Leaving cold fluorescence

I fail to see the problem with it sounding like everything Tool has ever done.

And in a nutshell, that captures most of the things that can be said about Tool's new album, 10000 Days. The album is not a major step forward for the band; they do very little that they haven't done before, or at least suggested before. Maynard's lyrics are mixed further into the background than they have been on the previous albums; it's less metal-y than Aenima, but follows easily from Lateralus. The lyrics are the usual mix of references to drugs, conspiracy theories, and society. If you liked Tool already, you'll like 10000 Days. If you didn't, there's nothing new to draw you in.

I've found that each Tool album has one or two songs that capture the mood and intention (from the outside) of most of the album. For Aenima, they were "Hooker with a Penis" and "Aenema;" for Lateralus, it was "Lateralus." For 10000 Days, it's the two part title track "Wings for Marie" and "10000 Days (Wings, pt. 2)." In these two albums, while Maynard gets in a little of his typical sarcasm, the treatment of his mother and his mother's faith is refreshingly honest, and forms a nice counterpoint to "Opiate" and A Perfect Circle's "Judith." For those two tracks alone, I would recommend buying the album. The rest is gravy.

Several years, I speculated that, no matter how much the band protested, Tool was finished. 10000 Days has proved me happily wrong. While it may not blaze new paths, even normal Tool is good enough.