Tool’s appeal has always been about escapism. The seminal four-piece’s alt-metal lurks in the shadows, exploring the darker aspects of society through a calculated mix of complicated rhythms and ambiguous, esoteric lyricism. “There’s a third dimension that we’re trying to evoke by drawing together the imagery and music, a depth the listener can delve into,” says bassist Justin Chancellor. “Each piece is a reaction to what’s come before it. You don’t try to control it or direct it to any certain place, and then hopefully you end up in some place you never even knew existed.” Whereas frontman Maynard James Keenan’s recent solo project, Puscifer, is a complete disaster, and his other band A Perfect Circle’s politically charged covers collection, 2004’s Emotive, was more an afterthought than a record, Tool’s latest, 10,000 Days, is as expressive and progressive as anything in their canon, delving into the notion of duality through tribal rituals and spacious, progressive passages. “This album goes into different places dynamically than past ones,” Chancellor says. “I think [Keenan] was trying to make each song its own separate world, if you like.”
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2007.