Tool
10,000 Days
SonyBMG

I've said it before and I'll say it again - for those of us who are rabid fans of this band, it seriously has felt like 10,000 years since Tool released their last masterpiece 'Lateralus'. And I also must say it's been well worth the wait.

Having formed in California 16 years ago, and one EP and three albums later, Tool just keep getting better and better, and dare I say more and more creepy at that. '10,000 Days' - not unlike their previous albums - is not for everyone and you really do have to be in the mood for a record like this, but after hearing the CD I found myself wondering 'how could this not be everyone's favourite band?'

The 77-minute-long album is made up of songs each spanning the seven-minute mark, however, once it's all over you find yourself craving more. Compared to their previous stuff, '10,000 Days' also makes for Tool's most experimental, yet at the same time sensitive and atmospheric, offering to date - see Wings For Marie Pt. 1. On the other hand, there are also many elements of their 1996 triumph that pretty much started it all - 'Aenima' - especially in songs like Jambi and Right In Two, with guitarist Adam Jones' pounding riffs and the freak-out drumming skills of Danny Carey.

Just like all of their albums, '10,000 Days' does require at least a couple of listens before it starts to grow on you, but grow on you it will - I guarantee it. The band never ceases to amaze and challenge, and after hearing this you'll realise exactly why this Californian quartet have sold over 10 million albums and half a million videos in the United States alone. '10,000 Days': Brilliant.

Nina Bertok