by Todd Bluth

Created on: December 21, 2006   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Little-known fact: The city of Indianapolis actually derives its name from an ancient Greek word meaning "no music stores."
At least, that's what I was telling myself as I pulled into my third mall in the past hour. I had been in the Circle City less than a day-lost, confused, and desperate to get my hands on Tool's latest release, 10,000 Days. I became hooked on Tool about a year after "Lateralus" hit shelves in 2002, and vowed that I would show my newfound devotion by buying their latest album the day it came out. Now, three years later, I would simply not be denied. An hour looking at online maps, followed by another two hours traipsing through downtown and its outlying suburbs, however, had produced a whole lot of nothing. I was waxing hopeless.

My savior ultimately came in the form of a little old lady behind a pharmacy counter who pointed me to the only Barnes & Noble bookstore in the city. Not expecting to find such an album there, I climbed the stairs to the store's second floor only to find the store's last copy waiting for me. Relieved, I quickly paid the cashier and anxiously ran back to my car. Sitting in the parking garage, my only thought was, this had better be worth the trouble.
Twelve hours later I came in the door to my apartment, singing the opening line to "The Pot" for probably the thirtieth time. My sense of rhythm was still trying to comprehend "Jambi" while I contemplated the significance of "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)" in relation to my own thoughts of an afterlife.
Worth it, I thought. Totally worth it.
Progressive rock purists will condemn Tool's latest release for a perceived lack of, well, progress; however, the majority of the band's cult following will find plenty to appreciate in their latest installment. Danny Carey again makes his case as the best drummer in rock, while bassist Justin Chancellor continues to utilize creative timing and off-beats that will make even the most creative composers nod approval.
Harsher critics do have a legitimate complaint, though. In a genre characterized by expressing emotions and attitudes through increasingly complex or inventive mediums, Tool fans will find many themes that seem to be recycled versions of earlier albums. "Vicarious," the album's first track, is an obvious discussion of desensitization reminiscent of the seminal "Stinkfist" from the 1995 album Aenima, for example. "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)" deal once again with singer Maynard James Keenan's mother,

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