Three 65, Day 39
Tool, 10,000 Days

Less an album than a really big EP, 10,000 Days is a tribute to vocalist Maynard James Keenan's mother (among other things), who spent that time confined to a wheelchair due to paralysis. A touching tribute, this album could have been the best in Tool's catalog - it certainly contains some of their best material - but ultimately suffers from too much padding.

Tool have never been ones to shy away from throwing more skits on each album than a rap record has. And they're usually not skits, they're haunting musical interludes filled with buzzing sound effects. Unfortunately, this album depends on them far too much. "Lipan Conjuring," "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)," and "Viginti Tres" are all forgettable tracks in this vein, whereas "Intension" is too quiet to do anybody - let alone a Tool fan - any good.

All of this would be forgivable if Tool released more than an album per decade. Also ultimately forgivable is the choice of first single, "Vicarious," which is a fair-to-middling track as far as Tool fare goes. Sure, it's got the requisite screaming guitar, shuddering bass, polyrhythmic drumming, and drill sergeant vocals - it's got a little bit too much of all of those ingredients, in fact, making it more of a Tool-by-the-numbers song than anything else.

Things get more interesting with the second track, the absolutely crushing "Jambi," and the third and fourth tracks (which go together), "Wings For Marie" and "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)." These last two, while occasionally too subdued for their own good, show a tender, softer side to Tool that most have heretofore only assumed existed.

Also of note is "The Pot," with its double entendres and witty lyrics, and the scream-of-consciousness rant "Rosetta Stoned," which shows that Tool learned a thing or two from having Mike Patton open for them on their previous tour. Unfortunately, the last actual "song" on the album, "Right In Two," while good, does not close the album on a strong note, resulting in a record that peters out. This is a first for Tool, and hopefully the last time we have to contend with such an outcome.