Tool

On the latest creation from the visceral “church” of Tool, singer-songwriter Maynard James Keenan lays bare not only his soul, but some flesh and bone as well, all woven into the band’s tapestry of haunting vocals, dark melodies and intense bass lines. Right from the start, I felt something like adrenaline course through my body (if that sounds silly, listen to it tonight and see if by “Wings for Marie” you don’t feel a bit funny) and, as with previous albums, was soon ready to offer up my dripping, still-beating heart on the Tool altar—metaphorically speaking, of course. The title seems fitting, as for many Tool fans, the five years since Lateralus felt like 10,000 days. But don’t just rip this album from a torrent Web site—you’d miss the delightfully surreal holographic CD-case artwork.