87. Tool - Ænima (1996)
Genre: Alternative/ Progressive Metal
01. Stinkfist
02. Eulogy
03. H.
04. Useful Idiot
05. Forty Six & 3
06. Message to Harry Manback
07. Hooker with a Penis
08. Intermission
09. Jimmy
10. Die Eier Von Satan
11. Push
it
12. Cesaro Summability
13. Ænima
14. (-) Ions
15. Third Eye
Ænima is quite the album for the mainstream audience. It's not quite offensive enough to be off putting to the “average” listener, but it has enough bite in the lyrics to appease the “harder” crowd. Not that I ever pay much attention to the lyrics from Tool to begin with, they always seem to fall secondary to the soothing background music that the album itself creates. OK perhaps that is a little harsh, the lyrics are deep and open to interpretation if you wish to view them that way, however the band has always been about creating an atmosphere, the only time the lyrics becoming a core contribution when I don headphones. Irregardless of whether the melody or lyrics take precedent, the album is a soothing, poetic, well produced, and meaningful with some killer guitar hooks and bass lines that showcase the talents of each member of the band.
Tool have been with me since nearly the beginning of my journey into the wild world of heavy metal. In fact... after Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, and Type O Negative they were either part of the second or third batch of bands I got into, all the way back in 2002. I bought
Ænima along with Undertow as part of a 2 for $25 deal at HMV and
Ænima was probably my first real exposure to the more progressive elements of metal. Everything else that I had known was either beginner's thrash, Gothic metal, or the pinnacle of NWOBHM, so when I first heard Undertow it was quite the different experience aurally. Undertow was kind of the wrong album to start off with, and in fact actually turned me off of progressive metal for a little while. It wasn't until a few months later that I even threw on
Ænima and my entire idea what music could be.
The entire album from start to finish is just this amazing and unique sound that countless bands have attempted to replicate, but none in a faithful fashion. From Adam Jones' ear catching melodic hooks to Justin Chancellor's hypnotic bass lines to Danny Carey's pounding drum beats the album has everything one would want and more from an alternative or progressive metal album. While some of the track lengths are longer than one would expect from a more mainstream band, none of the songs feels artificially lengthened with useless additions, extended verses, or guitar solo wankery that plagues so many prog songs.
Overall the album is a dense, deeply layered, and amazing journey into the world of progressive metal. It's easy enough to listen to for the average music fan without alienating some of the more dedicated listeners. That is quite the tightrope to walk and for a band to not only succeed but get near universal acclaim for it, it is quite the achievement. Seeing as how just about everyone on this site has this album it seems kind of pointless to further praise an album we all know and love so I'm just going to end it here. The music is quite addictive, the lyrics after reading them, have a great deal of depth to them and can be interpreted many different ways, and it's that perfect balance between mainstream and underground acclaim.