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Old 10-06-2009, 06:00 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Tool - 10,000 Days

Hi! This is my first album review. I'm 14. Dont stress out with me.

10,000 Days is Tool's 6th and very latest album. It was released in early 2006.

TOOL: Tool's music and the lyrics behind them make them one of the best bands in metal. They combine off-beat and irregular rhythms, punchy guitar-like bass lines, advanced drumming polyrhythms, and psychedelic guitar riffs. These give the band a very unique sound and tone. Tool is usually classified as progressive metal (which usually means powerful rock music that is constantly changing in rhythm, mood, and tonality), however, the music can range from loud power chords (while still maintaining complex melodies and rhythms), to even psychedelic requiems. The lyrics to every song have deep meaning, and you usually have to think hard about them to realize what Maynard was thinking when he wrote them. "The Pot" from 10,000 days most likely is NOT about marijuana. Songs can be about religion, life, death, (okay, maybe drugs), astrology, mythology, or even psychology. Maynard James Keenan is one of the greatest vocalists in rock and metal history. Adam Jones' guitar riffs blend into the music wonderfully, and they're always changing. Justin Chancellor's punchy bass lines are what I think really make Tool unique. Danny Carey has the most complex and challenging drum beats ever. They're great. Technical perfection. Vision. Style. Creativity. I love Tool.

THE ALBUM: In my opinion, 10,000 Days is Tool's 2nd best album (after Lateralus). It's confirmed that the song 10,000 Days on the album and surrounding songs are about the time of MJK's (Maynard James Keenan's) mother's time when she was paralyzed in a hospital, to her time of death. That time was 27 years, or [a little less than] 10,000 days. It's incredibly overwhelming to actually listen to the lyrics. A lot of deep meaning. In the song reviews below, I skipped the fillers like Lipan Conjuring, Lost Keys, and Intension. But they're cool as well.

Vicarious: A very powerful and intense song. I read from another forum that this song could possibly be a "preamble" to the rest of the album. The title itself means to watch but not do anything about it. Or in this case, Maynard was saying "Listen to it, but listen to it carefully and make sure you realize what it's about". Or the fact that the listeners are hearing Maynard and his troubles and can't do anything about it. Or in society, it always comes to you knowing something but not doing anything. Powerful. I can say a lot more.

Jambi: "But I would wish it all away, If I though I'd lose you just one day". Maynard's saying he would do anything to be with his mom again. But I belive that he's atheist (unlike his mother who is strongly christian). Love the bass. Love the guitar solos (talk boxes).

Wings/10,000 days: Already talked about in the general album review. These songs are a requiem together and dont have a set melody at all really. But I think it's one of the best on the album nevertheless.

The Pot: Most catchy song on the album. One of the coolest bass riffs ever. Generally awesome. Although, I have little clue about the deep meaning of this song, but I can guess the shallow meaning. He's talking about the hypocrites who criticize druggies. He talks about black kettles. There's a commonly used phrase "calling the kettle black", as in, recognizing everyone's faults but your own. Of course, pot is a drug. When he says "high", he means both of the people who are getting high, and those hypocrites who think they're higher than everyone else. Which in some strange way ties in Vicarious. Or not.

Right in Two: This song has one of the deepest meanings, and is the most intense. It is my favorite song off this album. It's saying how humans always fight each other like animals (monkeys). Why can't they just live peacefully? And the "angels", or good people, are there and waiting for the fights to end but they don't. It's saying its impossible for humans to live together. You might as well divide the earth's people in two.

Overall Rating: 10/10. Same as with any Tool album*. But the album's style and music is different than other albums. It's hard to explain. Buy it. Listen to it, it's fantastic. 10/10. 10,000/10,000

Track List:
1. "Vicarious" – 7:06
2. "Jambi" – 7:28
3. "Wings for Marie (Pt 1)" – 6:11
4. "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)" – 11:13
5. "The Pot" – 6:21
6. "Lipan Conjuring" – 1:11
7. "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" – 3:46
8. "Rosetta Stoned" – 11:11
9. "Intension" – 7:21
10. "Right in Two" – 8:55
11. "Viginti Tres" – 5:02

*okay, maybe not salival. but nevertheless they're still all great.

Last edited by squiresuzuki; 11-11-2009 at 04:21 PM.
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Old 10-06-2009, 06:18 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Nice review. I liked how you focused on some of the lyrics and meanings to the songs, and payed close attention to the songs that you found important.
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Old 10-06-2009, 06:22 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by squiresuzuki View Post
Overall Rating: 10/10. Same as with any Tool album
Oh come on... Sweeping generalizations like that give you zero credibility.
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Old 10-06-2009, 06:37 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickenbacker View Post
Oh come on... Sweeping generalizations like that give you zero credibility.
Oh come on... picky posts like this make you seem like a dick
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Old 10-06-2009, 06:47 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Whatev.
__________________
Someone told me once that there's no right or wrong,
all this meant was cure for those who dare to cross the line but it must stop.
Be true.
Forget I'm just like you and,
Maybe it's
just bullshiit
I should play god, and
SHOOT YOU MYSELLFFFFFFFFF

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Old 10-06-2009, 07:36 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by storymilo View Post
Oh come on... picky posts like this make you seem like a dick
What are you talking about? I'm not going to deny that I'm an R.E.M. fanboy, but I'm not going to say that every one of their albums is a 10/10. Nobody's THAT consistent. Pretty much every album has problems of some kind. I mean, he even said that their are what, three "filler" tracks on here right? Shouldn't that detract from it in some way? I don't know, that wasn't the problem I had with what he said anyway.
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Old 10-06-2009, 07:52 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Rickenbacker View Post
What are you talking about? I'm not going to deny that I'm an R.E.M. fanboy, but I'm not going to say that every one of their albums is a 10/10. Nobody's THAT consistent. Pretty much every album has problems of some kind. I mean, he even said that their are what, three "filler" tracks on here right? Shouldn't that detract from it in some way? I don't know, that wasn't the problem I had with what he said anyway.
But you made it seem like the fact that he rated other Tool albums 10/10 somehow made this review less credible. Besides, it is true that Tool don't really have a bad album out there (at least that I know of). R.E.M. have a couple that are definitely subpar.

I personally wouldn't rate every single Tool album 10/10, but I would give them pretty consistently high marks
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Old 10-06-2009, 07:56 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by romanempire2021 View Post
well every led zeppelin album is a 10...
Ugh.


No.
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Old 10-06-2009, 07:57 PM   #9 (permalink)
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damn it this is my point
We at least can agree that every Led Zeppelin album is not a ten
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Old 10-06-2009, 07:59 PM   #10 (permalink)
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And on the R.E.M. topic-

They've had sub par albums later in their career (honestly only one, Around the Sun (2004), because they've put out 14 albums. Let me know when Tool's 14th album comes out, and if you tell me it's a 10 I'll laugh.
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