Moving onto the next song “Descending” past the 7 minute mark is a great time for Adam to shine with a few ripping guitar solos throughout the last half of the song. “Invincible” at times recalls some riff patterns similar to that of “Jambi,” while also channeling a bit of ‘Aenima’ era Tool in the song’s pacing and structure. I won’t go into detail about the interludes, but a lot of them don’t really serve as transitional tracks such as an introduction to the next song, more of areas for them to experiment with different sounds and effects, with the exception of “Chocolate Chip Trip” which is a drum solo as if the rest of the record didn’t display enough of Danny Carey’s brilliant drumming. It’s almost like the theme to a long horse ride at sundown. A lot of slow builds, especially in a track like “Pneuma” which gives off a very educated jam like feel for a song that was well thought out. It bears repeating, but if you think you’re getting “Sober” part 2, or you’re going to digest this in one listen, this album is not for you. There’s stuff you won’t catch on the first few passes. A lot of this record is an experiment to see how tuned in you really are. The song slowly builds until a little after the 5 minute mark where the band culminates together in a bit more heavier fashion and goes back to it’s more subtle instrumental swells before closing on a much more triumphant conclusion with the full band as we’ve come to expect. The album starts out with the title track, which has a swelling instrumental intro before Maynard graces us with his first vocals at the 2-minute mark. The album clocks in at almost an hour and 27 minutes and is made up of rather lengthy songs that go 10 to 15 minutes as well as interludes and postludes. The album itself is quite an experience, whether or not you’re able to obtain the special edition CD release with the accompanied rechargeable screen for visual accompaniment, or just the standard digital album. Pack your patience folks, we’re going in. Coupled with the fact a segment of our society has become normalized to expect instant gratification how exactly would a new Tool album be received? After all, what’s displayed here certainly isn’t formulaic pop songs with simple verse/chorus structures and it’s not very idealistic to fit into a random playlist. With the introduction of streaming, the art of albums and experiment-ability seemed a bit diminished. During that 13 years we saw many bands come and go, but the big change came in how most listeners receive music. 10,000 Days was very experimental, building on the foundation laid by Lateralus, it seemed as if it was an album people weren’t ready for. It’s been 13 years since Tool last graced us with a new album and a lot has changed in the world.

Genre: Progressive Rock, Metal, Alternative Metal

Tool 10000 days album art 4k