Originally Posted by 333

See, I feel like they do this already with both Lateralus and 10,000 Days. I pretty much agree with scottsy, only minus the Maynard vocals. I've said this so many times before on here. He's an amazing factor to the band, but I'm sick of him. I'm sick of people overly glorifying his every project whether it be wine or a new band. As a whole, Tool is already epic and progressive. The idea of a completely mellow album is enticing, but I don't think it's something they'd be into. Especially considering how much time they devote to each album. A purely instrumental one would almost seem too easy. Also, I think a more toned-down album in the sense of instrumentation can be heavy as well as mellow. Loudness isn't the key to heaviness all the time and very few bands have grasp this aspect.

@storymilo: If you're already begun your Tool exploration from the end, I suggest you keep backtracking and experience their growth in a new light. Maybe you'll notice something we haven't discussed on here. So, your next assignment: Lateralus, which happens to be my favorite Tool album. Enjoy.