ÆNIMA

With Aenima Tool have broken the barriers of banality by playing a original sound backed up by a strong, but at the same time, cryptic concept. In spite all these positive aspects I, for one, am not as impressed as you might believe. Although Tool is not your average alternative metal band, the music that they came up with has enough week points for me not to consider it a masterpiece.

Firstly, Aenima is an original album. That is very good, just that the innovations aren't that attractive. Songs do not respect a standard structure which leaves room for experimentation. The unusual sound that appears in Tool's album is pretty lame because of it's thinness and monotony. It might be subtle, but it's not creative enough. The atmosphere barely penetrates me. Ironically, fro the electronci part fo teh album, I prefer the interludes like Die Eier von Satan which reminds me of Nine Inch Nails.

Secondly, the conventional instruments aren't used with much technique. They are too predictable, although what they play is not ordinary. The guitar is very scratchy and, at other times, semi-electric, but it lacks technique and intensity. However, songs like Pushit and Third Eye do fix this problem. As for the drums, they simply do not sound loud enough. It's not that I am noise addicted, but there is too much silence in their music and tender drums are overused just like the bass pattern that is almost the same the entire record.

My favourite tracks are Hooker with a Penis and jimmy. On these two the vocals are great, the long, scratchy guitar notes are really impressive and finally the rhythm can be felt.

Aenima can be credited for it's innovations and complexity (of the production, mostly) but discredited for a lack of diversity and let's not say technique but lack of creativity when trying to put the new ideas in practice. In 1996, Tool weren't the king-crimsons everybody thinks they were.