Australian Listening Party

mattw on Toolnavy has come up with the goods again, this time transcribing Andrew Haug from Triple J’s thoughts on the new CD. The stream of the show can be found here, apparently this review can be found at around the 58 minute mark.

“Now something that people might think I have held out, but I might as well drop the bombshell now… I was privileged enough to hear the brand new Tool album yesterday in its entirety. It is titled ’10,000 Days’ and it will be released on the 6th of May (Australia) and the members were present during the listening session, of cause Justin Chancellor, Danny Carey and Maynard James Keenan are currently in Australia promoting the album. And what can I say about the brand new album? Well some might have had the privilege of going to a few listening parties, and yes they are privileges, but after a couple of songs you get a little bit distracted and you start talking to people because I really find it difficult to take in an album, regardless of what it is, the very first time when you’re sitting there amongst people and you’re all staring at the floor like you’re at a funeral and at the end of a song you’re sort of obligated to clap etc. But I will tell you the opening cut for the new Tool album just smacked me in the head and it certainly is far more aggressive than what you’ll hear on or what you heard on Lateralus album. The band have actually said they’ve been listening quite heavily to Meshuggah which they’ve taken out on tour several times over the last couple of years… and throughout the rest of the album there certainly are very lengthy Tool tracks where they’re definitely renowned for those progressive sound scapes and Danny Carey as always is truly on fire with some amazing drumming. And there’s a couple of interesting vocal ideas too put in there by Mr. Maynard James Keenan. This is a very brief assumption on the album so I’m looking forward to hearing it properly when it does come out so May 6th is the release date (Australia) for the new Tool album called ’10,000 Days’ but expect nothing short of a monstrous production. Not exactly sure who produced this new album? I don’t think they used Dave Botterill on this one but it’s certainly raised the bar in the production stakes for the band even though we’ve always known them, the last few albums, to have very very polished productions. Expect the same on the new one. But expect a lot more heavier tunes as well. So that’s a mini mini brief rap-up of the new Tool album. Not a lot to give because like I said it’s very distracting to sort of listen to albums in that sort of environment. I just cannot wait to get a hold of the album when it comes out like everybody else because I don’t think there will be any advanced copies going out. And what I noticed too, when the band turned up, actually right at the very end of the album, Mr. Maynard James Keenan, white shirt and jeans and a cowboy hat, I kid you not, walked over to the DJ booth, and there was only a good 20 or 30 people there in this venue, walks over to the DJ booth as the last song finished, ejected the cd himself, put it in the cover and put it in his pocket. So there you go. The band are personally delivering this album themselves and taking it back themselves because of, generally, internet leaks which happens in albums like this, especially in the anticipation in an album like Tool, which has been 5 years in the making since Lateralus’ 2001 release. So there you go. Look out for the new Tool album May 6th and ask me what I’m gonna think of it around that time when I’ve really absorbed it as well as yourself. I’m always curious to hear what you people think of certain releases that are coming out as well…”

Interesting to see that the band are confirming the title as 10,000 Days, which I guess pretty much confirms this is the case. Also seems as though the Australian Release Date will be the 6th of May. I guess that means the 9th in the US?

Edit Check the Comments for a link to an mp3 of the review. Thanks to Foamy for that one. (20:23 8-March-2006)