Tool's "10,000 Days" has been out for just short of a month now...shame on me for just now getting a topic started on it.
It took me a while to really get into it. I bought it the day it came out and listened to it that day, but didn't listen to it again for another week. At first, while I liked it, all I could think was "It's good, but not as good as Lateralus." Hard to top that CD though. Now that I've listened to it more and given it a chance to sink in, I can't get it out of my CD player. I actually think they might have toped their effort of Lateralus, which I thought would be impossible.
Wings For Marie/10,000 Days and Blame Hoffman/Rosetta Stoned are ******* mind blowing, particularly Rosetta Stoned. Some of the timings and changes in that song took me a few listens to figure out, and I'm usually damn good out figuring out odd times.
Very little 4/4 on the entire album, a lot more polymeters than they've used in the past (how about Danny Carey playing in 3/4 and 5/8 at the same time...bloody freakin' hell), but they continue to use odd times without making some of it incomprehensible. What I really like about the CD is that it doesn't rely on being heavy as much to relay its more powerful moments, the way Lateralus did and Aenima to a greater degree. The gradual build-up in "10,000 Days" through the first half of the song is a good example, as is the end of "Right In Two". And I think Justin Chancellor really established himself with the various melodic basslines in some of the tunes. About the only song I don't really get into is "The Pot". Decent riffs, but I'm not a big fan of the way Maynard uses his voice through some of it.
So what do you all think of it?
John
