Review by FlowBroTJ for Tool - Ænima (1996)

  This is a very tough album to explain to someone who is not experienced with the more "progressive" style of music. There is progressive rock, which was mainly specialized by bands such as Rush, and that style influenced many more to follow in their footsteps. However, alternative metal has not been branched out as much as the others. Tool was one of the few bands that hit it off with this style, and grew a cult following, starting with their first studio album, "Undertow", in 1993 (not including the Opiate EP from 1992). It proved to everyone that that style of music can work, and is not just a fad. Normally, it would be tough for a band to follow a great debut album, but they shattered the glass ceiling with their absolutely INCREDIBLE 1996 album, Ænima.
First thing's first: this is NOT an album where you can skip around and pick off certain tracks and call it a day. This is 77:46 of PERFECTION, from the beginning riffs of "Stinkfist" all the way to Maynard saying how his third eye was pried open for the last time. The track placement is great because all of the songs have a smooth transition from the end of one to the beginning of another (tough to type that one out). The previously mentioned "Stinkfist" is one of the best opening tracks I've ever heard, and the track right after, "Eulogy" is pure art. That is probably the best Tool song out there, which is saying many great things because of their elite discography from 1993-2006. Other notable highlights (without mentioning the entire album) include the famous "Forty-Six & 2" (which was the first Tool song I've ever heard and got me into the band), the brilliantly paced "Pushit," and the epic closing track, "Third Eye." All of these songs could be considered perfect, and it is the track placement that makes everything better
Now normally, I despise songs that go under 2 minutes. I don't even rate them on my imaginary star rating system. For example, let's use "Issues", an album released by Korn in 1999. That album is fantastic, but there are so many of those tracks that it threw me off from the rest of that great album. With Ænima, however, these little tracks don't come off to me as a lazy way to add a track, but rather a way to tell the album's story and show off how special it is (and you would not get that special feeling if you skipped around the album). The 40-second track "Useful Idiot" hooks me in to get excited for "Forty-Six & 2," which is something an album is supposed to do.
Ænima is one of those albums that can be used for any circumstance. Celebrating graduation? Use Tool for the party music. Dealing with other problems? Use the album to help get over everything. For whatever, listening to this album from start to finish with no interruptions would be one of the greatest decisions a human can make.

Long story short: This not a typical album where you can skip around and pick off certain tracks. This is perfection from start to finish, and it deserves the 5 star rating