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.

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.

Oh come on... Sweeping generalizations like that give you zero credibility.

Oh come on... picky posts like this make you seem like a dick

Whatev.

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

Ugh.


No.

We at least can agree that every Led Zeppelin album is not a ten:p:

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.

But that's not really the point... the point is that as of now they're all good

The first four Zeppelin albums are pretty much 10/10 though. IMO. After that they went straight downhill in consistency.

Alright, let's stay on topic. :nono:

Heehee. Your review has already gotten more comments than mine got

I actually just listened to Undertow again today after not listening to TOOL for several months. After I saw them in concert I just felt so satisfied that I didn't really feel the need to hear them. 10,000 Days is a pretty decent album, but Aenima, Undertow, and Lateralus will always be better IMO.

That's the point. Tool waits four years between albums so they are all of very high quality. R.E.M. has made so many albums that of course a few aren't going to be of the same quality. I guess it's just all a matter of personal preference? *shrugs*

^ Agreed, but also coming from a huge Tool fan I would like to say that I wouldn't rate all of Tool's albums 10/10 and of course some are better than others. I can't think of any band who has released a string of albums that are all brilliantly as good as each other and flawless... in my opinion, anyway!

And to get back on topic... 10,000 Days is an epic album with some great tracks but it will never top Lateralus or Aenima.

I agree 100% with this kid, a 14 year old and he already understands one of the greatest bands ever. Kudos man.

Agreed on all counts... :thumb:

Good review. Like the album a lot. thanks showing it to me.

Good review, personally my second favorite album by Tool, just behind Lateralus. I have to say "The Pot," "Jambi," and "10,000 Days" are my favs.

Like storymilo and APCTOOL91, I enjoyed your review, squiresuzuki. Hearing your views and descriptions of the songs inspired me to listen to some of them that were new to me. I had watched a few Tool YouTube videos several months ago when I learned that MB's Lateralus and Freebase Dali are big Tool fans...but I didn't connect emotionally with the songs I happened to listen to. However, when I read your review I thought to myself, okay, I will try again. I decided to listen to "Right in Two" because I enjoy deep meanings and intensity and you said it is your favorite, plus I had never heard it before. Result: I enjoyed the song very much. I *did* connect with it, both its emotion and musicality. Your description of musical techniques Tool uses also inspired me to look up what a "polyrhythm" and "tabla-style" technique are, since I did not know what those meant.

Thanks for sharing what the songs mean to you. I probably would have missed "Right in Two" entirely if I had not been inspired by your review to listen to it. And that would have been my loss, because I feel it is a beautiful, somber, and powerful song.