Ænima

TOOL\'s second album—perhaps the best heavy metal album of the entire \'90s—is the magnum opus of TOOL\'s first decade, the ambitious, spiritual peak of alternative nation\'s crew of sensitive, reclusive cynics. This 77-minute piece of metaphysical metal explodes with everything from churning radio singles (\"Stinkfist,\" \"Forty Six & 2\") to a syncopated 13-minute prog-metal epic (\"Third Eye\") to a rumbling electroacoustic headphone head trip (\"(-) Ions\"). It contains everything that makes TOOL unlikely hard rock heroes: rhythmic trickery, ridiculous chops, art-sludge riffs, and a sense of humor. All of the above are available on the album\'s most evocative song, \"Ænema,\" an apocalyptic, sardonic number about California sinking into the sea based on Bill Hicks\' venomous \"Goodbye You Lizard Scum\" routine.

For the first time since 1992,Rolling Stone'sdefinitive classic returns to the scene, completely updated and revised to include the past decade's artists and sounds. When it comes to sorting the truly great from the merely mediocre, the enduring from the fleeting,The New Rolling Stone Album Guideprovides music buffs and amateurs alike with authoritative guidance from the best voices in the field. Filled with insightful commentary, it not only reviews the most influential albums of all time, but also features biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music.This fourth edition contains an impressive -- 70 percent -- amount of new material. Readers will find fresh updates to entries on established artists, hundreds of brand-new entries on the people and recordings that epitomize the '90s and the sounds of the 21st century -- from Beck to OutKast to the White Stripes and beyond -- along with a new introduction detailing changes in the music industry.Celebrating the diversity of popular music and its constant metamorphoses, with thousands of entries and reviews on every sound from blues to techno,The New Rolling Stone Album Guideis the only resource music lovers need to read.

For their second release, Tool explore the progressive rock territory previously forged by such bands as King Crimson.

Tool - Ænima review: Recipes, finger pointing, tidal waves and third eyes. A Tool album that is just about a cut above the rest.