BLOG #2: Music BIG in 2014 PART 1: TOOL

PART 1

2014 could prove to be a good year in music from my point of view as many of the bands and artists I listen to will or could have new music out if reports/rumors are to be believed.

As part of an ongoing blog, I will list some of the Artists that I have an interest in, the ones who will or could have something to show in 2014.

TOOL

TOOL are rumored to finally get a new album out this year (10,000 Day's, the last one was released in 2006).

I don't know if a new TOOL album can live up to the expectations that I have.

My expectations are based on a few things.

*Length of time they've had.

They've had a long time to come up with something although I appreciate they have had other things happening (other projects, accidents...living life). I have thought about this (the length of time they've had) for a while and came up with this...

*If TOOL had went into the studio once a year and worked on just 1 song, they'd have had the same amount of songs that featured on their last release if you deduct the instrumental/noise tracks/filler.

If you count the 'main' tracks which in my opinion are tracks: 1.2.3.4.5.8.10 (the proper songs from 10,000 Days), the band could have worked on the same number of tracks (7) in each of the years since 10,000 Day's was released without having to spend a large amount of any given time in the studio trying to get it all down, something the band doesn't seem keen on. Not the only band to feel that way.

It's been a very long time and they probably didn't start writing material until the last couple of years, if that long. I often think how well crafted their new material would be if they had chosen to do just 1 song a year and save it before adding vocals and the final touches.

If you go with the 1 track a year idea, all you do is take that number of songs (the 7 'proper' songs from 10,000 Day's) and they could have recorded something in this timescale:

TRACK 1 in 2007,

TRACK 2 in 2008,

TRACK 3 in 2009,

TRACK 4 in 2010,

TRACK 5 in 2011,

TRACK 8 in 2012

& TRACK 10 in 2013.

*Of course this is just an idea. I know they would have needed time and space "to re-group and see the picture clearly" but this could have proved to be a way of focusing on the music in smaller periods of time and achieving the ultimate goal which I guess is to make the best statement, a lasting statement for the band and possibly a final effort (see my second point).

I think that they are probably wanting to make a bigger statement than the last album, I don't see something as technical or as difficult to piece as 'La-ter-al-us', maybe something between that and 10,000 Days. That leads me to my next reason which is also why I think they have been taking so long.

*The fact that this could be the last album.

*With each passing year, like everything and everyone, we all get older. The band are getting older and this is a young man's game (look at the Rolling Stones as an example!).

If they release an album this year and take the same length of time to make another then these guy's will be in their mid-50's. That makes me think that whatever comes out this year will probably be the last batch of new songs.

As good a singer as Maynard James Keenan is, I don't know if he can continue this style of music into his mid-50's, he might be able to do that with Puscifer but not TOOL. Some people have commented that TOOL shows of the previous few years haven't been his best and have singled out Keenan's delivery as not being at the standard expected although the band as a unit have performed really well for a group hitting middle age. I don't know if it's his age catching up with him or the simple fact that he doesn't get into it like he did 10-15 years ago. It could be a bit of both. I still think he can do something great and has proven that he is still a great singer if his recent outings with his band Puscifer are anything to go by, which they are.

PART 1 CONCLUSION

Whatever they release I will hopefully be there to hear it and experience it. I firmly believe this is going to be the last one although I don't expect an announcement by the band that this is going to be the case. It should be interesting to see what they do and I could not think of another release that I am anticipating more.

PART 2 to come soon: MASTODON

If I thought Aenima was mostly just too much noise, should I avoid trying anymore Tool altogether? Parts of that album had me interested, but large parts of it felt like pointless noise. It's not, I know, but I just didn't care for it too much.

I've never listened to Mastodon, though, and that song you've posted is pretty good.

@believer258:

With TOOL you do get filler or noise tracks which when listened to as a whole fit well into the album but I don't consider a baby crying a song as such on it's own. LOL. Their most complete and filler free album is Lateralus which you can listen to on YouTube if you search for it.

They are possibly my favorite band beside The Smashing Pumpkins and I would recommend them and each album to anyone although it takes some time to take it all in but I find they have a longer life to them.

As for Mastodon, they are another band I like (hence why I am going to write about them in Part 2), I have some doubts about where they are going (direction of the last album and what that means for the next...) but they have been a highlight for me in the last 4 or 5 years. If you liked that song you may like the song "Oblivion", "Sleeping Giant" and "The Last Baron".

Tool used to be my favorite band, by far. When I started playing guitar in high school I learned how to play all of Lateralus (probably poorly).

10,000 Days got a lot of playtime, but it wasn't life-changing like Lateralus was to me. I'm really looking forward to the new one, though. Everyone's gotten to do a lot of stuff on the side, which hopefully renewed an interest to pour a lot into this album.

I always figure there's no way they'll take such a huge break again, but here we are.

Holy Shit, new Tool!! I loved 10,000 Days. Its one of those few albums I found that I couldn't buy on digital. Its just weird..