15 Greatest Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die

15. 10,000 Days - Tool

Coming into the 2000's, Tool had already established themselves as one of the most mind-melting bands of their generation. On their 2001 epic Lateralus, the band created the perfect marriage between metal and psychedelia that pushed the entire genre into new and uncharted territories: Where to go from there?: beyond metal altogether.

Don't get me wrong: there are still some harsh moments across 10,000 Days like the opening sting of "Vicarious" and the irresistible stomp of "The Pot," but the scope of this record is far greater than its individual pieces. The entire album is centered around songs that are conjoined together as a whole, which the band use as an opportunity to touch on more heartfelt topics.

The Wings For Marie section of the record is Maynard James Keenan expressing his deep sense of loss after the death of his mother Judith. On the other side of things, there is the suite of songs which detail a man's experience with psychedelics and recounting his extra-terrestrial experiences outside of Area 51. There had already been impressive benchmarks set by Tool, but 10,000 Days is the record that can be enjoyed both in pieces and as a whole. If the singles leave you intrigued, you are in for a hell of a ride once you take a deep dive into the full record.