Originally Posted by Archaic

I approached 10,000 Days much the same as every Tool release. Which is to say I "try" to leave my expectations at the door and simply listen to what the band is trying to do musically each time around. 10,000 Days has become for me the equal of Lateralus. I will say the album somehow "felt" right as in a natural progression. And I don't mean progression in terms of better or superior but rather use that description to encapsulate the direction the band seems to have headed down musically. Each album builds on musical themes from earlier albums while maintaining creative integrity and experimentation. When I listen to 10,000 Days and then listen to Opiate it is obvious the band's musical vocabulary has grown in leaps and bounds and most importantly four very talented individuals have somehow found a way to keep the music they create relevant which I know takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice and restraint. What makes Tool compelling is the end product. They seem to have a deeply fundemental understanding of the importance of allowing a piece of music to blossom rather than trying to force it.