"Ænima" is without a doubt one of the best albums released in the last twenty years. I'm certain of it. It's a fantastic album because it doesn't give you time to get distracted; there's no track that's either too repetitive or too banal, even though some tracks last almost or more than 10 minutes.
The technique of the album is impeccable; at first listen, the riffs of the guitarist Adam Jones may seem simple (and indeed they are), but without a doubt, they are very clear, decisive, and powerful. Another characteristic of Tool is the bass lines that are always very precise (see "Forty-six & 2"). Precision rules, practically. And it couldn’t be otherwise, being that Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor are real "metronome-men" (and that's not an insult, eh...). Not to mention the drummer Danny Carey, a true wizard (listen to the last track of the CD "Third Eye"). Meanwhile, the leader Maynard James Keenan completes everything excellently.
It's not easy listening, "Ænima": it needs to be on your CD player very frequently. Only then will you appreciate the quality of the album. Released in 1996 (the same year that saw the release of "Life Is Peachy" by Korn and "Evil Empire" by Rage Against The Machine), "Ænima" is the continuation of the band's unique and phenomenal style, started with "Lateralus" and then arriving at the CD in question.
Tool never disappoint, truly never: from record releases to music videos, from album booklets to concerts.
True masters.
You son of a bitch, do you know you're a piece of shit?
(...) Enough, piece of shit, son of a bitch
(...)Die, piece of shit, and go suck some dicks on a plane.
MESSAGE TO HARRY MANBACK
Ænima is a window into the most complex and profound darkness, a restless journey that leaves you breathless.
Even one note less would have diminished everything else.
"Stinkfist is perhaps the most listenable track on the album, a mix of anger and desperation and a masterpiece."
"The album changes the way of understanding music (does that sound insignificant to you?)."
Ænima is a miracle of about eighty minutes with no weak points or decline in style.
Thirteen minutes of pure psychedelic rock, hallucinogenic and otherworldly sounds that we cannot simply define as music.
This album is not a moment; it’s a whole life, and it is precisely this that elevates it to a colossal, unrepeatable, and magical work.
His name is Maynard James Keenan, and this album is his powerful and violent declaration of intent, unequivocal and glaring.