10,000 DAYS

I wish it didn't take so long between Tool albums. But because it does take so long, the standards they're held to are much higher than bands that release albums every couple years. Such is the case with their latest studio effor 10,000 Days. After the near genius of Lateralus it's almost a given that they weren't going to easily top that recording. Just like with the stock market, the quality can't just keep improving forever without some type of reset. And I think that is the issue with this recording. As another reviewer pointed out, this recording sounds like the bridge between Aenima and Lateralus rather than the successor to Lateralus.

While 10,000 Days is not a bad album by any stretch; it just doesn't build upon or even approach the promise set by Lateralus. There are flashes of brilliance like with Vicarious and 10,000 Days among the missteps like Intension or the backward steps like The Pot. I guess as a band you've made your mark in the world of music when you can put out a recording that is better than just about anyone else in a genre and still be criticized for coming up short. At least the band scores bonus points for one of the coolest cd packages I've ever seen.

While I'm a huge Tool fan and have about 20 assorted live performances; I'm also not a fanboy. For me to give a 5 star rating I have to think that a recording is genre defining. I felt that way with Lateralus, but I don't fee that way about 10,000 Days. There's just too much lost and or unrealized potential for me to go that high. Tool has shown remarkable progress from the Opiate days till Lateralus. So if the band keeps putting out material in the future, we'll most likely evaluate this album as a speed bump on the highway of musical immortality.