This is an experiment on a smaller scale but in a similar spirit to my recent day with NIN. I was tipped off that I should listen to some Tool, and start with Aenima. Other than being warned it was challenging, I had no prior knowledge or preconceptions. These notes were written whilst listening to the album for the first time, and are not the result of reflection or research, but simply the first thoughts that came into my head.
2) Eulogy Starts off with Arabic feel, but soundworld not too far from classical early music. There's a gradual change as electric guitars enter, but love the transition. Real sense of structure- akin to classical music. Mostly instrumental.
As becomes more rock-like style, get sense of pessimism, downbeat feel. Eventually shouting style of vocals and anger. Not relentlessly loud, use of dynamics. Considerable length for popular music.
3) H Starts with lots of distortion. No sense of what melody will be at opening. Virtuoso guitar playing. Vocals quite sensitive. Far more subletly than I expected for metal. Wolfmother was engaging on first listening but seemed a little gratuitous thereafter. You got the sense it was an artificial exercise of release for fun. This is deeper. You already get a sense there might have more to reveal on subsequent listen. But would be wrong to say I'm enjoying listening it. It feels like a mental exercise, which is incidentally how I feel (in retrospect) about classical music.
4) Useful Idiot Starts with surface nose which rises in volume- very original opening, use of texture of sound rather than melody. Then sudden eastern style melody rather like track 2. Unusual sounds from what presumably are electic guitars. Pretty classical until more conventional rock guitar work enters.
5) Forty Six & 2 Vocals make subtle use of mood. But as I felt when I first listened to NIN, I feel we're almost full circle here on continuum between classical and rock. Movements (note use of classical term) run continuously as in many contemporary classical works. I expected this to sound alien, but I feel like clock is being turned back to my pre- rock listening days to avant guard classical. Also has pretty serious tone- gloomy mood, but not devoid of energy, and interesting rhythm.
6) Message to Harry Manback Classical gentle opening, then speech about cancer. John Adams' classical piece Transformation of Souls re 9/11 also has recordings of ambient sounds. Contrast between angry, course speech and gentle piano music behind. Genius.
7) Hooker with a Penis Back to distortions and hard guitars. More my expectations of metal. Pretty relentless and aggressive.
8) Intermission Fairground organ light ditty. Shocking change in mood. Reminded me of Mahler using sounds around him (e.g. cowbells). Annoying in its frivolity.
9) Jimmy Return of massive guitar sound & aggression. But vocals again provide contrast- almost vulnerable mood. Sense of unease and alienation strong (it has this quality in common with NIN). Also a sense of intensity.
10) Die Eier von Satan Mechanical, machine like pulse. Very interesting rhythmically. Inhuman feeling, German language, crowd noise, clear reference to Nazis. Evocation of historical occasion or era common in classical music. A little reminscent of Shostakovich.
11) Push it Return of melody in guitars but with bleak vocals with disembodied feel. Vocals become more confident, again rhythm central element, feels as if a more conventional song is trying to come to fore. Again sense of structure, control and development. Lengthy piece with variety moods, unexpected changes and real architecture. Then starts to build up to striking instrumental and then vocal climax longer than many pop songs. Complex piece. Intellectual process to decipher and understand- again like classical! Powerful.
12) Cesaro Summability Baby sounds at opening, distorted. Disturbing. Then artificial noises. No real sense of music, just sounds. Turns out to be just an intermission, with no development.
13) Aenema Hard guitar opening, interesting then menacing rhythms, sense of a tune but pretty aggressive throughout. Sounds almost orchestrated, complex textures. Feel that lyrics would repay further study. Again lengthy.
14) (-) (-) Ions Ambient sounds at opening- disturbing. Then electrical buzzing sounds, terrifying, like a wind approaching or a rocket. Is it music?
15) Third Eye Heartbeat, then speech about drugs. More ambient sounds and reminder of 1960's experimental classical. Twisted music tries to enter, guitars start to distorted backdrop. Transition from noises to music brilliantly handled. Gets harder but underpinned by same ostinato like bass. Similar length to a symphony. Wide dynamic range.
Conclusions
I can say confidentially this album is highly original and unusual, particularly in its structure and development over long spans. Despite the aggression I anticipated from metal, I didn't find it impossible to bear- maybe my exposure to NIN made it less shocking. My reaction to this music is so similar to challenging modern classical music. I admire it, I feel intellectually challenged, and even stimulated creatively. I didn't however lose myself- I was concentrating too much. This isn't really entertainment, which is meant as a compliment, as well as an observation.
This works as a complete emotional journey and I will take the advice to listen repeatedly. As I upload this I've almost completed a second listen, and this time I'm struck by the visionary quality of this music, and the subtlely shifting moods. I also stand by my observation than perhaps even more than NIN, this is so much closer to classical music emotionally than other popular music I've heard.
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