10,000 Days is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Tool, released on April 28, 2006, in parts of Europe, and on May 2, 2006, in North America. It was the band's first album since 1993's Undertow to be recorded without producer David Bottrill, with Tool handling production themselves.
Background and Title
The album was recorded between August and December 2005 at O'Henry Sound Studios in Burbank, California, as well as The Loft and Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood. The title "10,000 Days" carries multiple meanings. It refers to the orbital period of Saturn (approximately 10,759 days), and by extension the astrological concept of the Saturn return — a period in a person's late 20s associated with transformation. Additionally, the title refers to the approximate length of time that vocalist Maynard James Keenan's mother, Judith Marie Gridley, was paralyzed before her death.
Music and Style
The album is classified as progressive metal and alternative metal, with a heavier sound than its predecessor Lateralus (2001), influenced in part by avant-garde metal band Fantômas, who toured with Tool prior to the writing process. Guitarist Adam Jones employed techniques including a "pipe bomb mic" (a guitar pickup mounted inside a brass cylinder) and a talk box guitar solo on the song "Jambi." Drummer Danny Carey used electronic Mandala drums to operate sound effects on the interlude tracks.
Packaging and Artwork
The album's packaging features a thick cardboard-bound booklet with a flap holding a pair of stereoscopic (3D) eyeglasses, used to view a series of three-dimensional images inside. The cover art was created by Alex Grey, who described it as "a blazing vision of an infinite grid of Godheads during an ayahuasca journey." Grey also stated that the artwork depicts visions received during a DMT trip.
Track Listing
All tracks written by Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, and Maynard James Keenan.
- "Vicarious" – 7:06
- "Jambi" – 7:28
- "Wings for Marie (Pt 1)" – 6:11
- "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)" – 11:13
- "The Pot" – 6:21
- "Lipan Conjuring" – 1:11
- "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" – 3:46
- "Rosetta Stoned" – 11:11
- "Intension" – 7:21
- "Right in Two" – 8:55
- "Viginti Tres" – 5:02
Total length: 75:45
Singles
Three singles were released from the album: "Vicarious" (April 22, 2006), "The Pot" (July 2006), and "Jambi" (February 12, 2007). All three reached the top ten on rock charts.
Commercial Performance
The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 564,000 copies in its first week. It was Tool's second album to top the chart. In the UK, it debuted at number four, the band's highest chart position in that country. It has been certified double platinum by the RIAA in the United States and double platinum in New Zealand, as well as platinum in Australia and Canada, and gold in several other countries.
Reception
The album received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 68 out of 100. Critics praised the band's musicianship, though some expressed less enthusiasm compared to previous Tool albums. Rolling Stone ranked it the 38th best album of 2006. The album won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Recording Package. "Vicarious" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006, and "The Pot" received the same nomination in 2008.
Legacy
10,000 Days was Tool's final release for over thirteen years; the band's next studio album, Fear Inoculum, was not released until August 30, 2019.
