I've had "10,000 Days" since it was released. Six months or so have passed since I first picked it up, however it's only been over the past month or so,  that I've really spent any time with it. I think it only fair that I review it now.

As you can probably guess, "10,000 Days" is not an album easy to digest, it takes more than a single listen to take hold of you. There are two or three songs that instantly jump from the speakers an snap kick you to the face (single "Vicarious" and "The Pot" being two of them), but by and large this album will only be appreciated after several listens.

As a whole "10,000 Days" runs at around 80 minutes, and is listed as having 11 tracks. With that being said, a couple of those 11 tracks are studio experiments, or soundscapes such as "Vigniti Tres", so the cynical listener could argue that there is quite a bit of filler in there. A couple of the tracks run at over 10 minutes, prompting some to suggest self indulgence... but then, if you suggested that you wouldn't really be a Tool fan then would you?

Tool aren't the most prolific band going around, with there albums spaced roughly five years apart, but what they do they do well. The odd time signatures, metallic riffs, melodic bass lines, primal vocals. They definitely have a signature sound, and that's on show here, but makes you wonder, if they were pumping out albums every 18 months, would people still be listening? Does their sporadic nature add to their aura?

How does this album stack up against previous Tool efforts? Well, the high points on "10,000 Days" sit comfortable next to the best tracks from "Ænima" or "Lateralus". Unfortunately, as mentioned above, there is quite a lot of filler in relation to traditional tracks. This is arguably why "10,000 Days" will not be regarded quite as highly as it's two predecessors. Still, "10,000 Days" stands out like a beacon on the 2006 music landscape. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until 2011 for a followup!