10,000 DAYS

As I am currently majoring in the business field, I'm giving Tool or whoever pulls the strings behind them a major applause for their unique marketing scheme. This album rating is not as bad as it seems though. If 'Aenima' got the full attention it should have gotten, then 'Lateralus' would have been seen as a disappointment. Fortunately for Tool that didn't happen and 'Lateralus' got the attention leaving '10,000 Days' to receive the flak.

You'd figure after a time span of 15 years Tool would somewhat alter their sound, but that didn't happen, yet they are still considered amazing. The grand idea of putting an album out every 5 years, creating incredible hype for each one will make money no matter what. Even if 'Chinese Democracy' and 'Death Magnetic' suck to all oblivion, they will be purchased by many.

Now, if Tool released an album every two years like most bands, their sixth or seventh would have been released by now. If that did in fact happen, Tool would have one of the shortest popularity peaks in music. Will they even get to a seventh album? Either way, fans will be attending tours constantly, as you'll be getting the usual favorite songs, since people agree on what Tool's best songs are, but have nothing to say about the other 30 tracks they made.

Such is the beautiful marketing scheme of this band. It will continue to work unless the newest album will damage their popularity, which in my opinion is very possible. Just look at how sad this record is.

Oh yeah! The music! Well, when this album was hyped up, Tool expressed that they will sound a bit like Meshuggah, ironically a band that is largely increasing their fan base. That was a complete and utter lie. This album sounds like just about anything else Tool has made, carbon copy.

'Vicarious' is the opener and the only song you'll hear about other then the title track. It sounds pretty good to me, but nothing this band hasn't done before.

'Jambi' is the track that I feel led them to the Meshuggah statement. On the level of heaviness, it does sound like Meshuggah. If 'heavy' was the only word used to describe Meshuggah would be plain wrong. Meshuggah does interesting things with time shifts and rhythm. Tool doesn't. You'll see the same pattern repeated over and over till the end. An abysmal track.

'Wings/10,000 Days' has a nice build up. These two together clocks in at 20 minutes, so get ready to be bored relatively fast. Can Tool write an interesting track in 5 minutes? Why bother.

'The Pot' has the best work of Maynard by far. This might have been my favorite track, as the bass has a lot of punch to it. The guitar gets a little interesting too.

'Lipan'. Filling. Skip.

'Lost Keys' is a dialogue about a man the wandered into the hospital. Ironically, I like this track the most.

'Rosetta Stoned'. My god, this band needs to stop playing music. Once you hear the intro, it will largely remain the same, tossing in a little bit of Adam Jones playing a note, twisted into oblivion by effects. A lame song yet again.

I simply cannot write anymore, on the next three expect a small idea turned into a rather lengthy song and a six minute filler for an ending song.

5 years, 15 minutes of filler still. If I had a whole year to write 10 minutes of music, I think I can make it pretty big myself. Tool really knows how to make money off of people.

So what to think of this album and my sum of reviewing all the Tool albums? I think Opiate deserves to be in the top spot.

For the studio albums, take three pieces of paper and write 'Aenima', 'Lateralus' and '10,000 Days'. Puts these pieces into a hat and shake it. Pull one out and get it. Chances are you might like it. Expect to be disappointed by the next two that you hear. It will be mostly the same. This band might fit, although not in my opinion, as a progressive rock band. The band, however, is not 'progressive'.

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