The musical aspects of Ænima and the ritual "file under exercise**" have already been well-covered in the other reviews here. I'll cover an angle that I have never before read about this CD.

When mixing a record, it is common practice to bring in recordings of other songs, sounds, or whatever to use as references and / or "ear-cleaners".

This CD has become (for me at least) a Golden-Standard. The sound on it is SO well-produced that it serves as landmark; it not only sets a standard against which other works are measured, it is also like a lighthouse for those mixing new works. It helps one maintain or regain one's bearings in frequency-space.


** the comparison of one band to other bands such to allow those who know the music to market it to those who don't.

This is the record that started me on my tool journey- I was hooked. I would certainly recommend Lateralus and 10,000 days for those who are just discovering this amazing band.

"What A Bloody Bore" I thought to myself and sent about fifteen pieces of hate drenched rubbish hurtling into the trash. Some obscure form of Redneck Entertainment also crossed my mind. On a lighter note, it's just so tasteless.
And this is coming from someone who can even handle the "Dead Kennedys." At least there is some humor and political sentiment. Gothic Metal Bands are a much more mindful alternative to this ceaseless tirade of grating noise.
If the music only matched the artwork that created the covers.

Tool is the best modern rock/metal band today! Any metal fan already has this CD!

The first time I heard Tool, I was a sophomore in college and it was 1999. The song was "Stinkfist" and the song was like nothing I had ever heard before. The vocals, the sound...it was mesmerizing, edgy, and it blew me away. Tool was one of the bands that introduced me into a genre of music I would never have considered listening to before.

This album is one of the few that I could listen to over and over again and it's worth the money to purchase it. Forget about all this crap American Idol music you hear on the radio, that crap they call music from those mainstream pop acts. What you hear on the radio isn't music, the songs I hear on the local hits station all the time are a dime a dozen. Those performers you see on stage at venues such as the Grammy's, the Britney Spear's and Kelly Clarkson's of the pop mainstream world is not the type of music that will stay in your mind a decade later. You'll forget the songs and the singers because, in the end, they all sound a like.

Do yourself a favor, and try this album out. You won't regret it.