I see everyone is trying to interpret everything...

[GÆGnon]

... Well, I believe... The key to figuring out anything on a Tool album... If there is anything at all to figure out... Is to figure out the title track of every album first... Before trying to do anything about the other songs.

Of course you all have realized that every Tool album... (With the exception of Salival) ... Comes a title track... And I'm sure that if you figure out that track first... Then you figure out the album... Or at least help make more sense of the rest of the songs... I mean... Why else would certain tracks/songs be the title of an actual album if it wasn't the most importent?

But this could be difficult with Ænima... Considering that the title track is spelled differently... Ænema... So that means it could have a whole different meaning... Which I believe it does... But... Ænima is more like a concept album... Blending in with Lateralus... And maybe even Undertow... So maybe this album is another exception? Or is the whole album one meaning?

I see three different stages so far with Tools development... Opiate & Undertow... Were the dark, murky maybe even evil side of Tool... While Lateralus and possibly the new album... (If it follows the suspected pattern that is) ... Is the light more spirtualized side or Tool... And Ænima is in the middle... Being the second step... Going from Evil to Good? Maybe it tells a story?

Anima being a Jungian tern for one's inner self and Enema being... Well... Cleansing of one's inner self... Æ? Maybe the character dipicted by Tool throughout thier albums... (If there is any at all) ... Is cleansing his inner self... His Anima? Maybe Ænima is the key album here?

And considering that Tool supposedly got a three record contract after Ænima... It is safe to assume that those last three albums... (Lateralus, being number one and the new album they are working on now being two) ... Perhaps one more album awaits us? Maybe a whole new step? A climactic finish to Tools career?

The end of the story?

Well, this is just a theory... And I'm sure one of us will figure it out... Or maybe the answer will be given to us by Tool in the end... But if one interprets the albums title tracks... Maybe the most importent tracks on the CD's... One can figure out or at least perceive what is to come from Tool in the albums to come...

Heh, I could be wrong of course... But that, in my opinion is one of the things that make Tool so great... The interaction with the fans... (Us) ... And all things the fans try an interpret... Although that seems to be what drives people to hate on Tool and their fans... The fact that we try and interpret... EVERY SINGLE THING!

Like I said, that is one of the things that makes them so great... Aside from the fact that the band amazing skill with thier instruments and composition... And also the fact that Maynards voice is one of the best of Metal... Haha...

Well, that is it... I hope I'm not being a bother... I'm new so... Eh... Enjoy!

[Mehhico]

I likes.

I have always thought that the title tracks are the pinnacles of the respective albums. Pretty much what you said about them being the clue as to how to work through the entire album as a whole, conceptual piece.

Also, I can't remember what book it was, but it was about the fibonacci sequence, etc relating to creation, where it was stated that a flower looks back to what it just was, to determine how many petals it is to produce in the next step (putting the fibonacci sequence into practice). I think this relates to what you were saying, in that if we were to find a pattern in Tools earlier works, we may find where they are going in the future of their music. Just a suggestion.

I have my own little theories behind each of Tools albums, and they are based on my understanding of the title tracks.

Take care,
Andy

p.s. Hi. Welcome. I'm not new, but I'm not old either. Welcome. Hi.

[Metamorphosis]

I believe all 4 (or 5) albums are all pointing towards the same thing, you cant just say opiate is evil and lateralus is good - that is a very black and white, christian thing to do. Despite the individual meanings of the albums, i think that the overall themes of 'Tool' is for us to think outside the "square"... hence the name "tool" a mechanism, or teacher we can use to help us do this. And perhaps, just making up interpretations of the songs that mean something personal to us is opening up our creative side, thus thinking ouside the square...

[Wu-Li Novice]

I dont know, but possabliy telling people how to interpret things may not be the best idea.