The album marked the debut of bassist Justin Chancellor. Another interesting detail is the title "Ænima" itself; it was a combination of the Latin word "anima" (soul/spirit) and "enema"—a medical procedure involving the injection of fluids into the body via the rectum. That alone signals that the listener is in for something interesting—and indeed, they were.
Another notable feature of the album is that several tracks are merely short pieces or interludes connecting longer songs; this pushed the total runtime to 80 minutes, stretching the limits of CD capacity. These short tracks and interludes were: "Useful Idiot," "Message to Harry Manback," "Intermission," "Die Eier von Satan," "Cesaro Summability," and finally, "(-) Ions."
The album's themes ranged widely—covering topics such as magic rituals, religious fundamentalism, Egyptian mythology, the seven-pointed star, and "deterrent anesthesia," among others—and included a dedication to comedian Bill Hicks. To touch briefly on specific tracks: the opener, "Stinkfist," immediately sparked censorship issues—MTV, for instance, renamed it "Track #1." This was likely due to the sexual connotations of "fisting" (inserting a fist into a bodily orifice), though the band intended it as a metaphor attacking the over-stimulation to which society was subjected at the time—let alone today.
Then there was "Eulogy," a diatribe directed at Jesus; "H," which held dual meanings—referencing an overdose Keenan experienced, though it is also said he wrote it for his son; and "Forty Six & 2," which alluded to the number of chromosomes humans are expected to possess in their next evolutionary stage. Humans currently have 46 (44+2), having evolved from a baseline of 44 (42+2); the next step in evolution would result in the total referenced in the song's title. "Message To Harry Manback" stems from a voicemail Maynard received from a roommate; it was based on a bizarre story about an Italian guy staying in their shared room—you know, the typical deadbeat who ate all the food and ran up the phone bill. They eventually realized no one actually knew him, so they kicked him out, tossing his belongings—and him—onto the street. The next day, he called back in a rage, leaving the insulting message that serves as the track's audio.
"Hooker With A Penis" addressed an angry fan who accused the band of selling out; Maynard—who apparently used to do cocaine with this guy—explained the realities of the music market and why they made those choices. "Jimmy" dealed with Maynard's childhood in Ohio. "Die Eier Von Satan" was another oddity; it was actually a recipe for Turkish hashish cookies—made without eggs, contrary to what many people think. "Pushit" explored the concepts of temptation and the compulsion to do something one shouldn't; it revolves around the pull of temptation and the act of falling into the abyss. As the fall occurs, the song becomes heavier and more abrasive, until—once the descent is complete—Maynard whispers, "I'm somewhere I don't want to be.
" Finally, "Cesaro Summability" referred to an equation that yields an answer of infinity. And the final final three tracks: "Ænima," the album's title track, dealed with the purification of the soul; "(-) Ions," was a piece about devices that generate ions—atoms with an electric charge—where listening with headphones allowed one to feel the ions moving from one side of the brain to the other; and finally, "Third Eye," which featureed excerpts of Bill Hicks from his drug-experimentation phase. Hicks explored his darker side, and his discourse complements to Timothy Leary—the prophet of LSD—suggesting that these drugs facilitate a deeper exploration of the human being. There was also the concept of the "third eye," representing maximum stimulation of the pineal gland located in the brain; it consists of two divisions made up of 48 petals each, totaling 96—it is said that this cent.
Ænima Track List:
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