Customer Reviews

10,000 Days

5 star:		(666)
4 star:		(159)
3 star:		(94)
2 star:		(68)
1 star:		(67)

 

 

Tool fans. Give this album a chance please. You need to listen to it a few times through before trashing it. The lyrics are AMAZING as always. If you don't actually listen or know what this album is all about you are missing the point. For instance Marie & 10,000 days WHY?

Judith Marie was Maynard James Keenan's mother's name. She was a very religious person. One day she had a stroke that left her in a wheelchair partially paralyzed. This stroke only strengthened her belief in God - something that Maynard found to be pretty ironic. She was paralyzed for 27 years before dying in June 03, which is approximately 10,000 days. She was very religious, (Maynard wrote the APC song "Judith" at least partially about her - The lyrics in JUDITH reflect how he felt about the whole situation - "It's not like you killed someone, It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side, You praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed." He's saying that his mother was a good person who believed in God and yet this is how she was "thanked."), 10,000 days is about her finding her savior now that she has passed away. The song is saying that she should be in heaven, and god should not hold any thing that Maynard did against her. She kept her faith even when Maynard went down a different path. even after spending 27 years paralyzed and basically a miserable life all for her christ and lord. He's saying that she'd better get her wings, she's damn near the posterchild for keeping faith.

If you don't believe me listen to the lyrics.

10000 days in the fire is long enough.
You're going home...

You're the only one who can hold your head up high,
Shake your fist at the gates saying,
"I have come home now!"

Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father,
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.

"It's time now!
My time now!
Give me my
Give me my wings!"...

Powerful and amazing stuff if you ask me!!! This is just one example of the many concepts within the Album. I think True Tool fans realize that the lyrics are often just as powerful as the music so when you hear something that some reviews are calling useless filler (which I can't understand because they are great songs) give it a chance and find the true meaning behind it. It gives it context which helps you realize why the song might not blow your head off like Aenima or The Grudge (which of course we love!!)

I have read close to 100 reviews of this album and it pains me to realize how few people get it. I keep reading phrases like "It sounds like" or "compare song "a" to song "b" and you'll see a similarity". What I have seen very little of are people who have listened, I mean really listened, to this album as music and not just as "the New Tool Album".

If I had paid $15 and the album only had Wings for Marie and 10,000 Days on it, I would have been happy. Not since I heard Mozart's Requiem have I wept at a musical composition. I leap ahead... Let's do this as people expect - shall we?

Vicarious - This is a good opener for a Tool album... Lots of force and easily deciphered lyrics that the angry youth types can sink into... Quite simply - it is a song about the TV generation and the way we have lost visceral experience... in a way, it delves into the loss of even our basic ability to start a journey up the Tree of Life because we couldn't even start to experience Malkuth.

Jambi - This is a song of adoration.. for whome, we are not privy to.. that is for Maynard to know and us to wonder.. but does it really matter? At the end of the song he sings the words "silence Leech and save your poison..." Is this the object of adoration responding to worship? Is it the worshiper losing faith? Make your own choice.. the music crunches here.. ignore the words.. just complain about the sound.. or compliment it... heh.

Wings for Marie/10,000 Days - The first time I heard this I had to hear it again.. clearly.. it felt sacred... perfect in music/word/pitch/emotion. Then I listened again.. and again.. louder and louder.. over spreakers... with headphones. I realized that I was crying at some point, but didn't care. This is a Requiem for Judith Marie, Maynard's mother... There is bitterness here.. love... thankfullness. Maynard and company have managed to take us through most of the grieving process in 13 minutes. I was exhausted and needed sleep. When I awoke... I listened again and found myself singing for his mother along with him. How many Men could write this for their mother? Ask Tool...

The Pot - I love this song... yes - it reminds me of the feel of Hooker with a Penis, but I do not compare the two.. It has that attitude.. Love it or leave it.

I am going to lump Lost Keys(Blame Hoffman), Lipan Conjuring, and Viginti Tres into one portion here.. not because they don't merit review, but because they do. They are easy to discount as "filler", but I don't buy it. Each of these short ambient pieces hold some sort of significance to the band... that is why they are here. If they were created by a band like Dead Voices on Air or Coil, they would by lauded as amazing accomplishments of experimental music, but because this is Tool.. we just can't accept that. As far as the comments I have read elsewhere about the "filler" material... if I wanted to use that ideology on this album... everything before and after Wings for Marie/10,000 Days is filler for those two songs. That being said, I would not be suprised to hear Maynard say in an interview - "Yeah, those were just fluff.."

Rosetta Stoned - This piece is a masterstroke... it took several listenings before it really struck home. At first it seems almost like stream of consciousness gibberish... but wait.. listen... There is a story here of other intelligences affecting our protagonist.. Who is it? Who cares! if you can keep up with the chaos that begets order in this song, you won't care because it is like a good acid trip... Sit back with the headphones and clear mind and just enjoy.

Intension - Will as force. Will is force. Will moves us. The music was made for these lyrics.. the lyrics for this music. It can hynotize you if you let it.

Right in Two - I can't explain why I love this one... but I really think it has something to do with Aldous Huxley and Kurt Vonnegut. Huxley wrote a book called Ape and Essence that has portions that I flash back to in hearing this song. Vonnegut wrote a book called Galapagos where the more "evolved" human race of the distant future is a form of aquatic sea life that mocks the "silly big brained humans with poseable thumbs". My God!! Is that where Maynard got the idea!?! Who cares!!!! Just listen and realize that though this song kicks you in the gut, it might just be a little light hearted..

In closing - If this was the last album Tool ever made, we could ask for no more.. everything after this is a gift.

I always admired Tool for their vision and style, but until now, I never really appreciated them. Their technical perfection and creative style has never been as apparent to me as now. Some of the criticisms seem to be centered on the idea that the songs are long (wtf?) or aren't catchy jingles -- what is wrong with these critics? The title track is one of the most stellar works of music I've ever heard -- an affirmation of self-realization and a heartbreaking homage to his mother in her 27 year (10,000 day) paralysis and her eventual death. It captures imagery from mythology, religion, psychology and modern poetry to evoke the image of someone claiming their place in the universe.

I have to wonder if some of these folks are even listening to the right album. Your preference is your preference, but the repeated cries of "not like the old Tool" are pathetisad, and "too long" and "who has the time" as mental laziness. This album has blown away everything else released this year, and not just because it's Tool, but because it's beautiful.
I don't like everything they produce, and was pretty much disinterested in Lateralus...so you sheep who are blindly crying sheep based off what someone else likes should drown yourselves.

Y'know, I can understand if some people don't quite get what this album is all about, or if they feel like they can't rock out to it like Aenima, or if they don't like more reflective vocals, or if they don't like long songs...or whatever gripes some folks might have.

But 1 star? 2 stars? Are you f'in kidding me? Folks, if you want simple four-minute rock songs, mashed together in Pro Tools, with lyrical content that your average 13-year-old girl can easily understand, Nickelback is --> that way. Please go there now.

This is f'in Tool. YEP, STILL TOOL. The songs are generally very heavy, both sonically and lyrically. In fact, tracks 1, 2, and 8 are some of the most skull-crushing stuff Tool has ever recorded. I guess the problem is that the lyrics are more thoughtful and reflective. Gee. Or maybe the problem is that the musicianship is more advanced. Gee. Or maybe the problem is that the guitar mix is more spacious and the vocals are pushed back a bit, creating a more balanced sound with much crisper bass response. Gee.

Rosetta Stoned is a masterpiece. Must be amazing live. I would say Tool is the Led Zeppelin of our time, except that Tool seems healthier (lifestyle-wise) and more musically capable right now than Zep ever was at their peak. Thanks Tool for an amazing new album. Now I'll step aside so the angsty "BOO HOO I WANTED ANOTHER AENIMA BOO HOO HOO" gripe-n-moan fest may resume.

Tool is far from a band in the traditional sense of the word. More than anything they are a union of true composer/musicians. In a time when the word "artist" is used far too loosely, these juggernauts transcend the concept and define it.

"10,000 Days" does not contain songs. It is an aggregate of compositions whose content shatters the barriers of hard rock/heavy metal music. The song "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)" is a masterpiece itself. The aural landscape and musical skill displayed here is simply astounding.

Yes I am a Tool fan and have been since the early days of "Opiate." But my review is not derived from this prejudice. If this album were rubbish, I would sternly say so. I am pleased to state the contrary, that this album is a feat of epic proportions, and as such, is superb.

5 years after the release of Lateralus and 3 and a half since they last performed a live show, Tool finally has a new album out. And it's about damn time. As usual, the wait is more than worth it, and while, like many of my favorite albums, I didn't quite get it upon the first listen, subsequent, repeated listenings have revealed not only a more structurally complex record than anything in the bands catalog to date, but also lyrically one of vocalist Maynard Keenan's most personal offerings. So many influences have come together to form this sonically unique album that it becomes hard to pinpoint exactly what these guys were on, and/or listening to when they recorded it. 10,000 Days is still an expansion of the bands first four albums, the psychedelic edginess, hammering rhythmic full band attacks, long melodic solos that cut straight to the heart, and overall atmospheric nostalgic touch giving it that distinct Tool signature. The songs are now even more progressive than on the epic Lateralus, the structures rarely depending on repeating any one part of the song, no matter how good it is, but never lacking in hooks despite this and the truly heavy quality of the material, giving the songs an almost Opethian writing quality not present on any previous release, all of which still depended heavily on choruses to grab the listeners ear. The sometimes Middle Eastern feel of the instrumental passages stay true to drummer Danny Carey's tribal tom assaults with a flair for tabla and exotic percussion, and Adam Jones use of a talk box for his guitar solo on Jambi is exceptionally prog-rock-ish and hints at a (if very slight) Frampton influence. However many childish fans still upset at this great bands fame cry and moan, it simply doesn't change the always undeniable fact about Tool: they simply keep getting better and better, all members united more structurally and rhythmically than ever before. This is, I might add, bassist Justin Chanellor's shining moment with the band, whom he has been with since AEnima, and his truly exceptional melodic bass playing strays from the typical path followed by his instrument of choice, his sense of melody and unique skill probably being enough to supplement the need for a guitar player in any other band that didn't have Adam Jones on the axe. Jones and Carey truly seem to see eye to eye on this album, guitar stroke matching every single rhythmic blast from Carey's monstrous drum set.

And of course there is Maynard James Keenan, the man himself. He has always been a master lyricist, from the humorous satiric debut of Opiate through the mind-opening pschedelic enlightenment of Lateralus and throughout his second band A Perfect Circle, the influence of which is also undeniable through Keenan's political yet intensely personal lyrics. While I may be wrong in my interpretation, the album seems to follow two vastly end of the spectrum themes, one being the state of humanity and politics in the world, which has always been the target of not only hope, but also machine-gun scrutiny in coming from MJK. The album's opening track and first single, Vicarious takes a well-deserved crack at fast-food fed, TV-droned Americans and their lust for televised violence, while Right In Two openly condemns the state of the Middle East, Keenan comparing humans to "monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground."

Of equally powerful, if drastically different, importance is the presence of Keenan's mothers ghost throughout the record, whose time in a wheelchair (the years of which add up to 10,000 days) and eventual death has had a profound effect on the singer, painfully crooning on the title song "10,000 days in the fire is long enough...you're going home." The effect is tear-jerking, being the closest this man has ever let his fans get to his soul. This is not the first time his mother has been the subject matter for his songwriting techniques, drawing namesake in the angry Perfect Circle anthem titled Judith, upon which Keenan rebukes her for her faith in a God who has left her "broken down and paralyzed." 10,000 Days seems to be the cure and elevated perspective needed for him on this very personal subject.

I am reluctant to go into a song by song analysis for two reasons, one being how cohesively well the songs flow together to make the album as a whole truly a listening experience, while secondly it was just released yesterday and I haven't had quite enough time to let the subtleties of each sink in yet. But the 20 or so listens I have already had have shown me enough to know that my favorite band has failed to let me down again. Many will insult this album, as many ignorant "fans" do in terms of any good piece of art, but as 311 says "F the naysayers 'cause they don't mean a thing." If you have remotely enjoyed anything by this band in the past, 10,000 Days will only serve its purpose in opening your mind to their message that much more. Give it a chance.

this album will disappoint anyone looking for another opiate, undertow, or aenima. 10,000 days is not consistently heavy, and does not mesh together like previous tool albums. the album is very experimental, contains a lot of vocal effects, and has quite a bit of genre-hopping. for these reasons i think the album has received some bad reviews, however i urge anyone interested in tool to ignore the mixed word of mouth and give this album a FEW listens.

another reason why many dislike the album is because it's incredibly difficult to digest. only 2 tracks (vicarious and the pot) contain any real verses or choruses. most of the songs are arranged more classically, especially the "wings" suite, which stretches past 17 minutes and is easily one of tool's best pieces.

10,000 days really does jump all over the place. there's lots of indian percussion, a talk box, lots of trancy and psychedelic "floyd" moments, a bit of electronica, and many other strange elements. this is far from a simple "metal" album full of riffs and hooks to mosh along with, one of the main reasons why i'm so fond of this record.

i honestly don't understand those claiming that this is more of an APC album than a tool album. with the exception of some of maynard's vocals (of course) there are hardly any similarities between this album and any of APC's work. on a few tracks (the pot/rosetta stoned) maynard experiments with his vocals so much it's hard to believe he's the one singing. but honestly, this album is MUCH better than anything APC's ever released, and this is coming from someone who did enjoy mer de noms and 13th step.

just be sure to listen to this with an open mind and try not to expect it to sound a certain way, it's too diverse and original for that. and no, vicarious does not reflect the rest of the album, it is easily the most accessible track (which does say something about the album) and in my opinion, is the "least awesome."

As everyone knows, this album was leaked about two weeks ago. I, like most others, am a simple, simple human, and thus lacked the fortitude to wait the extra two weeks.

But I made up for it by buying two copies of this amazing production.

Tool fans often get ragged on for being very high-strung and arrogant about being a Tool fan. There is some truth to this.

But after opening this CD package up and looking at the art, as well as digesting the astonishing production and technique that this band exhibits, and reeling over the emotional landscape they cover, I can honestly say that there has not been an album like this ever made, which ever way you look at it.

Tool is a constantly innovative and progressive band; none of their CDs sound alike. This CD almost seeks to violate every assumption someone has about what makes something "epic". The two-parter about Maynard's mother occurs on tracks 3 and 4, and the end of the album is a 5 minute non-song.

But once you really sit down and listen to it, this album is quite simply Tool singing the blues. I can picture the singer sitting on a Mississippi bayou writing the lyrics to this. There are so many allusions to Christian mythology in an attempt to convey very simple human emotions. The songs about drug use in the middle of the album seem to suggest the way we deal with tragedy and loss.

This is NOT Lateralus, both sonically and thematically. The band shows such a progressive landscape, and whereas Lateralus emphasized Danny drums and Maynard's vocal, 10,000 Days showcases Adam's guitar and Justin's unbelievable bass playing. He really has to be heard to be believed; get a good sound system for this CD.

Thematically, this album goes in the opposite direction. Where Lateralus ended celebrating the potential unity of humanity ("we are all one mind"), this album ends with a song about humanity's dark side, aptly titled "Right in Two".

If the artistic direction for the CD package doesn't win an award, then there is no taste left in the music industry. I will simply say that Alex Gray and Tool have changed the way I'll evaluate "liner notes" completely.

The entire spectacle of this CD has completely affirmed my "arrogance" at being a Tool fan, and I'm proud to say it! Go buy this CD. Now. You will not f*cking regret it.

There is no heavier, darker, more ambitious and less compromising band in modern metal than Tool. Crank this loud enough with the windows open, and your neighbor's lawn will die. In fact, your neighbors might even consider leaving town altogether. This stuff is as vicious as it is brilliant. Fueled, as ever, by lyrics expressing complete disgust with the common man's complacency, lack of imagination, thinly veneered thirst for the blood of others, and seemingly endless capacity for rolling over and playing dead while the world goes to hell in a handbasket, Tool's symphonic approach to thick, dense, knotty metal is so far beyond the reach of the band's peers that it qualifies as oft-imitated, never duplicated. Part of the reason for this is the idiomatic virtuosity of the group, which can shift time signatures on a dime, move from lulling, atmospheric washes of sound to menacing slabs of amplified doom with the ferocity of a shapeshifting primordial beast, and spend nigh-on 10 minutes creating a baroque, architecturally fascinating mid-air vision of hell, at will, and to the listener's simultaneous horror and delight. Top shelf, this stuff.

Wow. This album is incredible.

It technically has 6 songs, each a masterpiece:

1.) Vicarious
2.) Jambi
3.) Wings for Marie
4.) The Pot
5.) Rosetta Stone
6.) Right in Two

They all get better and better which each listen. Wings for Marie is divided into two tracks and Rosetta Stone has a lead-in track (Lost Keys) which works very well. Lipan Conjuring is somewhat of a transition track between the first and second halves of this album. Its not much but it doesnt detract either. Intension is a hauntingly beautiful piece that segues perfectly between Rosetta Stone and Right in Two. Vigniti Tres brings the album to a close with eerie sounds.

I cant say enough about this album. The songs are like treasures that you discover more and more of each time you listen. To be honest, my first impression was ho-hum, now I'm totally blown away.