It’s hard to imagine that it’s been seventeen years since Tool’s magnum opus record ‘10,000 Days’ hit the shelves. It’s album that’s out of it’s time. Being released during a rap and hip hop dominant musical environment. One that’s even more prominent today. But despite all the trends, ‘10,000 Days’ went number one. And would go on to become Tool’s signature album.
The album opens with ‘Vicarious.’ A band defining track that’s pretty much the standard of what Tool represents. Time changes, heavy riffage, introspective lyrics and a the obligatory bad ass breakdown. Those elements remain present in the even stronger ‘Jambi.’ Which contains one of the great heavy metal breakdowns of all time. ‘Wings for Marie, Pt. 1’ brings in the amniotic vibes that Tool are known for. It’s hit or miss. And at times, the band relies on tracks like this too much. The second part, ‘10,000 Days’ takes is just a bit indulgent on getting to the climax. But hey, it’s what Tool are known for. And they’ve certainly built a massive fan base doing it.
The massive hit single, ‘The Pot,’ is next. It remains one of the final heavy groove rock hits. And man is it catchy as all hell. Big phat rhythm. Also, live? It’s a complete monster. ‘Lipan Conjuring’ moves into ‘Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann).’ Yet another spacey song that lacks direction. But things pick up with ‘Rosetta Stoned.’ An eleven minute opus of stoner progressive hard rock. The final three tracks: ‘Intension,’ ‘Right In Two’ and ‘Viginti Trees’ are all a part of the Tool, lacking direction, amniotic songs. It makes it hard to decipher how great Tool really is.
They have some great moments. And some not so great moments. Which begs the question: ‘Are they as good as their reputive track record?’ There certainly are moments that answer yes. And they’re not exactly few and far between. But there’s so many filler parts to what they do at times. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad. And on ‘10,000’ days, it’s certainly iconic.
