CD Review - AENIMA/Tool (Zoo Entertainment)
by Kelly Rush


 Dark and enlightening.  Repulsive and fascinating. Haunting and
comforting.  Ugly and beautiful.  Despite the contradiction, each of the
aforementioned antonyms can be used to aptly describe AENIMA, the latest,
and undoubtedly greatest release by Tool.  Tool is contradictory by nature
- a band that lives for the mindfuck, thriving on thinkingfeelingdoing. 
They are kineticism personified and AENIMA is the tangible result of that
energy.  This isn
,t an album, it's an experience.  Unlike the chunky
primalism of 1993's UNDERTOW, AENIMA is gorgeously musical; a
frighteningly mature foray into the darkest depths of feeling and emotion. 
Lead singer Maynard James Keenan's voice is subtly exquisite, even when
he
,s screaming his head off.  Adam Jones's guitars are enticingly
intense, ranging at any moment from pretty to pummeling.  New bassist
Justin Chancellor more than fills Paul D'Amour's shoes, and drummer Danny
Carey is breathtakingly talented, not to mention among the most underrated
in the business. 
 If you want an album full of wit and whimsy, steer clear of this, or
anything else Tool does.  If you want music that will make you dig deeper
within yourself than you ever wanted to go, that will make you face
feelings you didn't know you had, get AENIMA now and be afraid.  Be very,
very afraid.