"Ænima" is the second studio album by the American rock band Tool. It was first released in vinyl format on September 17, 1996, and in compact disc format on October 1, 1996, through Zoo Entertainment. The album was recorded at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood and The Hook in North Hollywood from 1995 to 1996 and was produced by David Bottrill.
This album marks the debut of bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced original bassist Paul D'Amour the previous year. Upon its release, Ænima debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 148,000 copies in its first week. It was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on March 4, 2003.
Ænima received critical acclaim and appeared on several "best of" lists for 1996, including those published by Kerrang! and Terrorizer. The track "Ænema" won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1998. Additionally, in 2003, Ænima was ranked the sixth most influential album of all time by Kerrang!, and Rolling Stone listed it at No. 18 on its list of The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.
Ænima is Tool's first studio album to feature former Peach bassist Justin Chancellor.
The title Ænima is a blend of the words 'anima' and 'enema'. 'Anima' is Latin for 'soul' and is associated with the concept of "life force," a term often explored by psychologist Carl Jung. 'Enema' refers to the medical procedure involving the injection of fluids into the rectum.
To promote the album, singles were released in the following order: "Stinkfist," "H.," "Ænema," and "Forty-Six & 2," with music videos produced for "Stinkfist" and "Ænema." Several tracks on the album serve as segues or interludes, connecting longer songs and contributing to the album’s overall duration, which approaches the CD's maximum length of around 80 minutes. These segues include "Useful Idiot," "Message to Harry Manback," "Intermission," "Die Eier von Satan," "Cesaro Summability," and "(-) Ions."
