One of the best albums in Modern Rock, here it is: 1. The Grudge - (10/10) - Starts out with a heavy and percussive piece. Very technical bass stuff (especially at the start) by Justin. Neat rhythms by Danny, and even a drum solo at the end! Maynard's voice is loud and angry here, with some very complex lyrics. 2. Eon Blue Apocolypse - (10/10) - Even though its just a one minute guitar interlude, I LOVE it! Its a Middle East influenced piece that I haven't heard the like of by any other band (except SOAD, maybe). This has a perfect transition to track 3. 3. The Patient - (10/10) - One of the best songs on here. A soft starting with guitars and really cool percussion work by Danny Carey. Maynard's voice here is vulnerable and weak, giving the impression of a patient. I like the 'Undertow-ish' riff chugging in this one! And a good solo by Adam. 4. The Mantra - (?/10) - Its one of those 'mood setters' from Aenima! Its some eerie ghost sounds. Fortunately the track is short, but I wouldn't have minded this track to be replaced by music! 5. Schism - (10/10) The first single and probably the second best. Some very professional drum work on here. Since its in 7/8, he pulls of some really neat double bass drum rhythms and hi hat stuff. Nice bass on the soft interlude as it really mixed with the vocals. Maynard's lyrics especially are great. And all the riffage at the end, and the climax is very powerful! 6. Parabol - (10/10) - Intro to Parabola. Reminds me a Gregorian Chant (medieval church hymn) with guitar melodies and some cymbals. Very powerful and soothing piece. Hats of to Tool for composing such an original piece! 7. Parabola - (10/10) - You hear some feedback, and then it launches into the crushing riff of Parabola. The second single of the album. Some amazing drumming by Danny Carey, especially on the verses and the slower section. Good solo by Adam Jones. 8. Ticks & Leetches - (9/10) - Danny Carey opens with an great drum rhythm. He adds the dbl bass and a bass line comes in and then some guitars and heavy riffs by Adam. Maynard's voice is a hoarse scream, he lost his voice for a week after! My complaint is the slow section on this album. It goes nowhere for 2 minutes, I guess you could call it the eye of the storm: some furious playing afterwards. Intense! 9. Lateralis - (11/10) - The best song on the album. A melody from Adam turns into a really nice riff. It slows down with really atmospheric drumming in the verses and a heavy chorus. My fav. moment on the album (and maybe in all music I've heard) comes after the first (of 3) solos when there's a slow part with only a bassline, smattering of guitars, and drumming that is at a DIFFERENT speed! Really cool affect, and Maynard's vocals are really moving. Amazing...9 1/2 minutes of sweet music! 10/11/12 - Disposition/Reflection/Triad - (9/10) - These 3 songs were originally one piece, comprising of 20 minutes of music. Disposition is a soft track that's mostly instrumental. Reflection starts of with a drum rhythm like track 8 and is the longest song on the album (11 mins) with very few lyrics as well. Triad is a heavy instrumental piece with lots of distorted guitars. Great stuff except for some spots that drag on a bit in Triad and at the start of Reflection. You can hear the Mid-East influences here too! 13. Faaip de Oiad - (?/10) - Its a tradition with Tool albums, it seems, to have some wierd track on the album. Undertow had 'Disgustipated', Aenima had 'Die Eier Von Satan', and this album has FdO. Its a recording of a man who claims he was a former employee of Area 51 and that there are Aliens out there. With the distant drum solo and the realism of the recording (from the Art Bell radio show) adds to the freakiness of this track. Score: 9.8/10 - Absolutely essential!
Super Zero - I don't give 10/10, no album is perfect, but this is as close as it gets! Whats funny Jawsome??