page: 
 title: "Aenima" review
author: Lora Watters

When they aren't busy trying to freak us out with non-musical "hey, 
pay attention to how bizarre we can be" tracks on their second record, 
Tool rocks! But the problem with "Aenima" is that nearly every other 
song is some noise-laden, barely-definable-as-music number, no doubt 
loaded with subliminal messages telling us to be Satan-worshipping 
heathens or something.
     
For example, "Useful Idiot" is a useless half-minute of static noises
which progressively becomes louder, while "Message to Harry Manback" 
is a distorted Italian voice talking over the sound of sea gulls and a 
piano. "Intermission" could be more appropriately titled "56 Seconds 
of Goofy Organ Music." And let's not forget "Die Eier Von Satan," 
which features industrial machine noises and some dude angrily 
spitting forth German statements before a crowd. Lovely.
    
There is, in contrast, actual music on "Aenima"--the tools of Tool's
trade, if you will--hard-rocking tales of obscurity, rage and 
treachery found in songs like "Stinkfist," "Eulogy," and of course, 
"Hooker with a Penis." Mellower numbers such as "H." and "jimmy" also 
find their way onto the CD; but overall, you wish Tool would place 
more emphasis on the music and a lot less on the weirdness.
Posted to t.d.n: 05/10/97 17:10:28