Clearly one would be hard pressed to name a major band that has ever been more cloaked in mystery and intrigue than Tool. From their earliest days in 1992, following the release of their debut EP 'Opiate' the band began perfecting their unique formula for success. By the time of their first Album 'Undertow' the plan for world domination was well in motion; create some of the most thought-provoking, experimental and downright amazing music in the world, release it on an unsuspecting public with a certain level of disturbing imagery, accompany it with mind blowing live shows and with the terrifying, captivating and award winning videos for 'Prison Sex' and 'Sober' you have probably grabbed everyones attention. Along the way avoid most interviews, promos & photos and with the small amount of information that is available, make it just obscure enough to maintain the curisoity of the masses. The whole point of these anti-marketing efforts is to what end?
Well, to the guys in Tool - It's about the music.
People enjoy music on many levels. Some people enjoy it sonically – they just dig the riffs, beats and melodies in the music because they make them feel something, for whatever reason. Some people really get lost in the lyrics and what they mean, whether that be what the band intended them to mean, or their own interpretation. Others admire technical perfection, the mastery of sections that are really difficult to play. Tool create music that works on so many levels, for so many people, for so many reasons. Don't be drawn into comparisons or genres here, i know plenty of people who love Tool but dislike heavy music.
"Our music has to inspire us and make us think- and it has to inspire everyone who hears it. It must make them think too, If it doesn't do that, then what was the point of making it in the first place?"
So with a phenomenal debut ('Undertow') behind them, Tool released the difficult second album.
Far from the rushed, overproduced and poorly written tripe that artists so often cough up on their second release, Tool made what is quite possibly the finest album of the nineites - in 1996 along came Ænima.
For me this is one of 'those' albums - one that changes your life.
I was brought up on a steady diet of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, a bit of Elvis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. (Isn't hindsight is a majestic thing - thanks Dad) Then my tastes matured, young ears discoverd new sounds, not liking much of it (to this day i still can not listen to commercial radio) and then of course I, like everyone else at the time, became totally absorbed in the in Nirvana, Pearl Jam & Soundgarden. Despite this shaping my formative years of music with an alternative and somewhat anti authoritarian outlook of the world, i have considered myself always very open minded when it comes to music. By this stage I had been through a metal phase (and just so we are clear it was proper old school metal - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and Sepultura, not Poison and Skid Row) and was pretty happy where music was at, alternative, but then along came Ænima.
Tool pursued their vision as artists to create a brilliant and original album. This is one of the most complex albums i have ever heard, both lyrically and musically. To properly sit and listen to this album in its entirety can be almost overwhelming. Musically it can be confronting, with layers of expertly crafted riffs and sounds driving and intensifying to build towards a climax and provide an amazing base for lyrics that are confronting, through provoking and deep - very deep. It is an absolute experience, an emotional and sometimes fearsome journey that is a cerebral joy. If you do not like deep, dark, cathartic and artsy music you might not get what Aenima is about, but why underestimate yourself?
Ænima is constantly elapsing into new and ethereal territory, as each track rolls right off the other. Each track sets the mood for the next and the album just flows. It works on so many levels it's simply insane. It could stand alone as one of the best rock albums ever, it's possibly one of the most innovative pieces of music out there and could well be the smartest musically and lyrically you'll ever hear.
For me the lyrical focus is on philosophy and spirituality, it deals constantly with themes of change, rebirth, destruction and reconstruction, realisation and new beginnings. The title of the album finds its roots in the psychology of Carl Jung and this album is heavily influenced (in my opinion) by his writings. This is a dark, disturbing journey through the ugly underbelly of the human mind. No singer captures the ambivalence and terror of the human experience as well as Maynard James Keenan. When he and his bandmates are at full speed, they're untouchable. It is hard to beleive that the sounds on this album come from one guitar, one bass, one drum kit and when you add Maynards voice, which is an instrument in its own right, you have a combination that is breathtaking.
The album opens with the anthemic Stinkfist. Seeming to be a relatively simple song about addiction, Stinkfist uses the rather disgusting metaphor of fisting (think body cavity search fetish and you’re on the right track) to convey both the extent of addiction and the incremental increase in desperation in the addict — to find or feel something alive and hopeful in themselves. The search can, of course, ultimately lead only to recovery or destruction. Widely banned or strongly censored by commercial radio in conservative countries, it has been suggested that the offensive metaphor acts as a challenging entrance to the album; those not willing to look and think beyond superficial meanings should turn back now.
Another interpretation, this one raised by Maynard in an interview, relates to digging and pushing through one’s own self, particularly through layers of ugliness, to reach something valuable and enlightening.
The thunderous bass and intricate drumming build through the song with a great guitar riff, all beautifully supported by maynard moving his voice between a whisper (in portugese) a sweet melody and a vicious roar. An exceptional song to open an exceptional album.
To me at least, Eulogy is a relatively straightforward (for Tool) and aggressive work against the betrayal and misleadership of martyrs. Im content with holding the target of the song as representative of any or all false martyrs, however there has long been intrigue into just who the martyr might be. There is very solid case to make that the song is written for the late political comedian, Bill Hicks. Strongly and vocally opinionated, intelligent, articulate, pro-drug, vehemently opposed to U.S. hegemony and the armed forces, Hicks was a close friend of the band, and it is believed that his influence on Maynard was significant. Other ideas floated include Henry Rollins, Jesus himself (although i doubt this) Kurt Cobain etc etc.
Its an angry song and it definetley directed at someone, when sings
"Come down.......Get off your fuckin cross......We need the fuckin space.......... to nail the next fool martyr"you can just hear the venom in his voice. The guitar in this song is amazing and the huge bass and drums again provide a rich texture. Amazing.
'H' is an extremely powerful and emotional song seemingly about the birth of Maynards son. He once said in an interview when asked about who or what is H - "My son’s name is Devo H. That’s all I’ll say." It couild be about Heroin addiction but i doubt that somehow. It seems to be in reference to his sons birth and of seeing elements of himself in him. He has concerns about the cyclic nature of abuse and doubts about his ability as a father and a concern that his past will compromise his ability to be a good father father, while on the other hand, the love for his son calls him to open up vulnerabilies and compassions that abuse may have hardened in him. Too connected to his son to escape his fears by simply leaving; as this new relationship forms and grows, the father is changing and his hardened self is weakening. He finally opens up and lets his defences down.
His love for his son is enough to defeat his inner demons and he comes to realize that there were many times like this when he should have opened up and been more emotionally honest. Demons defeated and looking forward now, he is free and able to love with commitment again. The future is full of possibility.
I think this song is really pivotal on the album, if you like it represents the end of the 'opening stanza' that is filled with agression and anger but its like something changes here. Change finally brought about by the birth of his son. The music here completments this change so well. Starting off with a beautiful timed drum beat with a soft hi-hat you again see the technical brilliance of a man widely acclaimed as the best drummer in the business. The intro is in a fantastic sounding minor key, the rise and fall of the guitar with the mood, the changing nature of Maynards voice is on show as always - His ability to hold a note for an astonishing period of time is on show here and if you have ever seen it live, it is a definite concert highlight.
The next short track is Useful idiot - the sound of a vinyl record at the end of its play, with the needle bumping up against the end of its track. More evidence that it is changing time.
Forty-Six & 2 makes many people’s list as one of the greatest rock epics of all time and really is one of the pivotal tracks on the album, being extremely focused and summary of the themes of change and rebirth that make up Ænima. While it is perhaps one of the most concise and punchy tracks on the album, it is also one of the most densely layered, making reference to several schools of thought on life, consciousness, humanity, change and personal evolution. It s a deep song again containing a number of Jungian references, particularly the 'shadow'. For me its the start of change, clearly highlighted by
"I’ve been crawling on my belly, Clearing out what could’ve been, I’ve been wallowing in my own confused and 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".Again though the music is just phenomenal. Such a brilliant guitar riff, the unbeleiveable percussion and bass combination and the prescence of the voice. Mindblowing.
Message to Harry Manback serves to break things up, its an actual answering machine recording from a friend of Maynards, i guess they thought it was amusing.
Hooker with a Penis is Tool’s blatent comment on consumerism and the somewhat contrieved notion of bands ‘selling out’ — something that suspiciously coincides with a band breaching a certain threshold of popularity or commercial success...... but the song talks about the sacrifices made and the tangled mess of corporate power. Its a great song that might not have the depth of the others but serves its purpose here.
Intermission is a short electronic organ mutation of the next song, Jimmy, but its light hearted carnival and childish nature belies what is about to come......
Jimmy is another extremely personal song by Maynard, seemingly about his childhood. Continuing with the change theory, He has realiseds that his problems are rooted in a trauma that he suffered when he was eleven. Taken autobiographically, the singer is likely referring to an accident that his mother suffered when he was eleven that left her paralysed and unable to care for him. Clearly, his mother’s paralysis caused the singer some significant trauma, and by recognising this, he is able to work through the conflicted and painful emotions that he felt in order to finally overcome it. A slow song that builds towards a realisation both lyrically and musically. The power builds as the lyrics relect an understanding of what needs to be done and finshes with "i'm heading back home".
The indsutrial Die Eier von Satan (or the eggs of satan for those not versed in German) might seem bizzare at first, but it serves a purpose here. The moral to this one is that things are not always as they seem. Tool’s most consistant message to their listeners is that they should think for themselves, and “question everything”. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise then that what sounds like a Nazi propaganda rally is actually a recipe for hash cookies. There is also a parallel between the reactions of people to perceived evils – those who would be up in arms about “that Nazi song” might just be the very same who would be outraged that a band would condone drugs and give you a good recipe for cookies. Think for yourself.......
and now we move into the last stanza, the final three songs that are just mindblowing.
Pushit is one of the reasons I love music. It describes the singer’s experiences as he confronts the most painful part of his journey - separating himself from an abusive relationship. Speculation again, an adult partner, abuse as a child, many theories abound, however what is clear is that the intensity and emotion evident in Pushit suggests that this is the most painful part of the whole 'process' that the album is detailing. To listen to this can be an experience in itself. To see it live (Tool have played this three of the four times i have seen the band) is confirmation about the emotion in this song. It is powerfully real and terryifying, yet this serves to create one of the most staggering songs i have ever heard and, as previously mentioned, seen live a number of times. The lyrics are clearly painful to Maynard and the platform that he gets to perform on, a grinding, building riff on a wonderfull guitar effect, backed by some unbeleiveable drumming with masterful cymbal work and brilliant timing changes that blow me away every single time i hear it. It all leads to a mamoth lyrical and musical finale that stays with you long after it has finished.
Cesaro summability is another short intelude, basically a crying baby. Cesaro summability is a mathematical method that determines the summability of a sequence when it is not summable by standard means – basically any infinite sequence either diverges on a constant or goes to infinity. Tool use a lot of mathematics in their music, especially their timing and Danny Careys drums (the laterulus album makes heavy use of Fibonacci sequences) Birth, babies, same themes again but the song serves a lead into.....
The title track (although spelt differently), Ænema makes extensive use of hemiola, a musical technique in which the emphasis on timing changes (especially by the drummer) through repeated parts create an awesome effect.. For example, during the first verse, the beat appears to be in 4/4 timing, while toward the middle of the song when the lyrics from the first verse are repeated, the beat is in 3/4 timing. You can hear it and it is just noticeable but somehow alluring. The ever present guitar and drums just dominate here, a big guitar riff and a great beat help maynard tell the tale of seperating himself from society. Again the band reference the late great Bill Hicks’ stand-up comedy, Arizona Bay. In it, Hicks suggests that Los Angeles is beyond the moral point of no return, and ought to be destroyed for the good of the world. Buliding on that theme the lyrics talk of purification not only of LA but of himself. This is the pinnacle of his quest to purge himself of imperfections, to destroy the negative within himself and achieve personal renewal and purification. (more Jung!) and the message - "Try and read between the lines"
(-) Ions serves as a bridge into the finale. The electric buzzing sound is caused by a device called a Jakob’s Ladder – essentially two long metal rods which arc electricitybetween each other. The other sounds are an improvisation of the build up before a storm. The title refers to negative ions, which are famed for causing a feeling of freshness and wellbeing in humans when present in the atmosphere. Negative ions are found in the air in greatest numbers immediately before storms and near waterfalls
The last song on the album is the 13-minute long epic, Third Eye. It opens with a some Bill Hicks standup that is both part homage and part linking in with the themes. The idea of the “third eye” typically represents enlightenment, knowledge of inner realms, and spaces of higher consciousness; from a Jungian perspective, it refers to the state of full individuation, where one has completely assimilated all parts of their psyche into the Self. Thus, this song represents the culmination of the singer’s journey towards enlightenment and full self-knowledge. Lyrically Third Eye is so metaphorical and vague that one could interpret them in almost any way; furthermore, as the song is the culmination of all of the album’s themes, it is difficult to separate the concepts present. But.... It is an amazing song, it’s one of those that has to be played loud, especially to enjoy the build up and subtlety of the percussion in the early stages and held in the foreground of your attention. The constant building and breaking down of the music, the changes in vocal styles and the metaphorical but somehow poignant lyrics make for a stunning finale. When I listen to the album from start to finish and find Third Eye building to the screaming crescendo i really feel i have been on a journey, uplifted and enlightened and often quite effected by it all. This song just brings it all together so perfectly.
phew.
Without this record, your collection can't be considered complete.
If you dont own this - get it.
AND NOT JUST AN MP3 - do it justice - pay for a .flac or .ogg file at a minimum!
Then get some huge big expensive speakers or at least some decent earphones for yor iPod, some Grados or AKGs or the like.
I dare you - because i know you wont stop listenening for a week.
