ÆNIMA

Tool is something of a musical legend to me, their music contains much depth in the lyrics, a unique sound and a huge range of variety. Before hearing Ænema through, Lateralus was my first album. It blew me away.

Not only were the tracks beautiful to listen to, but the order of Lateralus was arranged as if to take the listener through a musical endeavor. The filler tracks (as much as I dislike referring to them with that term) added flow and complexity to the experience. And to think I used to discard them as a waste of time.

Even though Lateralus was made post Ænema, the same pattern is present. First on the tracklist is a 'Stinkfist', a song which demonstrates what guitaring Tool is capable of, and also mainstream rock to kick off the album. And don't hate me for using the word 'mainstream', of course, I meant mainstream for Tool's standards. Of course I'm aware that 'Stinkfist' could have a deep meaning in its lyrics, too.

The first three tracks of this album are heavenly, but the rush starts to slow down after 'H' (one of my personal favorites) when the listener is introduced to the first 'filler track', 'Useful Idiot'. From here, the album starts a more gradual procedure toward the juicy core of Ænema, still just as beautiful and 'adventurous', if you will, as the first three tracks.

Amongst the smaller, assorted tracks, you'll hear stunning pieces, greatly aided by the use of Maynard's voice, such as 'Eulogy' (the way the chorus starts is noticably gorgeous), 'Forty-Six & 2', 'Hooker With A Penis' and 'Third Eye' just to name a few.

My absolute favorite, is definetly 'Ænema'. Although I like the album Lateralus better, the song 'Ænema' I can listen to again and again. And the message it carries is hidden and scattered, because 'Ænema' is all about the lyrics. The idea that we need to wipe our asses as a society.

Now I can't award Ænema with a five star rating, I can't even think of a single album that could achieve a perfect rating, but Ænema is definetly one of my favorite albums. If you enjoyed this, and haven't heard Lateralus, make sure you do.

If you haven't heard Ænema yet, then do so. Whether you like Tool's music or not, Ænema isn't just music, it's an experience.