I am listening to something 12 years in the making. More or less a few years of waiting for them to do whatever different thing they would do. As it turns out it was playing a few new songs to let YouTube do the rest.
There is a comment at the bottom:
"Why does it take Tool so long to write music??? Oh, this is why. Every song will be 12 minutes long and feature 48 different time signatures"
This will be their least marketable, yet best recieved album. Likely their last. Danny Carrey (who is adding the Thelema imagery seen at live shows) will live on as the one drummer as good as Neil Peart. Fanboys will gawk at its technical accomplish as their significant others say it bores the shit of them.
I love trance music. It goes great with taking too much acid. I say give me 12 minute songs with amazing percussion that leads to believe there are Thelemic androids being produced somewhere to be a more positive influence that didn't OD of Heroin in his 20's.
An acquired taste, but if you like super complex songs that break down into esoteric sequences and sacred geometry interwoven into said 48 time signatures, it is a masterpiece that treads on "untouchable". If you don't, it is likely up its own prog rock ass.
The era of pre-Ænema is gone. Opiate has been updated and extended for the new album and 10,000 Days while great continued to get more percussion driven and monotonous to a pop demographic.
It firmly lands in a category alongside contemporary acts, which will forever be an accomplishment in its own regard, for these are the creme de la creme of complicated music store jerk material. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Rush, Primus, and Prince. (Others of that ilk). They are the best at their respected crafts and produce things very few can emulate and no one would try to copy. No payola to be had in their work. They can't shatter the illusion of integrity.
