10,000 Days

I'm sure everyone who cared to purchase the album "10,000 days" by tool already has, so my personal opinion as to the album's quality is relatively meaningless.  At the same time, I feel this album is one of the most approachable from a traditionally progressive-rock perspective.  Fans of Rush, King Crimson, and the late 70's prog rock movement would do well to pick this album up, or at least give the tracks a listen at your preferred online vendor/local store. 

I've been a moderate fan of theirs since high school; back when they were angry and generally less appreciated, unless you were a black wearing, suburban, hate the world type, which I of course wasn't...... of course.  It's great to see a band truly progress through the years from something only teenagers care for to something my wife actually doesn't mind listening to. 

I missed a chance to see them in concert but not for lack of trying.  The tickets sold out in about 30 seconds.  Immediately, tickets could be found on ebay and most major ticket-trading sites, beginning at 300 dollars and topping out at around $1300.  I instantly realized I wouldn't be going.  Had I been more dedicated, I could have gone with a friend to the show, ticketless, and hoped the scalping Gods would smile down on me.  I didn't.  He did.  I realized I had made the wrong decision when at 9:30, on the night of the concert (May 8th), I received a call.

LOUDNOISE "DUDECANYOUHEARME?!?!?" PEOPLESCREAMING  DISTORTEDBASSLINESTARTSPLAYING "THISISTOOL!!!"  MOREMUSIC "IGOTINTOTHECONCERT" DISTORTEDBASSLINE *click*

I sort of hated him at this point.

It turns out he made it into the show.  On Wednesday he tells me he was in row ten, center aisle, and had purchased the ticket for 165 bucks, from a scalper. 

I hated him a little more.

I missed seeing tool in a 2000 seat auditorium, and my only solace is they'll probably come around again in the fall for an arena tour.  Before Lateralus, I never would have considered going to a tool show, but their last two albums have really won me over.  10,000 days has varied the dynamics within each song even more.  Most songs last 9-11 minutes and generally start off slow with a building guitar and bassline, and build throughout until a cacophonic climax of syncopated drumming and sound.  Only the two part ballad to the lead singer's late mother, seems to have a consistent traditional rock time signature.  The rest combard the listener with an ever varying rhythym without losing the strong melodies or themes.  I was a moderate fan ten years ago, but now I'm a frothing fanboy.

10,000 Days is an amazing album.