|
April 20th, 2006 by Phantasmo 10,000 Days: ultimate prog-metal experience
However, I have to admit that I like Tool a lot, but I don’t love them. I saw them on the Lateralus tour and actually left halfway through the show because, well, I was just bored… or maybe it’s because the screen visuals were sending subliminal messages telling me to kill my wife. I just wasn’t into standing around listening to a 13-minute tribal jam with hardly any vocals. I completely respect them as artists and musicians and have a huge appreciation for their music and ideas, but I think my main problem with Tool is that the songs are sometimes just too damn long. Maybe it’s because they’re maturing as a band and don’t feel the need to cater to modern-rock radio fans of Trapt and Earshot, which is fine with me, but sometimes I’d just like to hear a cut-and-dry 4 minute heavy metal song, not an 11-minute prog-rock opus. Kill the ambient jams and throw me a radio-friendly bone once in a while. I know that I don’t want to be the one to ask them that, though. I can deal with the jams as long as they continue putting out material. Bottom line: 10,000 Days is a solid piece of prog-metal that definitely delivers. When Tool wanna throw a punch, they know how to connect. When they want to lull you into a nightmare-filled sleep, they know how to do that too. The best part is, they do what they want to do, and they do it well, and with conviction. For what it’s worth, I’ve managed to listen to this album 5 times today, so they must be doing something right. Plus, any band that has a song named after that creepy genie from Pee Wee’s Playhouse totally fucking rules. A-/B+ |
