10,000 Days Alabama

In 2002, I eagerly waited for the VillageVoice to release its results for the best album of 2001 in itsyearly "Pazz and Jop" poll (a compilation of about 120 critics''best of' list). After listening to Lateralus, I justthought it was a given that Tool's album would get the honor notnecessarily for 'album of the year,' but certainly best heavy metalalbum of the year. But that honor went to System Of A Down'sToxicity. I was disappointed, but not crushed. If anything,it illuminated the glaring differences between both bands.

First off, I am not trying to imply there's a SystemOf A Down/Tool rivalry. Both bands have helped raise hard rock andheavy metal to new artistic heights. But the way each band doesthis couldn't be more different. System Of A Down does it byincorporating Frank Zappa-like weirdness with breakneck, punkishpacing and incendiary lyrics. Tool elevates heavy metal by makingmetal unsettling again through creepy multimedia packaging (videosand album art) and even creepier atmospherics to their songs,courtesy of their phenomenal musicianship. Yet, both bands couldtake some valuable pointers from each other.

Listening to System Of A Down's scalpel-likedissection of what's wrong with the corrections system in theUnited States ("Prison Song") and their impassioned rantings aboutthe war in Iraq make me wonder if it's the same band that includesthe equivalent of musical fart jokes in songs like "Cigaro" andsettle for easy targets like Hollywood and Tony Danza (see thefinal few songs in Mezmerize). But at least with System Of ADown, you are done with one of their albums in about the same timeyou hit Track 4 of the ultra-serious Tool (only ten more tracks togo!).

Tool's latest album 10,000 Days already comeswith its own joke: It takes 10,000 days to get through. Fans havealready flooded discussion groups stating this album was the firstmajor screw-up for the band. Other fans who believe Tool can do nowrong lament "You really aren't going to get into the album untilabout the 37th listen!" Unfortunately, many of us don't have timeto listen to a 70-plus-minute album for 30 times in hopes offinally "getting it."