Tool - Aenima
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Free Music Notes for Aenima
Free Music Review: Completely flawless and utterly genius
Hit: 5 Stars
Saying this album, Tool's third, is a mind trip is an understatement. "Aenima" is utterly genius, and is arguably Tool's best album to date. It doesn't matter what genre this is (smart metal, intricate metal, math metal or alt metal), because it is, in my opinion, one of the 50 best and smartest C.D.'s ever released. It's flawless, and if I've ever heard a C.D. which is worthy of a five-star review, this is it.
The group's frontman is Maynard James Keenan, but he isn't the only band member who is a musical Einstein. Guitarist Adam Jones is a true star, and he shines brightly, here. Everything (vocals, lyrics, musicianship) is perfect. About every song has of sophisticated, thought provoking lyrics, multi-faceted vocals, complicated music, roaring riffs, brooding drum work, complex song structures, catchy rhythms, odd time signatures and tempo changes, eerie sound effects, dark themes, haunting atmospheres, inhumanly brilliant songwriting, and restrained rage/insanity. Tool are the masters of all of those things and combining them together to make a perfect, innovative disc.
Like all of my favorites, this C.D. is an eargasm; but "Aenima" is also different. For one thing, it's 77 minutes long (granted, there are some long intros and outros, but those are also what Tool have become famous for.) Next, even though it's a great listen from the first time you listen to it, there's more to this album than what initially meets the ear. That's mainly because the lyrics are very smart and deep. For instance, the title of the song "Forty Six and 2" references Carl Jung's theory (Carl Jung was a psychiatrist) that you can reach a higher revolutionary state, where your body has two more chromosomes than the normal 46. Also, in more than one song, Maynard talks about his "shadow." The shadow, in question, represents the side of Maynard's personality that he hates and fears.
Now, this disc is not for you if you're religious. Please realize that the members of Tool are scientists, so their music continues to wage war and expand the gap between science and religion. They're atheist/humanists, but since some of Maynard's lyrics do bash Christ, I can see why you would think they're Satanists.
Album opener "Stinkfist" has bouncy guitar noises, then, after some guitar feedback, the riffs become humming, and the drums almost sound tribal at times. Maynard's vocals are, at first, pushed to the back, but the song gains momentum and, pretty soon, Maynard is yelling: "I just need it; to see, to feel, to know I'm alive!"
"Eulogy" begins with a long intro; it takes about two minutes for the actual song to start up. This song features a lot of different types of guitar work (choppy, punching, beeping, and stop-start riffs), as well as a long, very Maynard-esque yell near the end. But "Eulogy" is really a highlight because of its lyrics, which are blatantly sacrilegious. Maynard yells things like "He (Jesus) had a lot to say; he had a lot of nothing to say," "Would you die for me...don't you lie," and "Come down...get off the cross, we need the space to nail the next martyr."
"H" has brooding riffs, which become spacey (alongside a spacey drum beat).
"Forty Six and 2" is another momentum gainer; it begins with soft, repetitive guitar noise and hand percussion, but the song erupts and jumps in volume during the chorus. A couple of tempo changes are included here, as well, including one at the end, where the beat becomes bobbing, pounding riffs.
Track seven is where Maynard gets mad. Lyrically, it's about meeting a boy who accuses Tool of selling out, and Maynard isn't happy about it. He rages pretty much throughout the whole song, and his vocals ride the beat (which goes up and down) well.
"Push it" has soothing guitar notes which interlock with each other, thus making a long, spacey humming sound.
The title track is a personal favorite. Like most tracks on here, it's very dark, and has great musicianship. It begins with (what sounds like) repeated whisperings of "Hey, hey, hey," then Adam churns out a riff which will probably be stuck in your mind all day. There are some more (soft-hard, fast-slow-fast) tempo changes, and the drums become increasingly fast. But the song's vocals and lyrics are even better than the music. Maynard's lyrics are relatable; this song is a rare occasion, where they aren't scientific or mathematical. This song's subject matter is about being tired of worrying about the small things in life, and just wanting the whole city (Los Angeles) to be flooded and flushed under.
"Third Eye" is over thirteen minutes long, and I believe it's about drugs (particularly acid), and being high. It begins with a sample of Bill Hicks' comedy routine. Bill explains why he believes drugs HAVE done some good things for our society (because every band is "really high off drugs"). Then the song adopts some wind whooshes and other sound effects, and a drum beat eventually kicks in. The guitars and vocals finally start up, but the guitar noise sort of blends in with the sound effects, and the vocals are usually spoken or whispered. This song, the album closer, is very creepy, and it would be even more trippy to listen to if you were stoned. It becomes briefly heavy around 9:30, with pounding power chords, and again at 12:45.
Even the interludes (tracks 4,6,8,10,12, & 14) are essential listening. Unlike most interludes, these tracks aren't a dumb skit or short instrumental; these tracks are smart and interesting. "Die Eier Von Satan," for instance, makes machine noises while a German man (maybe a dictator) makes a speech to a crowd.
In conclusion, "Aenima" is as smart and innovative as heavy metal gets. It's absolutely essential for all metal collections, and, nine years after its release, its brilliance and shock hasn't worn off. It is truly epic. But, even still, I don't think my above descriptions do this album justice. This is one of those albums that you have to hear to believe. And if you're new to Tool, believe the hype, and do yourself a favor--buy this C.D.!
Free Music Review: Original and Heavy
Hit: 5 Stars
After the success of Tool's 1993 debut album "Undertow", the band was already receiving acclaim for the live stint on the third annual Lollapalooza festival and for their disturbing music videos for the songs "Sober" and "Prison Sex". When it came time to record their sophomore effort "Aenima", bassist Paul D'Amour left the band and was replaced by Englishman Justin Chancellor. When the band recruited David Botrill, the band wanted to broaden their progressive-metal sound to newer heights that most bands wouldn't have done when it came to make a second album. Whereas most groups try to make a second album that was more accessible or stick to the formula that made their first album great, Tool didn't do any of those things. Instead, they went to darker and more melodic territories to set the "Aenima" album further apart from their debut album. What Tool did was make on one of the best hard rock albums of the 1990s that broke more rules on how to rock harder with a much darker sensibility. The first track off of "Aenima" is the metal-power of "Stinkfist" with its atmospheric-like guitar intro which leads into a powerful rock tune with driving guitars from Adam Jones, melodic bass riffs from Justin Chancellor, hard-hitting drum hooks from Danny Carey, and awesome vocals from Maynard James Keenan who belts out these loud screams during the chorus. "Eulogy" is a brilliant hard rock tune with an excellent intro of weird bass riffs, atmospheric guitar sounds, soft percussions that lasts for a couple of minutes with Maynard singing in a distorted tone and then at full tilt sings clearly once the guitar and drums come in like a powerful punch into the stomach. "H." is a dark, melodic guitar-driven tune highlighted by Adam Jones' expressive guitar work that sounds a little bit like Black Sabbath and King Crimson backed by Carey's gymnastic drum-style. "Useful Idiot" is a forty-second instrumental that sounds like soft percussion sounds backing soft electrical sparks that serves as an intro to the bass-driven "Forty-Six & 2" that is highlighted by Chancellor's bass intro along with Carey's diverse drum-style w/ beautiful percussion sounds, Jones powerful guitar charges, and Keenan's powerful vocals.
"Message To Harry Manback" is a weird tune of a man talking to a man called Harry Manback backed by an ambient guitar background from Adam Jones that serves as a weirdness to the band. "Hooker With A Penis" is a powerful hard-rock song filled by powerful drums from Danny Carey, brutal guitar charges from Adam Jones, and ferocious screams from Maynard James Keenan who can probably scream the hell out of such current divas like Mariah Carey (no relations to Tool's drummer), Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson. That man is wreaked with awesomeness. The next track is a break in the middle of the album titled "Intermission" which features a weird circus-like organ sound that shows Tool's funny side. Pretty cool intermission. Next is the melodic-power of "jimmy" dominated by Chancellor's melodic bass-riffs, Carey's brilliant drum-power, Jones' guitar grooves, and Keenan's hypnotic vocals. "Die Eier Von Satan" (or in translation from German to English, "The Eggs/Balls of Satan"), is a weird industrial-like tune with distorted bass riffs and percussion sounds, hard-driven guitar hooks, and vocals by Marko Fox singing in German with Gudrun Fox translating in English.
"Push*t" is another weird metal track that lasts for nearly ten minutes with a fuzzy guitar track that sounds at first like buzzing bees with mesmerizing vocals from Keenan, magnificent drumming from Carey and atmospheric bass hooks from Chancellor that shows the excellent musicianship of this band. "Cesaro Summability" is another weird track of a baby crying with distorted guitars in the background that serves as an intro to the next track "Aenema". "Aenema" is the album's big highlight with its melodic bass hooks, guitar grooves, powerful drums, and Keenan's powerful track that starts out as a metal-driven track until the middle of the song where Justin Chancellor's bass riffs dominate the track backing Keenan's mesmerizing vocals with Carey's powerful drumming accompanying him. Then Jones' brings in a powerful slide guitar solo until Carey comes in with this powerful drum track while Chancellor and Jones both come in with their assaults backing Keenan's vocals until the song softens up a bit and then becomes a even powerful song right through the end. Tool at its finest.
"(-) Ions" is a four-minute instrumental track of atmospheric sounds and electrical sparks in the background that serves as an intro the final track of the album called "Third Eye". The thirteen-minute song "Third Eye" starts off with a sample of comedian Bill Hicks talking the good things about drugs and saying that all the best rock albums were made on drugs. During Hicks' talks on drugs, Tool comes in with a powerful, blistering song with intense drumming from Carey, guitar grooves from Jones, and Keenan's powerful vocals who screams in the fourth minute of the song. After four minutes, a huge instrumental part comes in from Jones, Chancellor, and Carey comes in for about a few minutes then there's a quiet break during the eighth minute part of the song until things get loud again by Keenan's ferocious vocals who screams like a madman backed by the rest of the band's powerful instrument assaults.
"Aenima" is an excellent masterpiece from Tool. The band not only beat the sophomore slump but also went way beyond it. Tool would have more success to come including a headlining slot at the final Lollapalooza festival in 1997. Things however, wouldn't be so good in the years to come as lawsuits from their manager and record company came at them and forced their fans to wait for a new record in the next five years. "Aenima" is a true testament to Tool's power as a band and as a musical force.
Free Music Review: Tool's astonishing breakthrough album
Hit: 5 Stars
Aenima is Tool's major breakthrough work. Compared to its predecessors, Aenima is a completely different beast. It is a lot more complex and harder to digest. It may take months or even years to fully absorb it, and you are well advised to start with Undertow if you have never heard any Tool before. Once you've internalised their earlier work, you can come to Aenima and spend quite some time with it. Otherwise, like some people tend to do, you may just write them off as a pretentious act who are terribly overrated by their fan base, which would be a big loss for you.
On Aenima, Tool continues to explore the depths of the human mind and soul, touching on themes such as pain, frustration, guilt, and social decay. As with every Tool album, the band puts forth thought-provoking lyrical messages in their songs, rendering them more powerful through creative musical passages and compositional ideas. Even though former bassist Paul D'Amour is now replaced by Justin Chancellor, the bass parts on this album do not lack a single thing. On the contrary, Chancellor's bass, along with Danny Carey's precise drum work, is still central to the songs, as Adam Jones mostly builds his guitars around his ferocious rhythms. Starting with "Stinkfist", the album opener, the bass sound is ever-present, deep and growling throughout its five-minute course, amidst crackling effects, cool percussion, and effect-laden guitar sounds all of which serve to highlight vocalist Maynard Keenan's light verse/heavy chorus dynamics.
While I agree Tool's music is quite hard to decipher on first listen, the diversity in each song is astonishing. Each piece is defined by thick threads of colours and inventive instrumentation. The weird sounds and eerie percussion in the intro of "Eulogy" suggest a somewhat droney track, but with the arrival of a big bass motif and processed vocals, the tone escalates to impossible heights, resolving with a richly melodic chorus and dense guitar theme blanketing the almost incomprehensible spoken rants atop weird effects and clear bass lines. Maynard's singing is more versatile than both Opiate and Undertow combined. He goes from fragile low registers to tortured screaming on "H." in order to match the flow of the song. This song has an amazing intro with awesome drumming and there is a killer guitar line in the middle where the same note is repeated over and over until it becomes addictive. This dreamy aura is then replaced as the band pick up pace and aggression towards the end.
There are fifteen tracks on the album, but not all of them are songs per se. Some of the pieces have been put on the disc to enhance the unity, such as the static hissing of "Useful Idiot"; the weird piano track "Message to Harry Manback", where an Italian-accented immigrant who has allegedly been deported from the country relays a hateful message about the American government; the slightly goofy analog synths of "Intermission"; or the hysterically crying babies with sickening guitar feedback of "Cesaro Summability" are all pieces under the two-minute mark. The most interesting one of them all, however, has got to be track ten, "Die Eier Von Satan", which means "The Eggs of Satan". It begins with chunky bass and industrial beats, and the sound is incredibly huge. All of a sudden a guy with a strong East German accent begins to give the recipe for something which I fail to understand and after listing all the necessary ingredients he just says something along the lines of "No!
w put all these things and bake it in 200 degrees, just without the eggs of satan". I know it sounds weird, and it really is, but it contributes immensely to the band's artistic expression.
On the more song-based material, "Hooker with a Penis" grooves hard in an almost post-punk sensibility with fast guitars and thick rhythms; whilst the way the keyboard riff on "Intermission" is interpreted on guitars on "Jimmy" is simply amazing. The bass and drums behind the guitars are stomping and the vocal melody is incredible. It is impossible not to see how much Dead Soul Tribe's Devon Graves has been influenced by this band. This is arguably the most overlooked song on Aenima, and its grinding riffage at the very end is crushing to say the least. Speaking of influences, the opening bass line of "Forty-Six & 2" must have certainly inspired Dream Theater when they were writing "Home". This is another song with sublime percussion, a gripping chorus, and swift chord progressions. The instrumental break highlights Danny Carey's prowess - he is perhaps the most creative drummer in rock today.
The album also harbours the mystical "Pushit", something Tool would further explore on Lateralus; the killer title track with its snaky rhythms and socially observant lyrics; the dissonant "(-) Ions", complete with wind effects and numbing guitar drills. The CD ends on a curious note, with the almost fifteen-minute number "Third Eye", which starts with an excerpt from famous comedian Bill Hicks (to whom this album is dedicated) commenting on the positive effects of drugs on artists before delving deep into siren-like guitars, sparse drum beats, and the anti-song aesthetic of progressive rock instrumentation. Adam Jones' guitar work is at the centre of the piece, and he fearlessly unleashes an abrasive sonic assault, utilising tons of guitar feedback and somewhat tuneless interludes. Maynard's singing is intense and angry as he spews the lyrics with utter disgust, especially in the final verse.
Aenima is one of the most important albums of the 90's. Again, I agree it's not for everyone, but one cannot deny its impact on all kinds of bands from all kinds of genres.
Free Music Review: Music de Psyche
Hit: 5 Stars
Tool is a band whose music is pretty hard to label. They've been called everything from metal, to numetal, to alternative and progressive rock/metal. While they exhibit attributes to all of the aforementioned genres, it's pretty safe to say that they've created a kind of music that's timeless, transcendent, deep, mysterious, forbidding and intriguing - all at once. To me, their name sums up the music they make perfectly - a "tool" for exploring the mysterious depths of the human psyche. The music usually explores darker themes like pain, anger, frustration and guilt, then regurgitates them into a volatile, yet beautiful and alluring catharsis. How do I describe Tool's music?
I'd say they have the dark aura and minimalist experimentalism of King Crimson, the philosophical bent of Rush and the hypnotic, alluring quality of Pink Floyd - without really sounding like either of those bands. They possess their own distinctive sound.
On _Ænima_, Tool creates a 77-minute gargantuan slice of thought-provoking art-metal, which mainly encourages people to look deeper and think for themselves - whether it be looking beyond the surface of cliched beliefs (examples: what people are taught to believe in church, or what's seen and absorbed from television and more). When the mind is open to 'too' much outer influence, the mind is 'dead' - therefore, you lack your own thoughts and "you" no longer belong to "you".
Musically, the album is dark and given to adventurous, elaborate and spatial instrumentation - along with eerie and mysterious interludes. The opening track "Stinkfist" is a heavy and fairly straightforward rocker. Maynard James Keenan has one of the most distinctive and ethereal voices in rock today -- displaying the innocent, sad, poignant and reflective quality of Joni Mitchell one minute, then exploding into a frighteningly explosive scream the next, which can evoke Chucky, the doll (see the horror film "Child's Play", voiced by actor Brad Dourif). "Eulogy" begins with some spoon-like percussion and eerie guitar lines (which evoke King Crimson). It then turns into an explosive rocker. Maynard's vocals are particularly beautiful and impressive here. (Note: if you're new to this, don't make the mistake of thinking the percussive opening lasts forever - it doesn't). "H" showcases guitar ambience, tribal-like rhythms (from drummer Danny Carey) and explosive sections. "Useful Idiot" is the short interlude (which sounds like an ending of a scratched record) that segues into "Forty Six & Two", which is probably the most popular Tool track on this album. "Message To Harry Manback" is an interlude of an angry immigrant badmouthing the American nationality (which I find quite hilarious). "Hooker With A Penis" is pure confrontational metal at it's best. I think lyrically, this has to do with the music business (and the whole "selling-out" thing). It may have had something to do with a fan accusing Tool of doing just that. "Intermission" is a short keyboard piece (evoking that of a sports/arena anthem). It's actually a short 'keyboard' version (or opening) for the next track "Jimmy". This along with the rest of the tracks are the most "elaborate" on the disc. "Die Eier Von Satan" (German for "The Eggs Of Satan") is a recipe spoken in German. The backing music sounds almost industrial/death metal-like, containing shrieks and sadistic "slaps". "Pushit" is a heavy rocker, which shows off Danny Carey's complex, precise and intricate rhythms on the drum kit. Some of Maynard's vocals here reach ranges that weren't heard anywhere else (on this disc, or on any other Tool album). His Gaelic-ish vocals near the end (backed by a guitar/bass progression of 5th's) are truly poignant. "Cesaro Summability" sounds like guitar/amplifier feedback - fronted by baby screams. "Ænema" is a profane, dissonant heavy rocker, with snaky rhythms galore. Maynard James Keenan describes the city of Los Angeles - and says that it should receive an "enema" -- flushing it all away. "(-)Ions" is an eerie, dissonant and whirry interlude. I personally find this ethereal. "Third Eye" probably sums up what this album and Tool's music stands for in general -- thinking for yourself. The beginning dialogue features a sample taken from one of comedian Bill Hicks' standup routines. He says that many people denounce drugs - yet drugs have done something powerful for us - they've helped 'some' musicians provide us diehard music fans with what many of us consider "the best music of all-time" (examples: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who - these are only a handful of 'revered' bands that have had certain members of each use drugs before). The 'third eye' is referred to as the human brain. Like the actual human 'eye', it absorbes and processes things (for benefit or detriment). When to 'open' (take in, absorb, believe) and 'close' (neglect, reject, refuse) the organ is our choice. The music on here features many instrumental and experimental twists and turns throughout it's 13-minute playing time.
_Ænima_ is an album that can take weeks, months and years to decipher. The lyrical and musical complexity is nearly infinite - to an almost unfathomable degree. It's an album you can listen to for years and still find new things to discover -- lyrically, musically and thematically. Tool has created music that can only be called timeless, transcendent, infinite and futuristic. _Ænima_ is a timeless masterpiece. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: One of the best and most creative albums of the 90's.
Hit: 5 Stars
I've had this album for quite a while now, and it's only recently that I'm really coming to appreciate its brilliance. I mean, I always enjoyed it, from the very first listen, but I never really fully appreciated it for what it is. I always simply saw it as a good album, not a great one.So, a short while after buying this album, the new release, "Lateralus", came out. This is an album that quite simply floored me. It is such a meticulous and well-played album, and it just gets better and better with every spin. I had never been a huge Tool fan prior to owning this disc, but this one album completely changed the way I looked at this band. Well, maybe I shouldn't say changed it, but rather, it enhanced it. Yeah, that works.
So anyway, after buying and loving "Lateralus", I couldn't help but notice the exponential margin by which I preferred that album to this one. This band put out such a phenomenal album, I thought to myself. Why don't I enjoy the others this much? So, I decided that this needed yet another spin. I can't describe it, but after hearing "Lateralus", and realizing the full scope of what Tool is capable of, listening to this album was a completely different experience. I'm noticing every texture, every subtle nuance, and I can't describe what I'm hearing as anything short of incredible. The weird segues in between songs that served as such a distraction before suddenly feel like they should actually be there. Ok, so "Ions" is still WAY longer than it needs to be, but it's really not that big of a setback. And, it sounds really cool when listened to in headphones.
I also attained a greater appreciation for the musicianship. I'd never been largely impressed by Adam Jones's playing, now I see that he is a very creative and talented guitarist. Not really mind-blowing technically, but the dense, gritty atmospheres he creates on this album are a large part of what makes this such a cool and unique experience to listen to. And, of course, Danny Carey rules. I always knew that, but hey, who says you can't enjoy a good thing just a little bit more, huh? His drumming is insanely complex, yet at the same time very unique and diverse. From the tribal-like beats of "Eulogy", to the furious double-bass of "Forty Six and Two", he never gets boring, and never fails to impress.
And hey, we can't forget Maynard, can we? He's an excellent singer, and he just gets better and better. His melodic tone is nearly hypnotizing in its beauty, and the emotional power is overwhelming. Aside from that, he's an insanely talented composer. Some of these songs, such as "Eulogy" and "Third Eye", may seem a bit long-winded and drawn out at first, but after a while, you come to appreciate the subtleties, and the songs sort of "take form", so to speak. This writing style has only gotten even more fantastic on "Lateralus", which is an even more epic, and even more brilliant album.
One thing you've gotta remember about Tool is that all of their albums are vastly different from each other. If you go in expecting one to sound like the other, you'll be disappointed. Maynard once said somewhere that beliefs will only corrupt you and hold you down, therefore it is wiser to believe in nothing (sorry if I butchered that quote, I'm really just paraphrasing there), and listening to their albums seems to reflect this standpoint. They seem to like to keep everyone on their toes, and let everyone know that they are far from a predictable band. This is just my opinion, but I really think there should be more bands like this.
I could go into greater specifics, about how great "Stinkfist", the title track, and "Forty Six and Two" are, but hopefully these songs are well-known enough to where they don't need to be discussed further. But, the goodness doesn't stop there. There are lots of great songs here, such as "Eulogy", "H", "Third Eye", "Jimmy"...well, pretty much the whole thing. The album may seem a bit uniform at first, but like I said, the songs sort of take form, and assume their own identity with time.
I think it goes without saying that this album (or for that mater, this band in general) is not for everyone, but listening to Tool is like a strange and perplexing journey, and I think everyone should take this journey once, just to see where it takes you. You never know, it could enrich your life in ways you never thought possible. With every album, Tool just gets more and more amazing, and I can't wait to hear what they'll come up with next.