page: 99 / The Jam Zone (reviews of new releases)
author:	Marina Zogbi

Tool
AEnima. Zoo
(rating--"excellent [must buy]")

Quite a step up, out, and away from Tool's previous offering, 1993's 
twisted *Undertow*, *AEnima* is the most action-packed 77 minutes of 
progressive alt-metal you're likely to hear this year. Dark, dramatic, 
enigmatic, and complex as all hell, this baby ably fills in the blanks 
about what the bands been up to during the past 3 years. Happily for us 
listeners, frontman Maynard James Keenan is still struggling fiercely 
with his personal demons. Judging from the tortured intensity of both its 
vocals and lyrics, "Eulogy" is a long, bitter homage that should haunt 
its subject's afterlife, and "Pushit" lashes out at some other equally 
deserving soul on Maynard's shit list. For sheer venom, though, you can't 
beat "Hooker With a Penis," a bashing retort to a fan who once accused 
Tool of selling out. Musically, the band knows from dynamics, as 
tension-filled verses repeatedly explode into cathartic choruses, with 
guitarist Adam Jones expertly guiding the ebb and flow. *AEnima* is all 
killer and practically no filler, as its sonic treats just multiply, 
ranging from the creepy "Message to Harry Manback" to the 
anxiety-provoking "(-) Ions." *AEnima* shows just how far a rock band can 
push itself and still make coherent -- and gripping -- music. SQR:8 
(note: SQR is the Sound Quality Rating on a scale of 1 to 
10)

Dave Pirofalo
dpirofalo@novell.com