10,000 DAYS

This album was both my introduction to Tool and Prog Metal. A mention should be given to the artwork of this album which is incredibly interesting particularly the 3D images included within the booklet which really add to the quality of the albums unique packaging.

The album kicks of with Vicarious which starts relatively slowly with just a bass riff and gradually builds up until the guitar comes in with a very heavy distorted riff which mirrors the bass. The lyrics are quite dark and very well sung. This song is a perfect opener for the album.

Next up is Jambi which is a slower paced song that Vicarious but at times has a stronger psychedelic feel which adds a lot to the texture of the song. The use of a talk box about 4 minutes in to the song is interesting and doesn't feel out of place.

Wings for Marie and the title track are basically one long piece which really shows off Tool's spacier side with a low tempo repeating riff which circles around your head when listening through headphones, the song slowly build ups and then slows down again before a heavy guitar riff comes in briefly, after that it returns to the original riff and the song really slows down. 10,000 Days starts with a bass riff similar in feel to the main guitar line of Wings for Marie and the song continues in the same vein as Wings for Marie. During this song some interesting storm sound effects are heard which makes the song feel dark and gloomy. After the 'storm' section the song builds up to a louder and heavier version of the main riff which finishes abruptly and the original riff starts again and the song winds down. These linked songs are definitely the highlight of the album.

Following 10,000 Days is The Pot, is faster paced than the previous songs and features some very good bass playing. Towards the end of the song it starts to fell slightly more upbeat than the songs before it, before returning to the main riff which speeds up and leads to a very abrupt ending.

Lipan Conjuring is little more than a one minute interlude but the vocal work is very interesting and prevents it from being a filler track.

Next up is Lost Keys which starts with a continuous note which fluctuates in pitch slightly, the bass and guitar enter with a very slow riff the vocals in this song are a conversation in a hospital about an unknown patient, which gives the song a very bizarre feel.

Lost Keys segues in to Rosetta Stoned which starts with a very heavy riff and fast talked vocals. As the song gets heavier the vocals are almost screamed, then the song suddenly calms down before building up again to another heavy section. The riffs change several times and the song's pace slows down slightly but stays heavy. The riffs continue to swap around for the rest of the song which is one of my favourites on the album.

Intension slows the paces of the album again and the whispered vocal give the song a mysterious feel. In my opinion this song drags on a bit too much as after about 4 minutes it starts to get a bit dull.

Right in Two is slightly faster than Intension and starts with a simple but beautiful guitar line, the vocals are quiet and restrained which gives the song a very relaxed feel. The bass adds a slightly heavy tone to the song and the song really benefits as the the pace quickens slightly and builds up into a heavy section about 4 minutes in to the song, which fades out to a very interesting percussion section with a repetitive chord sequence in the back ground which builds up into a very heavy section which continues until around the 8 minute mark where the song slows down and slowly fades out.

The final song on the album is Viginti Tres, which starts with several slow repeating sound effects, which fades into a another section of different sound effects before fading out, an interesting end to an interesting album.

Overall the album is very enjoyable despite a couple of down points and served as a fine introduction to Tool and Prog Metal for me. Not quite a masterpiece but still a very good album. 4 stars.

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