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Rating: FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: What do you think? I am perfectly aware that there are already other reviews of this epic on this very site, but there are two issues here: the first is that I have always, since I was an unwitting infant who knew nothing, done whatever the hell I wanted; the second is that it is never too late to thoroughly discuss beauty, whatever it may be. And then, bear with me, I turned eighteen a few days ago, and know that I am a very angry eighteen-year-old, with the world and the human species. This review is a portal I want to build for myself to scream this almost uncontrollable rage of mine to anyone who will have enough patience to listen to and embrace it.
I hope you can seriously reflect on this story of mine. If you don't, it will mean that I have not done my job well, and I will take full responsibility for it. But give me a minimum of trust, so that I can work on it and return an emotion to you. Or at least, this is my aim.
REVIEW: And, all of a sudden, the lights turned off violently, leaving a cold atmosphere with no marked direction. Where will these little puppets go to crash? What will their next wrong move be? How willing are they to look within themselves at the origin of this decay that led them to this delirium? And even if by incredible and unpredictable miracle they succeed, do they still have time to figure something out?
No, it's not the ending of a dramatic film, and if you haven't realized it either, then the situation is even worse. What I have just described is the world we live in, the one we have decided to live in. Because I, on this point, admit no misunderstanding: human beings have consciously and happily decided to build a world where injustice and irrationality reign. The disgust and anger I feel in front of all this have reached such high levels that they keep me up at night; a feeling of despair and profound sadness in front of the fact that there are people in this World who endure terrible sufferings and pains, which, as far as I see, seem to afflict only me. Or maybe not only. I mean, almost. But, in fact, there is another human being who, over the course of his life, has drawn the same evident and painful conclusions as mine, coming to curse this atrocious reality. I feel I have immediately connected with him, for the alignment of visions and even the attitude towards this alienating and destructive society. His name is Maynard James Keenan, and this album is his powerful and violent declaration of intent, unequivocal and glaring.
In 1996, this 32-year-old man is the singer and lyricist of the most mysterious, dark, and elusive band in the World music scene: the TOOL. It's useless to attempt classifying their music since their sound is so unique and complex that it doesn’t admit any type of categorization. Besides, they seem to agree with such a consideration. Just know that their music is as complex as it is exciting, cerebral as it is emotional, fierce as it is disillusioned. Impossible to completely decipher them, practically absurd not to be ecstatic and amazed by the musical and moral greatness brought by this band.
After releasing an EP full of violence and a debut album that is absolutely resentful and fierce, four years into the new millennium, the TOOL take flight definitively with a record destined to remain in the annals. Giving (probably unintentionally) a very important energetic push for the conception and composition of this album is a dear friend of the band: Bill Hicks; an American comedian (like the band, which hails from Los Angeles), unfortunately already deceased very young at the time of the album's release, who, also evidently resentful for the moral misery afflicting the human race, used to propose very edgy sketches, which explicitly struck at the customs and attitudes of American society, highlighting all its contradictions and its disgusting discriminatory behaviors.
Combining their sparkling madness (a trait of all geniuses) and their varied culture, the four from Los Angeles print an incredibly profound work, where darkness, claustrophobia, and rage dominate. The reflection that emerges is very strong and extremely evocative, leaving listeners astonished, feeling now attacked, now insecure, now disgusted by the human misery presented in the lyrics, and finally left with an imposing load of powerful, unforgettable, and indelible feelings, becoming a guide through the gratuitous and unwanted pains and wickedness of life on Earth.
The only two "straightforward" tracks in this work are "Stinkfist" and "Hooker With A Penis", which somehow represent the only episodes that could perhaps have been included without any problem in the previous album, even though they still represent a clear evolution. They are the only two songs that aren't particularly dark and gloomy, and although the first is extremely elusive about its message, the second represents a heavy outburst from Maynard (and the rest of the band through the music, especially that extraordinary guitarist Adam Jones) against a fan - or purported fan - who, sometime earlier, had made a rather absurd and unlikely accusation against the band, namely, that the band had sold out to the public, becoming, therefore, more commercial with their first album Undertow, thus "denying" the path inaugurated with their debut EP Opiate... ... ... pure madness, stupidity at exorbitant levels, frightening and appalling ignorance. If there is a band that never, ever granted anything to their audience, it’s the TOOL. And in response, the band demolishes this subject, dedicating an entire song full of sarcasm and denigration. I wonder if this person ever had the courage to put their nose tip outside the door. I’ll remain with the doubt.
The rest of the album, however, is an authentic journey through the infernos of the human species' soul, full of thorny branches and fog colored black. The two most enigmatic, profound, and disturbing episodes, in this sense, are "H." and "Forty Six & 2", two thematically opposite songs, practically two tracks that hold hands and make their way together, just like two people lost in a dark cave who, aware of their dramatic fate, embrace tightly and transmit strength and courage to one another. The first is a strenuous admission of one's pathetic moral condition, filled with echoes of the past and allusions to betrayal and temptation. Probably inspired by the birth of Maynard's first child (Devo H. Keenan, ed.), it could be the narrative of the close bond that unites the two. The guitar build-up of the song is damnably sublime: as calm and reflective at the beginning as it is explosive and out of its mind at the end. The general atmosphere that pervades the song is dark, obscure, gloomy, almost like discovering a chest containing our soul; the chest, opening slowly, reveals its content, and thus the song explodes into a furious and powerful finale. It is a continuous succession of strong and intense sensations, which do nothing but remind us that instead of flesh, we are souls, spirits, alive and real. It's not little, trust me.
The second of the two songs, however, is a triumph of genius and vision. Although it remains to this day an absolutely and damnably cryptic track, one can still try to reconstruct its fundamental underlying message, namely personal evolution and self-discovery, to grow as people and as living species, so we can finally unite as one and have full respect for one another, as it should absolutely be. The song, musically, is indescribable: humanity has yet to find adequate words to describe its power and impressive emotional impact. The guitar build-up is scream-worthy, and Maynard's gives you chills. It sounds like a demon from some dimension to awaken the consciences of the asleep. More than a demon: humans, if anything, are the demons, inflicting harm and pain on others daily. How can one live in such a mean and sick world? Answer: one shouldn’t live there. We must change it, improve it. Probably, this song is mostly about this.
One of the absolute peaks of the album is undoubtedly "Pushit", a megagalactic track introduced by an extraordinary guitar riff that immediately sneaks into the listener's heart, leading to an intense and passionate experience, which likely narrates a toxic and humiliating relationship, of which, however (a striking fact), only one of the two parties is aware of; a concept that will be revisited in that total and magnificent masterpiece that will be "Schism," contained in the subsequent record to this.
The last two tracks are the ones that, perhaps, most encapsulate, in their entirety, the mood that runs throughout the album. The semi-title track, "Ænema", is a concentrated dose of fury and devastation, leaving nothing behind. The guitar riffs are simply imposing, colossal, and supreme, played with a very interesting and challenging technique to master in the way Adam Jones manages. The song evolves, somersaults over itself, falls apart, and recomposes, but the ensemble that eventually emerges is epochal and harmonious; a moment of notable musical genius, denoting a deep love for music and one's compositional vein. In the lyrics, Maynard explicitly clings against the city of Los Angeles, criticizing its superficiality and focus on totally irrelevant elements, if not even harmful, for the general and overall well-being, sparing no harsh words for all its inhabitants (clearly calling them addicts) and not hesitating to wish for the entire city to sink into the ocean. Pretty much what I sometimes think about my city too (trust me, I detest it more than you can imagine. It's a bit like the Los Angeles of Italy, in a sense).
With "Third Eye", instead, we soar to stellar and intergalactic levels, rarely touched in one's insignificant existence. It is a 13-minute psychedelic trip, inaugurated by Bill Hicks' speech about the influence of drugs (especially acids) on an artist's creative flow (he himself made massive use of them during his youth). Impossible to describe the music: it's so unique and unprecedented that it cannot be compared to anything normally heard. The truth is, in some cases, one can only listen to a song and absorb its energy and emotion, which remain indescribable and implanted in the mind and heart of those who lived. Do you want to travel to never come back? Listen to this track's version in Salival, a live album released about 4 years after this record; you’ll never come back to Earth.
Ah, and one more thing: I can only take immense pleasure in noticing how one of the most disgusting and questionable human beings that have ever existed, namely Ron L. Hubbard, is mentioned and totally destroyed by the good Maynard in this record. First, in "Eulogy," although it has never been officially confirmed, and then explicitly in "Ænema," where he sends him, with extreme calm, to hell. Absolutely legitimate.
At this point, one is left staring into the void, possibly with the lights turned off around, with the feeling of having just perceived, for 77 minutes, true and unforgettable emotions amid a total void, represented by our society. This record is one of the last examples of committed music, committed to shedding a bit of light on the thousand shadows of our existence, indicating a path in life. 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. It is a work that sends a strong and clear message, a spiritual journey, a last warning before Armageddon, from which there will be no return. Perhaps we are already there, indeed we surely are, given that by now an infinity of human beings has paid too high a price for man's wickedness and moral poverty. Those who do not choose to embrace what this record communicates will remain in eternal oblivion, living a life devoid of colors and spirituality. But what kind of life is this? Perhaps it is precisely to them that the most important meaning of this record is addressed: wake up now, or sink forever. Hard, once again, to prove Maynard wrong.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Stinkfist (05:11)
Something has to change
Undeniable dilemma
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear
Constant over-stimulation numbs me
But I would not want you any other way
Just
[It's] Not enough
I need more
Nothing seems to satisfy
I said
I don't want it
I just need it
To breathe
To feel
To know I'm alive
Finger deep within the borderline
Show me that you love me and that we belong together
Relax, turn around and take my hand
I can help you change
Tired moments into pleasure
Say the word and we'll be well upon our way
Blend and balance
Pain and comfort
Deep within you
'Til you will not want me any other way
But it's not enough
I need more
Nothing seems to satisfy
I said
I don't want it
I just need it
To breathe
To feel
To know I'm alive
Knuckle deep inside the borderline
This may hurt a little but it's something you'll get used to
Relax, slip away
There's something kinda sad about
The way that things have come to be
Desensitized to everything
What became of subtlety?
How can this mean anything to me
If I really don't feel anything at all?
Yeah...
I'll keep digging
Until I feel something
Elbow deep inside the borderline
Show me that you love me and that we belong together
Shoulder deep within the borderline
Relax, turn around and take my hand
02 Eulogy (08:29)
He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say
We'll miss him
We'll miss him
He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say
We'll miss him
We'll miss him
We're gonna miss him
We're gonna miss him
Well so long now
We wish you well
You told us how you weren't afraid to die
Well so long
Don't cry
Or feel too down
Not all martyrs see divinity
But at least you tried
Standing above the crowd
He had a voice that was strong and loud
We'll miss him
I'll miss him
Ranting and pointing his finger
At everything but his heart
We'll miss him
I'll miss him
We're gonna miss him
We're gonna miss him
There's no way
To recall
What it was that you had said to me
Like I care at all
But it was so loud
You sure could yell
You took a stand on every little thing
And so loud
Standing above the crowd
He had a voice that was strong and loud and I
Swallowed his facade 'cause I'm so
Eager to identify with
Someone above the ground
Someone who seemed to feel the same
Someone prepared to lead the way and
Someone who would die for me
Will you?
Will you now?
Would you die for me?
Don't you fuckin' lie
Don't you step outta line
Don't you step outta line
Don't you step outta line
Don't you fuckin' lie
You've claimed all this time
That you would die for me
Why then are you so surprised
When you hear your own eulogy?
He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say
He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say
Come down
Get off your fuckin' cross
We need the fuckin' space
To nail the next fool martyr
To ascend, you must die
You must be crucified
For our sins and our lies
Goodbye
05 Forty Six & 2 (06:04)
Join in my.. join in my child
And listen.. digging through my old numb shadow
Shadow's shedding skin, I've been picking scabs again
I'm down digging through my old muscles looking for a clue
I've been crawling on my belly clearing out what could've been
I've been wallowing in my own confused insecure delusions
For a piece to cross me over or a word to guide me in
I wanna feel the changes coming down
I wanna know what I've been hiding
In my shadow
My shadow
Change is coming through my shadow
My shadow shedding skin
I've been picking my scabs again
Join in my.. join in my child
Shadow's closer to me...
I've been crawling on my belly clearing out what could've been
I've been wallowing in my own chaotic insecure delusions
I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured
In my shadow
My shadow
Change is coming
Now is my time
Listen to my muscle memory
Contemplate what I've been clinging to
Forty six and two ahead of me
I choose to live and to grow
Take and give and to move
Learn and love and to cry
Kill and die and to be
Paranoid and to lie
Hate and fear and to do
What it takes to move through
I choose to live and to lie
Kill and give and to die
Learn and love and to do
What it takes to step through
See my shadow changing
Stretching up and over me
Soften this old armor
Hoping I can clear the way by
Stepping through my shadow
Coming out the other side
Step into the shadow
Forty six and two just ahead of me
07 Hooker With a Penis (04:34)
I met a boy
Wearing Vans, 501's
And a dope Beastie tee, nipple rings, new tattoos that claimed that he
Was OGT
After '92
From The first EP
And in between
Sips of Coke
He told me that
He thought
We were sellin' out
Layin' down
Suckin' up
To the man
Well now I've got some
Advice for you, little buddy
Before you point the finger
You should know that I'm the man
If I'm the man
Then you're the man
And he's the man as well
So you can point that fuckin' finger up your ass
All you know about me is what I've sold you
Dumb fuck
I sold out long before you ever even heard my name
I sold my soul to make a record
Dip shit
And then you bought one
I've got some
A-dvice for you, little buddy
Before you point your finger
You should know that I'm the man
If I'm the fuckin' man
Then you're the fuckin' man as well
So you can point that fuckin' finger up your ass
All you know about me is what I've sold you
Dumb fuck
I sold out long before you ever even heard my name
I sold my soul to make a record
Dip shit
And then you bought one
All you read and
Wear or see and
Hear on TV
Is a product
Begging for your
Fatass dirty
Dollar
Shut up and
Buy, buy, buy, my new record
Buy, buy, buy
Send more money
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
09 jimmy (05:24)
What was it like to see
The face of your own stability
Suddenly look away
Leaving you with the dead and hopeless?
Eleven and she was gone
Eleven is when we waved goodbye
Eleven is standing still,
Waiting for me to free him
By coming home.
Moving me with a sound
Opening me within a gesture.
Drawing me down and in,
Showing me where it all began,
Eleven.
It took me so long to realize
You were the voice that's been calling me back home.
Under a dead Ohio sky
Eleven has been and will be waiting,
Defending his light,
And wondering
Where the hell have I been?
Sleeping, lost and numb.
So glad that I have found you.
I am wide awake and heading home.
I wish that I could see you
Turn and run to play
Dreams are fading
Carry my ancient soul.
Carry me into the light
Aim your body heavenly
Enduring a memory
I'll come to your light.
Open your light
Point your light
Hold your light where I can see
Hold your light,
Eleven.
Lead me through each gentle step by step
By inch by loaded memory.
I'll move to heal
As soon as pain allows so we can
Reunite and both move on together.
Hold your light,
Eleven. Lead me through each gentle step
By step
By inch by loaded memory
'till one and one are one, Eleven,
So glow, child, glow
I'm heading back home.
10 Die Eier von Satan (02:17)
Eine halbe Tasse Staubzucker
Ein viertel Teelöffel Salz
Eine Messerspitze türkisches Haschisch
Ein halbes Pfund Butter
Ein Teelöffel Vanillenzucker
Ein halbes Pfund Mehl
Einhundertfünfzig Gramm gemahlene Nüsse
Ein wenig extra Staubzucker
... und keine Eier
In eine Schüssel geben
Butter einrühren
Gemahlene Nüsse zugeben und
Den Teig verkneten
Augenballgroße Stücke vom Teig formen
Im Staubzucker wälzen und
Sagt die Zauberwörter
Simsalbimbamba Saladu Saladim
Auf ein gefettetes Backblech legen und
Bei zweihundert Grad für fünfzehn Minuten backen
und KEINE EIER
Bei zweihundert Grad für fünfzehn Minuten backen
und Keine Eier ..
(in english) THE EGGS OF SATAN
Half a cup of dust sugar
One quarter teaspoon of salt
One pinch Turkish hashish
One half pound of butter
One teaspoon of vanilla sugar
One half pound of flour
150 gram ground nuts
A little extra dust sugar
... and no eggs
Into a bowl give
Butters stir in
Ground nuts admit and
Knead the dough
Eye Ball size piece of the dough molds
In the dust sugar rolls and
Say the magic word
Abracadabra
On a greased griddle puts and
With two hundred degrees bake for fifteen minutes
and NO EGGS
With two hundred degrees bake for fifteen minutes
and no eggs..
(in accurate english)
The Eggs of Satan
Half a cup of powdered sugar
One quarter teaspoon of salt
One pinch Turkish hashish
One half pound of butter
One teaspoon of vanilla sugar
One half pound of flour
150 grams ground nuts
A little extra powdered sugar
... and no eggs
Place in a bowl
Stir in butters
Mix in ground nuts and
Knead the dough
Mold into Eye Ball sized balls
Roll in the powdered sugar and
Say the magic word
Abracadabra
Put on a greased griddle and
Bake for fifteen minutes at two hundred degrees
and NO EGGS
Bake for fifteen minutes at two hundred degrees
and no eggs..
11 Pushit (09:56)
I saw the gap again today
While you were begging me to stay
Take care not to make me enter
If I do we both may disappear
Know that I will choke until I swallow
Choke this infant here before me
What is this but my reflection?
Who am I to judge or strike you down?
But you're
Pushing, shoving; pushing, shoving
Pushing and shoving me; pushing and shoving me
And you still love me; you still love me
Push it on me; you shit on me
Rest your trigger on my finger
Bang my head upon the fault line
You better take care not to make me enter
Cause if I do we both may disappear
But you're
Pushing, shoving; pushing, shoving
Pushing me and shoving me; pushing and shoving me
And you still love me; you still love me
Push it on me; you shit on me
And you're pushing me and shoving me
Slipping back into the gap again
I'm alive when you're touching me
Alive when you're shoving me down
But I'd trade it all
For just a little
Piece of mind
Pushit on me...Pushit on me...
You're pushing, shoving, scrambling
To keep my feet down on the ground
I am somewhere I don't want to be, here
Push me somewhere I don't want to be
Put me somewhere I don't want to be
Seeing someplace I don't want to see
Never wanna see that place again
I saw the gap again today
While you were begging me to stay
Managed to push myself away,
And you, as well, my dear
If, when I say I may fade like a sigh if I stay,
You minimize my movement anyway,
I must persuade you another way
Pushing and shoving and pushit on me...
There's no love in fear
Staring down the hole again
Your hands are on my back again
Survival is my only friend
Terrified of what may come
Remember I will always love you
As I claw your fucking throat away
But it will end no other way
It will end no other way
13 Ænema (06:40)
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit, three ring
Circus sideshow of
Freaks here in this
Hopeless fucking
Hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is
To flush it all away
Any fucking time
Any fucking day
Learn to swim
See you down in
Arizona Bay
Fret for your figure
And fret for your latte
And fret for your lawsuit
And fret for your hairpiece
And fret for your Prozac
And fret for your pilot
And fret for your contract
And fret for your car
It's a bullshit, three ring
Circus sideshow of
Freaks here in this
Hopeless fucking
Hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is
To flush it all away
Any fucking time
Any fucking day
Learn to swim
See you down in
Arizona Bay
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still
Followed by millions of dumb-founded dipshits
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Stupid shit
Silly shit
Stupid shit
One great big festering neon distraction
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Mom's gonna fix it all soon
Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it oughta be
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck L. Ron Hubbard
And fuck all his clones
Fuck all these gun-toting
Hip gangster wanna-bes
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck retro anything
Fuck your tattoos
Fuck all you junkies
And fuck your short memory
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas
Fuck these dysfunctional, insecure actresses
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
I'm praying for rain
I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way
I wanna watch it all go down
Mom, please flush it all away
I wanna see it go right in and down
I wanna watch it go right in
Watch you flush it all away
Yeah, time to bring it down again
Yeah, don't just call a pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend
I wanna see it come down
Plug it down
Suck it down
Flush it down
15 Third Eye (13:47)
See I think drugs have done good things for us, I really do.
And if you don't believe that drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor.
Go home tonight, take all your albums, all your tapes, and all your cds and burn them.
'Cause you know what, the musicians who made all that great music that has enhanced your lives throughout the years?
Real fucking high on drugs.
Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed into a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather.
It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom is what it is, OK? Keep that in mind at all times, thank you.
Dreaming of that face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide and
Comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
On my back and tumbling
Down that hole and back again
Rising up and wiping the
Webs and the dew from my withered eye.
In..Out..In..Out..In..Out
A child's rhyme stuck in my head
It said that life is but a dream
I've spent so many years in question
To find I've known this all along.
So good to see you
I've missed you so much.
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running away?
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running?
Shroud-ing all the ground around me
Is this holy crow above me.
Black as holes within a memory
And blue as our new second sun.
I stick my hand into his shadow
To pull the pieces from the sand.
Which I attempt to reassemble
To see just who I might have been.
I do not recognize the vessel,
But the eyes seem so familiar.
Like phosphorescent desert buttons
Singing one familiar song....
So good to see you.
I've missed you so much,
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much.
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running away?
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running away?
Prying open my third eye.(x4)
So good to see you once again.
I thought that you were hiding.
You thought that I had run away.
Chasing the tail of a dogma
Opened my eye
Opened my eye
Opened my eye....and there we were.
So good to see you once again.
I thought that you were hiding from me.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing the trail of smoke and reason.
Prying open my third eye.(x10)
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Other reviews
By Darksoul
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.
By Er Ribelle
Ænima is without a doubt one of the best albums released in the last twenty years.
Tool never disappoint, truly never: from record releases to music videos, from album booklets to concerts.
By Nando77
"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?)."
By lucarandi80
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.
