Meditating to TOOL.

[darron]

loving that website

[Korpo]

I'm having my first opportunity to listen to 10,000 days tonight. Saving it up for it actually because there's no listening like the first time.

[Korpo]

Hmmm. Some disappointment there. The first two songs, "Vicarious" and "Jambi", did not excite me at all, nor trigger any special responses. "Wings for Marie" part 1 and 2, however, were very good and also gave me some imagery, IIRC.

[Sinera]

Hmmm. Some disappointment there. The first two songs, "Vicarious" and "Jambi", did not excite me at all, nor trigger any special responses. "Wings for Marie" part 1 and 2, however, were very good and also gave me some imagery, IIRC.

Well, one shouldn't judge it all by spiritual or meditative responses one gets. After all it is also "just" high-quality and very special (progressive, alternative) metal music to listen to. So one does not necessarily have to possess a metaphysical streak for Tool's music to enjoy it (IMHO). (Personally I wouldn't meditate with it anyway. I use more monotone binaural sounds for meditation, it doesn't work any other way for me.)

How about this one, Korpo? This always gives me the creeps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pS9J-UM1HY

I love Native American Chants.

[Korpo]

After all it is also "just" high-quality and very special (progressive, alternative) metal music to listen to.

Felt rather like "contrived." I don't need a spiritual response to it - I simply did not enjoy these two songs very much. Trying too hard. After 14 minutes of actually paying my full attention to them, something which I also did for the "Lateralus" album, I'd say these two don't have the same quality.

[Sinera]

Felt rather like "contrived." I don't need a spiritual response to it - I simply did not enjoy these two songs very much. Trying too hard. After 14 minutes of actually paying my full attention to them, something which I also did for the "Lateralus" album, I'd say these two don't have the same quality.

I see, yeah, I agree, Lateralus is also better in my view. As regards Jambi I agree, too, I did not like it too much, either.

What I like is the persistent 5/4 groove of Vicarious though. Also I remember that live they did a great laser show on that (during the instrumental parts). And I like the critical message that is conveyed with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hii17sjSwfA

Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie

Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?

We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
The writers of stories sold
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing

I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance

[Korpo]

I gladly admit that part was definitely better, but it was almost hidden within a 7 minute song that was not a 7 minute song. Will surely listen more tonight, I think I got 7 more tracks.

[darron]

Aww love those 2 songs.

[Korpo]

When I originally bought "Lateralus" (a year ago) and found that I enjoyed it very much, I also considered buying "10,000 Days". I looked up the album and found a review stating that the author of the lyrics wanted to depart from more spiritual lyrics to more personal ones for this album, driven by some personal experiences, IIRC. I read into the lyrics to see how that turned out and found them largely judgemental and not very appealing, so I didn't buy the album.

I now had a chance to listen and had actually forgotten about that past assessment mostly. However, given the nature of some of the songs I was quickly reminded of it. I can only speculate, but many of them sound like a belief system crisis or maybe a "dark night of the soul." They are indeed a departure from former lyrics, and to my opinion the whole album, while certainly having some good points, has been less enjoyable than previous ones.

All Tool albums had good and bad points, but for this one the balance has shifted to be much less in its favor than for the others. Both AEnima and Lateralus were masterworks, and "Third Eye" for example is a thoroughly energy-driven masterpiece that recreates a notion of primal energy in part from noise.

One can only wish that they find the ability to reconnect to what enabled them to come that fear and move beyond this point. It would be interesting to know if the music they made can be further transformed and expanded upon or if "this is it." Some parts of "10,000 Days" give me hope for that.

BTW, Volgerle, "Vicarious" is for me a good example of a song that has certainly enough quality to be listened to but is so judgemental in message that it is grating - like many bits of the album. Like this:

Credulous at best your desire to believe in / Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out your hippie haze and give a listen / Shouldn't have to say it all again
The universe is hostile, so impersonal / Devour to survive... so it is, so it's always been

("Vicarious" by Tool)

That's more lashing out to me than anything. Mind you, I still listen to it, I just find it a severe regression from their other output.

[darron]

Oh, true true. Although poor guy was going though a rough time, ive been there to.