Hello
friends and neighbors =) Today, I am challenging myself with a review for an
album by the band Tool. It is called Ӕnima.
Album: Ӕnima
Artist: Tool
Released: September 17, 1996
Genres: Alternative metal
Obtained: 3 years ago, purchased at an old music store called CD Plus
Obtained: 3 years ago, purchased at an old music store called CD Plus
OVERVIEW
As
someone who has not listened to a whole lot of Tool in my lifetime, it is hard
for me to deliver an adequate review for this album, as old as it is. However,
I promise to give it my best shot.
This
album was released in 1996, 3 years after their first studio album, Undertow. The title is a combination of
the words “anima” and “enema”, which suggests that the album is about people
who drain away their lives by putting useless things in their asses and purging
everywhere (……………………???)
Okay,
so I’m already off to a bad start. The title actually has to do with society
being desensitized to the things they see everyday, from the streets to the
news. This album is far from something you can just listen to when you’re bored
and be satisfied by the time you reach the end, that is, if you are one of
those people that like to listen to albums from start to finish like you’re
watching a musical. If you’re not one of those people, I recommend you stay
away from most of this album, with the exceptions of Third Eye and Hooker With
a Penis. My reasons for this suggestion are as follows:
Hooker
With a Penis is a short, curse-ridden rant song that one can aim at pretty much
anyone they’re having beef with, without requiring much depth of thought behind
their passionate screams as they bounce around on their beds, spraying graffiti
on their walls and ranting at their parents, bullies etc.
Third
Eye is found on the opposite end of the spectrum. Sitting at just under 14
minutes in length, it’s a journey for both the stoned and the sober, beginning
with a few samples from comedian/hallucinogen enthusiast Bill Hicks (R.I.P.)
and ending, after a long line of sporadic verses by Maynard Keenan and experimental
solos by Adam Jones, with the brain-piercing chant, “PRYING OPEN MY THIRD EYE!”
sending apocalypse-sized chills down your spine as the album draws to a close.
The
rest of the album bounces back and forth between 6-10 minute songs, featuring
semi-poetic lyrics and rhythm patterns which would be nearly impossible to
follow to the inexperienced listener, and 30-second to 2-minute “filler”
tracks, which include anything from static noise to a recipe for “special”
cookies.
I do
not consider “(-) Ions” to be a “filler track, mainly because it’s 4:00 long. I
like to think of it as an instrumental, experimental ambient track, whose
sombre quietness helps the listener to take a breath after the previous track, “Pushit”
before plunging into the bewildering abyss of the “Third Eye.”
Also,
I disagree with the notion that “Ӕnema” doesn’t count as the title track
because one letter has been changed. The reason they changed the letter in the
tracklist is to make the metaphorical word contrast mentioned above more
apparent.
Once
again, if you love to “experience” music, especially music with psychedelic
elements, this is one album I suggest to try. However, if you’ve purchased this
album being someone who likes to listen to tracks at random and not give any of
it much thought, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Favorite Tracks:
1. Third Eye
2. Hooker With a Penis
3. Jimmy
4. Ӕnema
5. Stinkfist
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