Ænima
Ænima is the second studio album by Tool, the American band's follow-up to Undertow in 1993 and the record that came before Lateralus. It was released on 17 September 1996 through Zoo Entertainment, with the band and David Bottrill producing. Sessions took place at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood and The Hook in North Hollywood. Its blend of alternative and progressive metal and rock is a big part of why it still draws listeners in.
It is also the first Tool album to feature bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced original bassist Paul D'Amour the year before. The record entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2, selling 148,000 copies in its first week, and later went triple platinum. The title track, "Ænema", won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1998. Kerrang! named it one of the best albums of 1996 and later ranked it sixth on its list of the most influential albums of all time, while Rolling Stone placed it at No. 18 among the greatest metal albums.
Ænima on Riffology
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Ænima: tracklist, credits and charts
15 tracks · 1:17:24Tracklist
- 1StinkfistCarey, D’Amour, Jones, Keenan5:11
- 2EulogyCarey, D’Amour, Jones, Keenan8:29
- 3H.Carey, D’Amour, Jones, Keenan6:07
- 4Useful IdiotCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan0:39
- 5Forty Six & 2Carey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan6:04
- 6Message to Harry ManbackCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan1:53
- 7Hooker With a PenisCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan4:34
- 8IntermissionCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan0:56
- 9jimmyCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan5:24
- 10Die Eier von SatanCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan2:17
- 11PushitCarey, D’Amour, Jones, Keenan9:56
- 12Cesaro SummabilityCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan1:26
- 13ÆnemaCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan6:40
- 14(‐) IonsCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan4:00
- 15Third EyeCarey, Chancellor, Jones, Keenan, Leary13:47
- Produced by
- David Bottrill, Tool
- Recorded at
- The Hook (North Hollywood, California), Ocean Way (Hollywood, California)
- Mixed by
- David Bottrill
- Mixed at
- Larrabee Sound Studios
- Engineered by
- David Bottrill
- Label
- Zoo Entertainment
- Length
- 1:17:24
Line-up
- Danny Carey · percussion, drums (drum set)
- Justin Chancellor · bass guitar
- Adam Jones · guitar
- Tool
- Maynard James Keenan · lead vocals
- David Bottrill · keyboard · guest
- Eban Schletter · organ · guest
- Marko Fox · vocals · guest
- Chris Pitman · synthesizer · guest
Singles
- “Stinkfist” · 1996
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1996 | 2 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1996 | 108 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1996 | 1 |
| US Top Rock Albums · 2019 | 1 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1996 | 6 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2019 | 22 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1996 | 36 |
| Portuguese Albums · 2019 | 47 |
| Swedish Albums · 1996 | 53 |
| Dutch Albums · 2001 | 75 |
All 12 charts
| German Albums · 1996 | 75 |
| Ireland 2 · 2019 | 92 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia · 2019 | 3× Platinum |
| Canada · 2021 | 3× Platinum |
| New Zealand · 2026 | 2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2024 | Gold |
| United States · 2003 | 3× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 17 September
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The best of 1996
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 17 September 1996 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 17 September 1996 | |
| Wikidata | 1 October 1996 | |
| US release | 17 September 1996 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1 October 1996 | earliest UK or European date |
18 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Volcano Records | 828765364423 | other |
| — | XE | Sony Music | 828765364423 | other |
| 1996 | XE | Zoo Entertainment | 614223114422 | other |
| 1996 | XE | Volcano Records | 724384669126 | other |
| 1996 | AU | Tool Dissectional | 9326382000164 | other |
| 1996 | PL | Zoo Entertainment | 614223114446 | other |
| 17 September 1996 | US | Zoo Entertainment | 614223108728 | original |
| 30 September 1996 | DE | Zoo Entertainment | 614223114422 | other |
| 1 October 1996 | XE | Volcano Records | 5013705500121 | other |
| 1 October 1996 | US | Zoo Entertainment | 614223108728 | other |
| 1 October 1996 | XE | Zoo Entertainment | 614223108728 | other |
| 3 October 1996 | US | Volcano Records | 614223108728 | other |
| 7 October 1996 | AU | — | other | |
| 1999 | GB | Volcano Records | 9326382000164 | other |
| 21 June 2001 | JP | Volcano Records | 4544180140072 | other |
| 2006 | US | Volcano Records | 614223108728 | other |
| 15 May 2006 | XE | Volcano Records | 828765364423 | other |
| 2 August 2019 | XW | RCA | 886447824757 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 3000x3000
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 3000×3000 | native: native 3000x3000 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |