're looking for a good new Tool album, you may have to wait another 5 years.

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Hmm. I hope my feelings aren't as drab. I'll let you guys know at some point.

You'll probably like it more than I did since I'm kind of hard to please.

I liked Tool's previous efforts and have come to expect innovation in their sound and good, fresh lyrics.

I just felt this wasn't present at all.

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It seems we may see Tool from two different sides. For me, I think Undertow is still my favorite. Granted, it was my first exposure to them when it came out, but I was just overwhelmed by this sound I had never heard from any band before. Danny Carey's complexity is amazing. There are many song from each of the albums that sound awesome to me, but I have to give the new album several more spins before I know which songs stand out for me.

It had much to offer. Quite a variety and I do detect the Sci-Fi element. I hear the similarity of "The Grudge" on the first track. While it is a good song, local radio is killing it. Luckily, I have recently installed a CD/MP3 player in my work van so I can give radio a break.

I thought the second and third songs were decent. Heard the "Parabol" similarity.

On the flipside, something about track 4 didn't cut it for me. It was ok at best. I totally love "The Noose." The part where the drums kick in is great.

Track 5 was ok, but I have to agree with the assessment of track 6. I really did not like it.

Track 7 was so-so and my impression of track 8 was: ??? - scifi weird - okay.

I enjoyed the rest of the album, but not to the point of ecstasy.

This album was average at best.

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It seems we may see Tool from two different sides. For me, I think Undertow is still my favorite.

We don't really differ.

With all the previous albums, it was a different experience.

I don't really rate them. They are all separate entities with their own unique offerings (I mean there was a lot of time between most of those albums).

That's the problem with 10,000 Days; no unique offerings and a decrease in lyrical creativity.

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  • 1 month later...

Tool have always flitted around the edges of alt metal and as a group of musicians' musicians they never really fitted that tattooed-bogan stereotype of standard metal.

As fringe-dwellers, they excel at being arty-minded prog-metal practitioners with a serious bent for exploring the dark side of life.

They are also a group that won't be rushed. This is only Tool's fourth full-length album in 16 years after a five-year wait since Lateralus.

And the effort put in by the band - from complicated key and tempo changes to the elaborate CD packaging - shows they think through the minutest detail. Right from the opening Vicarious, there's an immediate aggressive directness to Maynard Keenan's lyrics as the eight-minute epic of crunching guitars allows him to explore the life of a couch potato who enjoys watching tragedy on TV.

Drummer Danny Carey punctuates everything with clever fills and together with bassist Justin Chancellor they provide a heady blood-rush rhythm section that is quintessential Tool.

Keenan strikes a confessional note on the title track which, together with Wings For Marie (Pt 1), makes a 17-minute soundscape for his late mother - "What have I done to be a son to an angel?" - whose 27 years spent in paralysis was the inspiration for the album's title.

Guitarist Adam Jones gives Jambi one of the heaviest workouts you'll hear all year while on Right in Two he provides a blistering breakneck finish.

Like King Crimson for a new generation, it takes many listens to get the full effect of light and shade but that's why they remain the leader of the pack, standing a head above the likes of A Perfect Circle because they are always willing to push boundaries and experiment with new ideas.

Tool's 10,000 Days is out now through Sony/BMG.

source:AP

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