I have been a fan, or more correctly, an enthusiast, of TOOL for many years. I first discovered, or more aptly, was turned onto them, by a friend at work in 1991. He kept playing Opiate at work and the rest is history.

Well, a little of my history is necessary for you to understand where I am coming from, taste and influence wise.

I grew up in a heavy metal environment. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Rush, Yes, Deep Purple et al were the bands I cut my teeth on. From there it developed into a love of Metallica (early), Iron Maiden, Voivod, then Faith No More, and Soundgarden. Which brings me to TOOL.

At the time I first heard Tool, I was really into Soundgarden, Nirvana, as well as a lot of punk bands from the early eighties, like Subhumanz, and GBH.

What struck me about Tool was the genre-less aspect of what they were doing. It seemed to encompass everything I loved about hard rock, but they also were lacking in everything that I hated about hard rock. I fell in love at first sight. (Lollapalooza 1993.)

They had a serious edge and a fuck you attitude, but they actually sounded fucking amazing. The heavy, ponderous, riffs. The anti-rockstar ethic, the nihilism and angry, cynical lyrics. No posing. No bullshit. And the music was just really cool.

Fast forward to Aenima. That record seemed to be the soundtrack of my life for about 2 years. It seemed that they were evolving with my evolution. The synchroncity was kind of eerie. What an amazing record. The heaviness. The lyrics. The artwork. The attitude was still there, if not more intense.

Then Lateralus. After such a long wait, and being exposed to APC, it was the same TOOL, but a little different. Less attitude, more introspection. Which was completely what I, and probably them, needed. What a great sounding record. Maynard had really come into his own as a vocalist. A little less of the 20 something angst and cynicism, but I was turning 30 and was over that shit.

Overall....the progression from album to album seemed so effortless and made sense.

Which brings us to 10,000 days.

This album sounds amazing. I think they finally came close to capturing what they sound like live. The sounds, the mix, really give you what they actually sound like live. Maynards vocals were always hard to discern live, until he really let loose. Same with this record. Danny's drumms sound much more organic. Laterlaus' drum sound kind of bugged me. It didn't seem natural for some reason. And Justin's tone and playing are just soooo much more natural and bottom-heavy this time around.

So. What's wrong with the record?

Well. As good as it sounds, and the songs are really amazing, it just seems that the attitude, and rawness, of Undertow, the cynicism and worldview, and humour of Aenima, and the beautiful vocals of Lateralus are somehow missing.

Ordinarily, I would give 10,000 days a rating of 8.5 /9 out of ten.

But something is lacking in this record. I'm not sure if it's the early anger, or worldview of Undertow, or the humour of Aenima, but I find that this record doesn't have the same edge as previous releases.

Yes. Edge. Hard word to describe. But there you have it. Tool just don't have that "edge" anymore, I believe..

Please. I really like and enjoy the new record. It breaks many boundaries and shifts a few paradigms, but it's still missing that edge. The undescribable. The thing that made me fall in love with them.

Perhaps it's a function of age. They will not be 28 for ever, and that's fine. I guess it happens to all bands, no matter how great. You get old, you get rich, and you lose that cynicism of youth. That certainty of youth. that arrogance of youth. It can't be bottled and saved for later.

Hopefully, Tool won't wind up being irrelavant anytime soon, but I can see it coming.

Anyways. This album is definately 9/10....but that last ingredient is missing. Their youthful edge.

Perhaps I just think that rock n' roll is a young man's game. Nothing wrong with people in their 40's playing and recording hard rock, but I am not sure if 10, 000 days has the same relevance that Undertow and Aenima has. Sad, but true.

great review & post. personally i disagree, as i still think they've got whatever it is you think they're missing. i do agree that this album is much less relevant than previous albums though, which is unfortunate.

You could be right. I am 37 years old, and don't now or pretend to know what a 20-something thinks of Tool's relevance to the current zeitgeist.

It's not a negative review. I love the new record. I just don't feel that "special" ingredient that drew me to their music 15 + years ago.

I don't know if that's bad, or even important. But hopefully this inspire discussion as to what's relevant for music nowadays.

I feel that special ingredient is not only there, but tastes better, like aging wine.

I can't even begin to imagine what a kid today thinks when he listens to XKDs... if there are kids still becoming tool fans, that would disprove your theory, right? I think nowadays, what's relevant to music is making it. "underground music" is coming out of the underground (thanks to the internet and all...) and no specific genre rules the market, like grunge did in the early 90's... everybody listens to whatever the fuck they want, and it's becoming more accepted, or so I feel. Minds are being opened, and music nowadays sortof reflects that.

for now...

I remember reading an interview with Maynard, where he discusses whether Tool are relevant anymore with young people. He seems to understand that it's hard for a 40-something guy to relate to someone who is 16. I wonder what the the breakdown of Tool's audience is. Demographic-wise, I mean. Is it mostly 30-something's who got into them in their early days, or do they have a large audience made up of folks in their teens and 20's?

Not that it matters, really. But if some kid feels like Tool rocks his socks and provides that avenue to a different world, than that would be great. I would be interested to hear younger folks ideas about Tool's "edge".

Great review man. Was a soph in highschool when I 1st heard Opiate and haven't turned back since. I as well will have to disagree, with the above statement. This album by far their most musically complex and I don't see how it's possible to say the edge is missing. Rosetta is f'n insane and is continueing to move its way up to my favorite of all time. Danny has made this album what it is. I'm not sure what edge you think it's lacking, but it's there for me.

It's weird. I was listening to Undertow, and Aenima today. It just felt different.
Not bad different. Just different. After some thought and listening to all the albums , I felt like I had to give my 2 cents. I love the record, but perhaps I am projecting my own age onto the new record. C'est possible.

But you know what I mean about "edge".

That kind of scary, WTF are these a guys about, feeling. Maybe I have been a fan for too long and have grown apathetic, and familar. I just don't feel that thing where you know Tool's record is going to piss off and/or confuse your parents and schoolmates.

Hmmm. That sounds horrible and immature. Lol.

But I'm curious if teenagers think that Tool has that thing that makes you feel like they are speaking only to you, and only to you.

i noticed the edge being gone as well. maynard doesnt, for lack of a better word, kick ass like he used to. they still have their ambient and ethereal feel, in fact that is their main improvement, but it lacks the rocking part.

rosetta stoned is very heavy, but i dont feel the power maynard used to have, likewith pushit, third eye, and others. one can look at this track analytically and say it is heavy, but then again, lamb of god is heavy as well. this song also has a lot of forced attempts to be original (the goofy ass harmonies that dont compliment each other for shit, the crazy rambling at the beginning). tool just tried to do something new but also remain heavy, and it came out with poor results

wings, however, is their masterpiece. it has a different feel than all of prior tool, with the exception of refelection. the thunderstorm effect hits it perfectly. the melody is simple yet compliments the accompanyments. the percussion is based off of a quarter notes beat, yet maintains a powerful rythm. i could have only counted on tool to pull this off. HOWEVER, maynard's ending belting is good, i love it, but it still lacks the edge he used to have. he may be too old to have his edge... i hope not.


to conclude my report, tool has improved with ambience, but have less rockin. i hope you enjoyed my report

i noticed the edge being gone as well. maynard doesnt, for lack of a better word, kick ass like he used to. they still have their ambient and ethereal feel, in fact that is their main improvement, but it lacks the rocking part.



That's kind of what I was talking about, and I agree. But I'm not sure if it's just me and my my sorry old ass, or whether they lack that something that made them what they were. You know the old story. Band gets older and loses touch with what made them what they were.

Haha! ok damn, I know exactly what you're talking about now. But I think that has everything to do with the internet explosion in the last 10 - 15 years. You can now see pictures, DL live concerts, and get as much info as possible from any Tool site. That "wtf are these guys about" is NOT there with the teens these days. Hell, I don't think I ever saw a picture of the band till i saw a show on the Ænima tour. Kinda sux for them (teens) not getting to grow/evolve with this music huh?

I have to say that the edge for Maynard is DEFINATELY there 6:34 into Vicarious. Gives me goose bumps everytime i hear it.

After some thought and reading your post, I have concluded that the"edge" I was talking about is actually their mystique. You're right. They are now much more familiar to their audience.

When I first got into them, I knew nothing about them except for their album covers and the odd "Lachrymology" interview. I think I know too much about them than I need to.

If I knew absolutely nothing about the band and picked the new record, I imagine there would be a certain "edge" and mystique.

Fucking internets. Lol.

Exactly. They were the 1st group I ever seriously listened to that did not plaster their lyrics on the album, but instead had KILLER art. They did not plaster pics of themselves on their albums, but a guy sucking himself off. They DID "paper, scissors, ROCK" my f'n brains out ... to quote MJK from Coachella this year I beleive. :)

When I first listened to this album, I liked it a lot. Then, it grew familiar and I put it away, but something kept drawing me back. Now, I absoultely love it. Everything clicked entirley into their proper places. I don't find Intension boring, I find it beautiful. Rosetta Stoned used to be a jumbed mess of odd time signature riffs, but now, it has a distrinct direction. Vicarious used to bore the pant off me, and I'd look back and hear old parts of old songs. Now it stands on its own and everything makes sense.

It happened to Neurosis, and it happened to Tool. Bands find more beauty in making more subtle and atmospheric music, and perosnally, I love it.

Excellent insight into the mind of someone who's been with Tool since pretty much the beginning.

Personally, I only became a fan right after Lateralus came out. I had heard small pieces of Undertow before Schism hit the radio, and I just didn't like it. I also hated Schism passionately. It was just too "out there" for me, I guess, as I was a "Korn Kid" at the time.
Now let me give you an idea about where I'm coming from. I was 9 years old when Undertow came out, and I had no concept of what Tool even was at that point. I was in 6th grade when Aenima emerged and still had no grasp of what Tool was. At that point in my life, even if I had heard it, it wouldn't have affected me. I was only 12.

About a year after Lateralus began opening people's minds, I reached a point in my life where I wanted to delve a bit deeper into a more progressive style of heavy music, and decided to give Tool a fair try. I knew the singles, but nothing more. So I bounced along on the internet to find videos, lyrics, and mythologies involving Tool.
Once I read the lyrics to Hooker With a Penis, I knew I had to buy Aenima. Being the pissed of 16 year old I was, I thought they lyrics were hysterical and powerful at the same time.
Those lyrics did not prepare me for what was to come. Aenima was like a forced abortion to my head, but was at the same time soothing somehow. I listened to the whole record front to back when I bought it, and was instantly hooked.
Four years later I have bought each Tool cd and have seen them live once. No band has taught me more and opened my mind as much as Tool.

So, after all that, from the standpoint of a relatively young and new Tool fan, I feel that 10000 Days is a perfect next step for the men of Tool. To me, 10000 Days is the culmination of each of their albums, containing elements of each album (the outright anger of Undertow, humor/progress of Aenima, and spirituality of Lateralus), as has been stated on these boards previously by other members. I think that if someone who'd never heard Tool listened to the title track of each cd in the order which they were released, they would hear the life of the band as they age... Maynard's lyrics would reveal a young man who started off angry, scared, and possibly violent, whose path led him to his own enlightenment. For example, compare Opiate to 10000 Days (the songs, not the albums themselves) and you realize that Maynard has made peace with the Christianity that set him on edge so many years ago. Aenema is a daydream about a catastrophic event destroying the city that harbors the ills of society Maynard loathes most (well, sort of) and Lateralus is about his faith in us as a species, spiraling into our divinity. At the same time, you can tell that he is the same man who compared the desensitization of our society through media outlets to a full-fisted ass reaming!
This band is as full of contradictions as each one of us is, angry one moment, joking the next, and then without warning teaching us about opening our collective Third Eye, and where we could go from there.

I think that 10000 Days is a beautiful cd. It showcases the downright virtuosity of each of the members and is an amazing insight to where the members are in their lives at this point. I couldn't have hoped for anything more.

Perhaps you are right. I might have been feeling nostalgic for the old Tool that was all about aggression, and being shocking, or being edgy.

I DO love this record and the subtlies and things I can glean from repeating listenings.

Fuck it. Nevermind then. Lol.

Is it wrong to miss that crazy, edgy, weird ass Tool you fell in love with?

They're still there man. Now get off the net, and pretend it was '92. :)

OK. Lol.

Now playing: Rosetta Stoned.

BTW: Thanks for your reply Zachary, it's cool to hear other people's experiences with how they came into contact with Tool's music. I'm not one of those OGT assholes. If you got into them yesterday, that's just as relevant as someone who got into them 15 years ago. Perhaps it's more relevant for you than me.

Thanks guys for your replies. It's interesting to read your opinions on MY opinions.

It actually helps me. Perhaps my review was misguided by nostalgia. I will endeavour to listemn to the new record with a fresh approach. And not waiting for anal-sex and murder references. Lol.

Thanks guys, very good ideas.

But what about Tool's relevance in today's music scene? Any thoughts?

I'd like to hear this as well. I'm always way too involved in my own music scene to see how Tool is doing over all. How does it look?

I think they are the standard in rock music these days. It's kinda strange how large their fanbase has become, considering they are still fairly underground (very little radio play and publicity compared to all the other bands out there) and their songs are not just little singles to have on in the background. Just look at sales. There hasn't been a rock act this year (or in recent years that I'm aware of) sell close to 550k copies in their first week. I don't even know if a single band has broken 400k in their initial week's sales this year.


As the band members have said in interviews and it's true; they are one of the very few bands that survived the 90s. They have sorta continued what Metallica built in the 90s. I'm not sure I see any bands coming around recently that will carry on after Tool has finished.

Tool always seemed to have a twisted sexual undertone to their music that seems to be missing from this album. They would have transvestites come onstage and strip, Maynard would toy with ideas of masculinity and femininity, and the visuals would reflect that. Aenima and Undertow both seemed to be grappling with sexually charged themes of power, control, abuse, and perversion...Lateralus changed gears to a spiritual track, devoid of the exploration of the perverse...To me they gained something, but lost something else. I really like this album, but Aenema and Undertow got under my skin in a way that the last two albums haven't. But honestly I wouldn't want them to keep making the same album over and over again...I enjoy all of it on its own merits and Wings/10,000 Days is an astonishing piece of music.

When God closes one door, another opens...ya know, that whole thing.

10,000 Days, it's an aquired taste. I am 17 right now, and the album is hitting hard for me, like Lateralus did last winter (yeah I'm a latecomer). In a few years I'll be able to decide which Tool record is the best (for me, at least), but right now, I'm happy perceiving them as seperate entities of one energy, and any Tool fan will feel that energy, that 'edge', on 10,000 Days if he/she is willing to dig it up.

i think this is ineviditable. look at the first matrix flick. no matter what the sequels could bring, some people will miss that initial mystery. look at pink floyd. some say they lost it after syd left.. many say it was gone when roger left, etc.. its different for everyone.

i see an edge to 10kd. its not about mystery, esotericism, or saying something offensive. its more about aggression and confrontation. this album is absoutely in your face, in every aspect. i laughed when you said it didn't rock.. i think the pot is one of the most intense tool tracks yet. tho this rule doesn't apply to the last 3 tracks. but hey, opinions are like assholes.

I couldn't agree more. What first turned me onto tool back in high school was the fact that they sung about assfistings (and made it ROCK) and also that they made every possible effort to keep themselves and their faces out of the spotlight.

Kinda made you just focus on the music. The music speaks for itself, so you're listening and its like, "Hey who the fuck are these crazy asses writing this crazy music?"

A kid growing up now, hearing Vicarious on the radio, then looking up tool can instantly see every single tool promo photo shoot, before even listening to a full album.

That mystique IS gone, but its not their fault. They still strive to keep it, as evidenced by the new album's covering.

But for all of us who have experienced the "mystique" or "edge" I have to say it is still there.
There is a definite thing missing in this new album, even after listening to it many times, and thinking its an amazing album, there is something missing.

But I came to the conclusion that the "missing peice" I feel is just that part of my brain expecting another Patient, or another Forty six and Two. THEN, when I realize this, and hear the regurgitated riffs, it kinda fills that superficial void within me.

I have no problem with the rehashed riffs btw, I think they did a good job of masking and morphing them to fit a new bad ass song set. Almost like a tongue-in-cheek kinda thing to please their fans that completely expected another Stinkfist, Aenima, etc.

What a good thread - everyone lisyening and no abuse LOL.

I teach teenagers (I laugh all day) and they LOVE Tool. It is certainly not mainstream in the sense that not every student has them on their iPod (yes - I check!) but those that do listen to Tool have complete albums on their iPods and are fanatical. They regularly share their music with others and are almost evangelical (sorry - bad choice of word!) about getting more kids to listen to Tool. I OFTEN overhear conversations about 10,000 days. I know lots of teenagers were literally counting down the days when the album was coming out. There was a definite sense of urgency.

In fact there was so much talk about it amongst my students that I bought it and THAT is when I started listening to Tool - just a few months ago. I lent my album to a 16 yr old and he was SO grateful (because he couldn't afford to buy it). We still talk about it all the time. He is a drummer in a band and their new song is heavily influenced by "Right in Two".

10,000 days was the first Tool album I ever heard and I think it is absolutely brilliant - heavy but melodic, lyrical, penetrating percussion, sensual, insightful, different. Jambi is absolutely amazing. Right in Two is awesome.

Having said that, I prefer Lateralus. Not because it is better but it is such a seminal piece of work and just ridiculously good. History will probably judge it as one of the best albums ever. But we HAVE Lateralus so why do it again? The band has evolved and grown as we would all want them too.

If I could possibly be bold (or arrogant) enough to speak on behalf of young people in Australia, let me tell you, they LOVE Tool and think 10,000 days is awesome.

HelenA, I love you. It's very comforting to hear about someone who spreads how _amazing_ Tool is to the people around them, esp. youngsters; when I was growing up and listening to Tool,it was considered "musical and lyrical bullshit" by the people around me.

As far as choices between Lateralus and 10kD are coming, I'm torn between the two.
I listen to Lateralus (+Third Eye) whenever I get the chance, but a lot of time I'm drawn to listen to Wings for Marie 1/2 and LK/RS. It all depends on my mood, really.

Aaawww, I love you too

It would be interesting to know which bands are considered really radical now. I mean, what are young people listening to that others are dismissing as 'musical bullshit'.

Does anyone know?

Here is the question in a simpler (non-rambling) form. What are radical teenagers listening to?

(If it wasn't school holidays I could ask them myself.)

I've heard of ''hardcore" and "emo" kids, and from picking up snatches of conversation they listen to a lot of "muffled screaming bands" or "metalcore." I can't name any specific bands though.

Here you/we go:

These are a sample of what 'my' kids are listening to. I stole this from their myspaces, where you can play a song for people who are looking at your myspace, so I have included that as well.

Dan (plays bass): Frenzal Rhomb, You am I, The Darkness, The Doors, Tool, .jinn, Solver, Sleight of Hand, System of a Down, My Chemical Romance, The Vines, Australian Crawl, Avalon Drive, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Nirvana (Playing Last Minute – Vile)

Paragon (High School Band): Incubus, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Dream Theater, Metallica, RATM....and Rod Stewart (playing their own song "Your Enemy - which is fucking brilliant BTW)

Mitchell (plays guitar): after the fall, blink 182, all american rejects, wyclef, sublime, bob marley, system of a down, wolfmother, story of the year, dmx, box car racer, black eyed peas, foo fighters

Nick (plays guitar): Bloc Party, Talking Back Sunday, Death Cab for a Cutie, Gyroscope, Kings O Leon (Playing The Game – End of Fashion)

Claire: Foo Fighters, Cold Play, Metallica, Incubus, Savage Garden Jack Johnson (Playing We want more – The Living End)

Krystal: Michael Jackson, After the Fall, Anberlin, The Audition, Mariah Carey (Playing You’ve made us – The Audition)

Tyler: Tool, A Perfect Circle, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Go with the Flow – QOTSA, (Playing Crystal Meffin’ – McDevvo and Shady Piez)

I fully agree with the review Gargantua.

I'm coming from a younger, and much different perspewctive as well. I'm only 23, but I thought the exact same thing about this album. The sound is fantastic. The guys sound as creative and talented as ever. The songs are a great listen, but there's just something missing that Lateralus and Aenima both had.

The lyrics suck...the other albums had great lyrics! Thats whats fucking missing!

Sort of like Eddie Murphy doing movies like delerious/beverlly Hills Coop in the early years, now.... Daddy Day Care.

Still funny, no attitude!

"Edge"...hard thing to define. I'm also a long time fan, and actually, I thought Maynard's lyrics on 10,000 days revisited alot of the earlier cynicism of Undertow and Aenima. Vicarious, The Pot, Intension and Right in Two especially hold those cynical views about the world. One of the reasons I love this album is because it's so damn heavy. Justin and Danny just rip this thing (although I think they could of brought out Danny more in some of the tracks). Adam evolved into an altogether individualistic guitar player (also his best work BY FAR).

Funny...I was thinking this album was full of "edge" . To each his own...eye of the beholder.

Paragon is the man... (or woman! gotta be pol correct these days... ;) )

Very nicely written original post.

I disagree about the "edge" though. Edge is too subjective a thing. I think this album is FULL of edge. Lateralus seriously lacked edge, in my opinion.

The only thing 10,000 Days, and Tool as a band, for that matter, lack is that they are no longer new. They are what they are, and no amount of tweaking or self-reinventing they do is going to change the fact that they have already been around for a while. This directly affects the relevance factor they have. Tool is Tool.

It is next to impossible for them to be truly groundbreaking again. To do so, they would have to change so much about their sound that they would not even be the same band anymore. And that would be a sad thing. I'd rather have 5 more albums similar in sound to everything they're produced so far than have them change so much just to become relevant again.

Do you mean you approve!? They are an awesome band in their own right, actually. They will be a force to be reckoned with when they get older. They are fabulous now and they are all only 16. And really really nice people too. All boys - the drummer is extremely talented. I think their reference to Rod Stewart was a red herring so if your approval was based on that then you may be disappointed!

You said this album lacks an edge, but still gave it 9/10, and the first person disagrees with you. That's abit silly.

Spook mentioned that Tool still have their edge because the music is 'much' more complex than ever. In my opinion, the songs are much more combersome (which is a criticism people who weren't Tool fans had of Lateralus) and while their are FLASHES of greater complexity, it's not all together more complex. Rosetta Stoned has that riff a 7mins that everyone talks about, but it's only for 1 minute.

I'm not sure where I fit in with your ideas about youth Gargantuan. I'm 21. Not a teenager, but I assume young enough to fit into that demographic within your ideas? I was introduced to Tool a few months after the release of Lateralus. I loved it, then I heard Aenima and thought it was fantastic, I became a bigger fan of Tool than the person who introduced me to them. I think Opiate is fantastic, and I probably prefer that to Undertow. The sound of Undertow feels really dated and steeped in post grunge muddiness that just doesn't do much for me. A few classic songs, of course.

So I'm not a late-30-something, but I'm also abit older than the current 'youth'. Also, I'm not your average music listener. Like alot of the people on this forum, I am a musician (not in that pretentious way, it's just easier to use the word musician than say I am a player of instruments). I appreciate Tool for their use and skill at their instruments, their ability to craft and their ability to shed the ego for the benefit of the music.

And I think, therein, lies the problem for me.

While Lateralus felt like a breath of fresh air, and you really felt an appreciation for having 5 years out and freshening their approach, I feel it's had the opposite effect here. They sound like 4 individuals moreso on 10,000 Days than in any other album. Of course, someone will quote that out of context and say 'Well what about Rosetta Stoned?' And, as I say, there are moments of brilliance on this album. But it's not an album of brilliance like Lateralus is. The magic you describe is, for me, that feeling that Lateralus is ONe SINGULAR sonic experience produced by 4 musicians but having an existence over and above each individual. I feel this isn't there on 10,000 Days. They are still a great band, they are still great individual musicians, but they never fully gel to form 'Tool', only flashes of 'Tool' shine through during passages of standard (for Tool) musical work.

Maybe Lateralus was bad for them. They obviously realised the shadow and deliberately put the album there with the shades of riffs (people don't like the term recycled, so I use shades of riff, I don't want to debate this any more, I'm very pleased people can't hear them, because they have taken away an air of originality about Tool for me). After 5 years, the guys can play, but the songs are generally combersome and plodding, there's no thread of genius, just a few flashes of class.

The idea of brilliance is largely subjective. I agree that Lateralus has that extra, almost spiritual quality that would be hard to match. That being said, I wasn't looking for Lateralus II. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this album still is better than damn near anything I've heard in the past, well, 5 years.

You could apply the "combersome and plodding" argument on many of TOOL's previous tracks. Third Eye, Reflection to name a couple. 10,000 days plods along to a certain extent, but outside of that, this album seems more concise than it's being portrayed.

Lateralus will always be my favorite album, and everything Jimmeny states about it is true. I don't personally see many of the criticisms of 10,000 days. Maybe the album is a victim of lateralus' greatness.