Finally, a new Tool album. It's been 5 years, two A Perfect Circle albums (one terrible and one good), and a national tragedy since Tool last graced us with a studio album, so saying anticipation was high is an understatement. Unfortunately, after 1800+ days of waiting, we get... this. A boring album that does nothing to further the artistry of Tool, 10,000 Days seems to be stuck in between Lateralus and a full-fledged APC album, with none of the catchiness of APC and none of the artistry of Lateralus.
How's that for straightforward?
Well, try this on for size: If I wanted to listen to slowly building prog-rock, I'd turn on Mogwai or, if I felt particularly ambitious, Godspeed! You Black Emperor. If I wanted to listen to melodic prog-rock, I'd turn quickly to dredg. I look for pulsing, smart metal from Tool. Sure, they can evolve, and I'm all for bands moving towards new spaces. But dammit, 10,000 Days isn't an evolution from Lateralus - an evolution would be adding more Undertow or Aenima to the fold and becoming the smartest metal band ever (something they were on the verge of doing anyways). Instead they made a mellower album that explores nothing new with its sporadic attempts at being loud, and sounds like a shitty attempt to emulate Mogwai/Godspeed! the other 75% of the time.
The first warning sign, as always, is the first single being track one of the album. Sure, Nirvana pulled it off with "Nevermind", but usually if you are leading out with your catchiest track, you are declaring to the world that it's all downhill from here. In this case, Tool leads out with "Vicarious", which is kind of a "Aenema" meets Lateralus deal, which as I said before was what I was looking for... Unfortunately, the lyrics seem a bit on the nose (especially for such a mind-numbingly difficult band). But whatever, this track gives you hope for the whole album.
Then the air goes out of the room and the overwrought, slow crap comes in.
A lot of the tracks on 10,000 Days clock in at over 7 minutes, with a few 10+ minute epics. Nothing, and I mean nothing rocks all the way through. There's lots of cute pace-shifting, and building up to climaxes that never really get there, and all throughout the lyrics are pretty dumb - nothing that matches up with Aenima, let alone Lateralus.
Actually, let me repeat that - the lyrics are dumb. WHAT THE FUCK? This turn of events makes less than no sense.
Ok I'm done ripping in to Tool. If they are out of ideas, they should just give up.
It's hard to believe that this is the same band that sang "Forty-six and Two".
How's that for straightforward?
Well, try this on for size: If I wanted to listen to slowly building prog-rock, I'd turn on Mogwai or, if I felt particularly ambitious, Godspeed! You Black Emperor. If I wanted to listen to melodic prog-rock, I'd turn quickly to dredg. I look for pulsing, smart metal from Tool. Sure, they can evolve, and I'm all for bands moving towards new spaces. But dammit, 10,000 Days isn't an evolution from Lateralus - an evolution would be adding more Undertow or Aenima to the fold and becoming the smartest metal band ever (something they were on the verge of doing anyways). Instead they made a mellower album that explores nothing new with its sporadic attempts at being loud, and sounds like a shitty attempt to emulate Mogwai/Godspeed! the other 75% of the time.
The first warning sign, as always, is the first single being track one of the album. Sure, Nirvana pulled it off with "Nevermind", but usually if you are leading out with your catchiest track, you are declaring to the world that it's all downhill from here. In this case, Tool leads out with "Vicarious", which is kind of a "Aenema" meets Lateralus deal, which as I said before was what I was looking for... Unfortunately, the lyrics seem a bit on the nose (especially for such a mind-numbingly difficult band). But whatever, this track gives you hope for the whole album.
Then the air goes out of the room and the overwrought, slow crap comes in.
A lot of the tracks on 10,000 Days clock in at over 7 minutes, with a few 10+ minute epics. Nothing, and I mean nothing rocks all the way through. There's lots of cute pace-shifting, and building up to climaxes that never really get there, and all throughout the lyrics are pretty dumb - nothing that matches up with Aenima, let alone Lateralus.
Actually, let me repeat that - the lyrics are dumb. WHAT THE FUCK? This turn of events makes less than no sense.
Ok I'm done ripping in to Tool. If they are out of ideas, they should just give up.
It's hard to believe that this is the same band that sang "Forty-six and Two".