HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Ænima'' ( ) is the second studio album by American rock band
Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates b ...
. It was released in vinyl format on September 17, 1996, and in compact disc format on October 1, 1996, through Zoo Entertainment. The album was recorded and cut at
Ocean Way Recording Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates re ...
in Hollywood and The Hook in North Hollywood from 1995 to 1996. It is the first album by Tool to feature bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced original bassist
Paul D'Amour Paul D'Amour (born May 17, 1967) is an American musician and was the first bass guitarist for Tool. His bass sound is recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can be hear ...
the year prior. The album was produced by David Bottrill. The album debuted at No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart upon its initial release, selling 148,000 copies in its first week. It was certified triple platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
on March 4, 2003. The album appeared on several lists of the best albums of 1996, including that of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' and ''
Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
''. The track "Ænema" won the
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
in 1998. In 2003, ''Ænima'' was ranked the sixth most influential album of all time by ''Kerrang!'' ''Rolling Stone'' listed the album at No. 18 on its list of The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.


Background

''Ænima'' is Tool's first studio album with former
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...
bassist Justin Chancellor. The title ''Ænima'' is a combination of the words '
anima Anima may refer to: Animation * Ánima (company), a Mexican animation studio founded in 2002 * Córdoba International Animation Festival – ANIMA, in Argentina Religion and philosophy * Animism, the belief that objects, places, and creatur ...
' (Latin for 'soul' and associated with the ideas of "life force", and a term often used by
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the pre ...
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, ph ...
) and ' enema', the medical procedure involving the injection of fluids into the
rectum The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the sigmoid colon) at the l ...
.
Promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
s were issued, in order of release, for "
Stinkfist "Stinkfist" is a song by the American metal band Tool. It is their first industry single and first music video release from their second major label album ''Ænima''. Interpretation The song title, the lyrics and the perceived subject matter ...
", " H.", "
Ænema "Ænema" is a song by rock band Tool, released as the third single from their second major-label release ''Ænima''. Adam Jones made a video for the song using stop-motion animation; it is included in the ''Salival'' box set. The song reached ...
" and "
Forty-Six & 2 "Forty Six & 2" is a song by the American progressive metal band Tool. It was released as the fourth single from their second major record release ''Ænima'' in 1996 and received radio airplay. Title and theme A popular belief is that the so ...
" with just the first and third receiving music videos. Several of the songs are short
segue A segue (; ) is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next. The term is derived from Italian ''segue'', which literally means "follows". In music In music, ''segue'' is a direction to the performer. It means ''continue (the next ...
s or interludes that connect to longer songs, pushing the total duration of the CD towards the maximum of around 80 minutes. These segues are "Useful Idiot", "Message to Harry Manback", "Intermission", "Die Eier von Satan", "Cesaro Summability", and "(-) Ions".


Lyrics and themes

The liner notes included references to
dissociative Dissociatives, colloquially dissos, are a subclass of hallucinogens which distort perception of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment – dissociation – from the environment and/or self. Although many kinds of drugs are capable of ...
anesthesia Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prevention of pain), paralysis (muscle relaxation), ...
through
ketamine Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a recreational drug. It is one of the safest anesthetics, as, in contrast with opiates, ether, and propofol, it suppress ...
as well as
Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...
, "futants", ritual magic, and
religious fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishi ...
. The band dedicated the album to comedian
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
, who they felt was going in the same direction as them, and said this album was partly inspired by him. The inside cover displays art featuring a painting of a disabled patient that shows a resemblance to singer
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusci ...
and Bill Hicks depicted as a doctor or "healer" with the line, "Another Dead Hero". Demo versions of the songs "Stinkfist", "Eulogy", "Pushit", and "Ænema" were recorded with
Paul D'Amour Paul D'Amour (born May 17, 1967) is an American musician and was the first bass guitarist for Tool. His bass sound is recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can be hear ...
on bass, before he left the band. These appeared online in early 2007. D'Amour also worked on "H.", as he is credited as a co-songwriter on
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
's website. Speculation has surrounded the song "H." The "meaning" of this song has seldom been detailed by the band, as they do not regularly comment on such things. However, on several occasions, specifically on November 23, 1996, during a show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Keenan did grant some insight into the meaning of the song. Speaking to the audience, he said, "Any of you ever seen those old
Warner Bros. cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...
? Sometimes there's that one where the guy is trying to make a decision, and he's got an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Seems pretty obvious, right? The angel is trying to give him good advice while the devil is trying to get him to do what's bad for him. It's not always that simple, though. A lot of times they're not really angels or devils, but friends giving you advice, looking out for your best interest but not really understanding what's going to be best for you. So it kind of comes down to you. You have to make the decision yourself. This song is called 'H.'" The song was discussed live during a few other shows around this time, one example being on February 23, 1997, when Keenan introduced this song by referring to the shoulder angel and devil, and also said it is about a hurtful yet dependent relationship. In an interview Keenan gave in December 1996, he commented, "My son's name is Devo H. That's all I'll say." It is also of note that the song's working title was " Half Empty", as it was introduced during a mini-tour of California by the band in December 1995. The track "Useful Idiot" features the sound of the needle skipping at the end of a
gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts ne ...
growing louder as the track progresses. The track was set at the end of side 1 of the vinyl versions of ''Ænima'' as a joke to fool those who owned the version. The song (on vinyl) not only ends in a locked groove, which requires manual lifting of the needle to end playback, but also continues on the run-in groove of side 2. "Message to Harry Manback" features calming piano music and the background noises of seagulls while a profanity-laden message from an answering machine plays. The person who left the message was a visiting Italian friend of Green Jellÿ member Gary Helsinger. Helsinger and Keenan were roommates at the time of the incident and Helsinger had earlier ejected the guest from the apartment for eating most of their food and running up an excessive phone bill. The name "Harry Manback" is a reference to a comedy routine by
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
. A follow up message from the same guest became "Message to Harry Manback II", found on '' Salival'' which features strings instead of piano. " Hooker with a Penis" refers to a fan who accused the band of
selling out "Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal g ...
after their first EP. "OGT" is taken to stand for "Original Gangster Tool". Keenan whispers in the left channel throughout the song. At 1:41, "consume, be fruitful, and multiply" may be alluding to
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, which contains the phrase "be fruitful and multiply" six times. During
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
1997, a version of "Hooker with a Penis" remixed by Billy Howerdel in the form of
lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...
played over the
public address A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
system between sets. During 1996 concerts, Keenan told audiences that the song "Jimmy" is the sequel to " Prison Sex", and how it is about getting through the abuse. It is preceded by "Intermission", a short organ adaptation of the opening riff of "Jimmy". The fourth, and most controversial segue is the
NDH The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in ...
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...
track "Die Eier von Satan". It is introduced by a distorted bassline giving way to a heavy industrial guitar, starting at the :23 mark and lasting only ten seconds, playing a single chord in
Drop C tuning Drop C tuning is an alternative guitar tuning where at least one string has been lowered to a C, but most commonly refers to CGCFAD, which can be described as D tuning with a 6th string dropped to C, or drop D tuning transposed down a whole st ...
over a reversed drum beat in meter. The lyrics are performed in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
by Marko Fox, bass player for ZAUM and SexTapes. He is backed by a sound that resembles a hydraulic press, and crowd cheering and applause that increase in volume as the lyrics are read with increasing ferocity, with the greatest emphasis on the line "Und Keine Eier" ("And no eggs") which is repeated like a
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
. These combined effects make the song sound like a militant German rant or
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
rally. While the tone is aggressive, the speaker is merely reciting a recipe for a Mexican wedding cookie. The song was originally translated by Gudrun Fox. According to Blair McKenzie Blake, the maintainer of Tool's official website, "Die Eier von Satan" originally were cookies that "Marko Fox's grandmother used to bake for him as a child, without using eggs as an ingredient. The substitution for eggs is a magical incantation from the worm-eaten pages of some moldering
grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...
." This magical incantation ("sim salabim bamba sala do saladim") is taken from the German children's song " Auf einem Baum ein Kuckuck" and popularized by Harry August Jansen. According to the lyrics, the special
ingredient An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial product (business), products contain secret ingredie ...
besides this "incantation" is "a knife-tip of Turkish
hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitoring ...
". The title is a play on deviled eggs, translating to "The eggs of Satan" in English or "The balls of Satan", due to a German
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
of "eier". So far the only time it has been performed live in its entirety was on December 19, 1996, at the
Universal Amphitheatre Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles, California within Universal City. It was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a production of ''Jesus Christ ...
in Los Angeles. The track has been compared to the work of industrial and experimental artists such as
Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The group is currently composed of founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals; guitar; keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments; pe ...
, Rammstein and
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
. "Pushit" was titled as a single word to emphasize the ambiguity of the pronunciation in regard to the "s" word (push it on me/push shit on me). An alternate version of "Pushit" was performed live, including an Aloke Dutta
tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...
solo, and appears on '' Salival''. The song "Third Eye" contains samples of comedian
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
. The title may be a reference to Hicks' assertions that psilocybe mushrooms could be used to "squeegee ne'sthird eye clean." A goal of the album as a whole was to "open people up in some way and help open their third eye and help them on a path." "Ænema" makes lyrical references to Bill Hicks' set
Arizona Bay ''Arizona Bay'' is an album by American stand-up comedian and satirist Bill Hicks, posthumously released in 1997. Both this album and a similar album of new material, '' Rant in E-Minor'', were released posthumously by Rykodisc on February 25, 1 ...
, in which the
San Andreas fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal) ...
collapses, purging the continent of Southern California and the Baja Peninsula which would give Arizona its own oceanfront. This is further illustrated in the lenticular map under the CD tray. The alternate spelling for the song emphasizes the "enema" portion of the combined title also used for the album; in this way, it differentiates the meaning of the song (with California's collapse seen as a 'flushing out' for the country) from the meaning of the album (the "anima" emphasis indicating a spiritual, Jungian focus for the album in its entirety) while retaining the song's placement as the title track, though the differing spelling and pronunciation marks a different approach from other Tool albums that are named directly after songs (''Opiate'', ''Undertow'', ''Lateralus'' and ''Fear Inoculum)'' or sections of songs (''10,000'' ''Days).'' Many regional versions stated the track times for tracks 3 and 4 in reverse. This is noted on all pressings from Australia, UK, and Europe.


Artwork

The packaging for ''Ænima'' was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer(s), unless the performer is also the art dir ...
. North American pressings of the album were packaged in a custom
lenticular Lenticular is an adjective often relating to lenses. It may refer to: * A term used with two meanings in botany: see * Lenticular cloud, a lens-shaped cloud * Lenticular galaxy, a lens-shaped galaxy * Lenticular (geology), adjective describing a ...
jewel case (called a "Multi-Image CD case" in the liner notes) for the cover and interior disc tray. The cover art and other images in the liner notes can be set behind the lenticular "lens" to create an effect of sequential animation. European pressings of the CD featured a standard case, and the insert contained a catalog of sixteen fictional and humorously titled "other albums available by Tool". The special images used for the lenticular effect are: * Cam de Leon's painting ''Smoke Box'', with animated smoke and encompassing eyes. * A touched-up version of Cam de Leon's painting ''Ocular Orifice'', with the pupil of the eye animated to rotate completely around. * A photo of
contortion Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other liv ...
ist Alana Cain with her legs wrapped behind her head in what appears to be performing cunnilingus on herself. Shown sitting on a couch to the right are Danny Carey (nude) and Justin Chancellor. Adam Jones is squatting next to them while Maynard James Keenan, also nude, gets up to throw a single rose on the ground in front of Cain with his left hand covering his genitals. Another image of the contortionist can be seen on the disc itself. * An image of California before and after a major earthquake is shown in the tray behind where the disc lies – a reference to the song "
Ænema "Ænema" is a song by rock band Tool, released as the third single from their second major-label release ''Ænima''. Adam Jones made a video for the song using stop-motion animation; it is included in the ''Salival'' box set. The song reached ...
" and the ''
Arizona Bay ''Arizona Bay'' is an album by American stand-up comedian and satirist Bill Hicks, posthumously released in 1997. Both this album and a similar album of new material, '' Rant in E-Minor'', were released posthumously by Rykodisc on February 25, 1 ...
'' sketch by
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
. The inlay image of the US incorrectly depicts the
Oklahoma Panhandle The Oklahoma Panhandle (formerly called No Man's Land, the Public Land Strip, the Neutral Strip, or Cimarron Territory) is a salient in the extreme northwestern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, consisting of Cimarron County, Texas Cou ...
with Cimarron County being in the state of
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. It is unknown whether or not this was intentional.


Release and reception

Upon its release, ''Ænima'' was met with generally favorable reviews by mainstream music critics, citing the band's innovation and ambitions within the album's sound. Jon Wiederhorn of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' said that it was "one of 1996's strangest and strongest alt-metal records", while ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''s
Edna Gundersen Edna Gundersen is an American journalist who was a longtime music writer and critic for '' USA Today''. Gundersen grew up in El Paso, Texas. She attained a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso The University of Tex ...
wrote that "Tool moves to the front of the alterna-metal shop on its third and best release". ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' writer Sandy Masuo found that the band had successfully incorporated exotic instrumentation and sampling into their "raw, gripping rock" to give it "an even more exhilarating edge". David Fricke of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' said that Tool "shove their iron-spike riffing and shock-therapy polemics right up the claustrophobic dead end of so-called alternative metal in the name of a greater metaphysical glory", calling the album "very admirable" and "even a bit impressive". In a retrospective review of ''Ænima'',
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
writer Rob Theakston stated that on the album, "Tool explore the
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
territory previously forged by such bands as
King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
. However, Tool are conceptually innovative with every minute detail of their art, which sets them apart from most bands". Among mixed reviews, Chuck Eddy of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' found that while Jones had progressed as a guitarist, Keenan's vocal range remained limited: " eonly knows how to get intense by turning ugly; his vocals stretch only toward bullying low notes. In his upper register, instead of soaring, he settles for just mumbling blandly".
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the '' Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busine ...
, writing in '' The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'', found it inferior to later Tool albums: "With ''Ænima'', the band's ambitions nearly get the best of them. The increasing density of their relentlessly downcast music, augmented by occasional electronic noises, begins to feel ponderous. 'I've been wallowing in my own chaotic insecure delusions,' Maynard James Keenan mutters, and the music indulges him. The claustrophobic production doesn't help."


Accolades

The album appeared on several lists of the best albums of 1996, including that of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' and ''
Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
''. The track "Ænema" won the
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
in 1998. In 2003, ''Ænima'' was ranked the 6th most influential album of all time by ''Kerrang!'' In 2006, it placed 14th on a Guitar World readers poll that attempted to find the best 100 guitar albums. In 2014, readers of ''
Rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
'' voted it the third greatest drumming album in the history of progressive rock.


Track listing

Samples *
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
– audio sampled on "Third Eye".


Personnel

*
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusci ...
 – vocals * Adam Jones – guitars, production, artwork direction * Justin Chancellor – bass * Danny Carey – drums, percussion, samples


Additional personnel

* David Bottrill – piano and keyboards on "Message to Harry Manback" * Eban Schletter – organ on "Intermission" * Marko Fox – vocals on "Die Eier von Satan" * Chris Pitman – additional synthesizers on "Third Eye"


Production

* David Bottrill – producer, engineer, mixing * Alana Cain – model (contortionist) * Cam de Leon – artwork, computer illustration * Fabrico DiSanto – photography, photo assistance * Gudrun Fox – translation of "Die Eier von Satan" * Jeremy Glasgow – assistant percussionist * Concetta Halstead – producer, design * Billy Howerdel – guitar tech, '
Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture ( sound design, audio post-produ ...
' technician * Joel Larson * Karen Mason * Jeff Novack – photography * Mark Rappaport – effects consultant * Keith Willis – artwork, producer, art direction, paintings


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References


Sources

*


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aenima Tool (band) albums Albums produced by David Bottrill 1996 albums Zoo Entertainment (record label) albums