While Keenan conjures a colossal earthquake to obliterate the superficiality of Los Angeles in the title track, he ponders the benefits of genetic mutation on "Forty Six & 2" and discusses the mind-expanding qualities of psychedelics on the nearly 14-minute long "Third Eye," a foray into free-form exploration that laid the groundwork for Tool's future ventures. Such juxtaposition is the key to Ænima, especially in the lyrics, which are often more positive than the apocalyptic music suggests. "Intermission" is an upbeat merry-go-round organ ditty and "Die Eier von Satan" is a mélange of grinding mechanical samples, harsh-sounding German declarations, and euphoric crowd cheers that sound like Einsturzende Neubauten playing a Nazi rally - until you realize that the angry German man is reading a recipe for Mexican wedding cookies. Several strange, industrial interludes make the nightmarish album even more surreal. New bassist Justin Chancellor brings an airier, more extemporaneous vibe to the band and, for the first time, the songs seem far more influenced by King Crimson than Black Sabbath. Structurally, the music is looser than on 1993's Undertow, rarely adhering to the standard verse/chorus formula and relying on spacious jams as often as concrete riffs. In addition to passages that crash with the force of a head-on collision, there are numerous atmospheric parts that waft into the ether, oblivious of the violence that waits around the corner.
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The first Tool album recorded without Paul D'Amour on bass, 1996's Ænima is texturally expansive and darkly psychedelic. This feature was originally published in 2008.