Aenima by Tool

Pros: Captivating, dark, progressive... Maynard James Keenan's voice is something you'll have to hear to believe
Cons: Those looking for catchy songs about sunshine won't find it here

Truth be told, many rock fans these days want music they can instantly get into and instantly understand -- music that doesn't have to be thought-provoking or unique, just as long as it's got a catchy chorus to sing along to. And whatever floats their ...

Pros: Thoughtful, original, heavy rock
Cons: A couple weaker interludes

It took me a while to get into Tool and even longer to review them. I guess I was just always at a loss for words on how to describe such a complicated band. But it's now 2003, and it's high time I challenged myself to express my thoughts on this band. I ...

Pros: Shows the promise that Tool would eventually fulfill on Lateralus.
Cons: Ridiculous amounts of filler; very few memorable songs at the end of the day.

One thing that always makes me laugh is when I read fellow reviewers who claim to be timid about critiquing a Tool album. Honestly, why would someone be nervous about giving his or her opinion on a product? Granted, this quartet is an immensely respected ...

Pros: It's just plain awesome
Cons: Not for everyone's taste

There's a few albums out there that are so impossibly complicated, vast and nebulous in their machinations, and just so god-awful deep that trying to even figure out how the hell to review them is a task bound and determined to drive you completely crazy. ...

Pros: A cohesive, organic, intelligent album with musical and lyrical depth
Cons: It's dark as hell, challenging, and not readily accessible

The world, in all honesty, is full of good rock bands. It doesn't take much of a search to find decent music that will get your feet tapping or get a few of its vocal hooks stuck in your head for weeks on end. What's in true scarcity is the rock artist ...

Pros: Calling it a thought provoking and cerebral masterpiece doesn't do it justice.
Cons: You can't have sex with sound waves.

When I look at my album playlist, Aenima doesn't just pop out, it grabs me by the neck and drags me in with it. The album title's wordplay speaks volumes for it, melting Carl Jung's theory of the soul's existence and purpose (Anima) across ...

Pros: Philosophy, spirituality, humor, anger, power chords, and crazy time changes- all playing nicely together.
Cons: Everything they've done since this album seems to pale in comparison.

For this review, I’ll try something different. Instead of putting the album title in bold throughout, I’ll italicize it and make the song titles nice and black. Hey, life’s a long experiment, is it not? Thank you for playing. ...

Pros: EVERYTHING
Cons: Are you kidding me?

First of all if you are already a Tool fan you should already have this and shouldn't be reading a review on it.You have to get this album.You will not regret it.Here are some reasons why you should get it.If you can get past the darkness of the album ...

Pros: Diverse and unique
Cons: Gets a little boring in the second half

This is one of those albums that you either like or hate from the get go. If you like it, it will be with you forever but if you don't like it, you'll probably hate it forever. I think I can see why some people wouldn't like this album. From some of ...

Pros: Aenima is the greatest rock record of the 90s.
Cons: NONE

Mick Jagger. Sting. Bono. Maynard James Keenan. Some songwriters/performers are just capable of getting under your skin. They write and then sing about something like it's important and all of a sudden it starts to seem important to you.That ...

Pros: Unique; interesting; infinitely questionable and mysterious, but phenomenally admirable
Cons: Interludes break up overall album unity and slow pace, but have no heavily deterrent effect

Since I began listening to Slipknot just a few years ago, I was overwhelmed by the unbelievable skill of drummer Joey Jordisson. JJ was head and shoulders above his many peers in the genre and in the industry as a whole...or so I thought. But inevitably, ...

Pros: The fact that it's perfect.
Cons: Cons? Yeah right...

Where the hell to begin? Every so often the world is blessed with a band that charges the undercurrent of music with an innovative approach to everything. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's bliss. Tool is such a band. Their first album, ...

Pros: This is Aenima.
Cons: squat

Although it may be impossible to say that any one album is the best album ever released, this is about as close as you can get. I've was only recently introduced to this album and Tool at the beginning of this year (Feb 2005), and ever since then I've ...

Pros: Excellent Masterpiece from Tool.
Cons: None.

After the success of Tool’s 1993 debut album “Undertow”, the band was already receiving acclaim for the live stint on the third annual Lollapalooza festival and for their disturbing music videos for the songs “Sober” and “Prison Sex”. When it came time...

Pros: Powerful music and vocals, intelligent and well arranged, "Stinkfist"
Cons: Some songs aren't even songs, subject matter, profanity, too heavy and dark

This is part of the "Scary As Hell" Write-Off, hosted by Jeremy1456.

Tool have been one of those bands that have had amazing success without the strength of a super hit single - much like Grand Funk Railroad and Slipknot....