To do this, it is necessary first to give an overview of Jung’s theories and approach to psychology, including his idea of archetypes, the shadow self, and the anima. In this essay, I intend to examine in depth Tool’s 1996 release, Ænima, with the intent of revealing and interpreting the Jungian themes of the lyrics. The members of the band, far from being the drug-addled rock stars that one sees in the media, are intelligent and educated in diverse areas, and this results in music that covers ideas that perhaps no other band ever has. Tool’s lyrics frequently explore personal and disturbing areas that few other bands would be able to tackle – on one album, they cover child abuse, self-hatred, drug addiction, and the slaughter of carrots in such an intimate way that listening to it is an uncomfortable experience. From their 1991 EP, ‘Opiate’, through to their latest album ’10,000 Days’ (2006), Tool have consistently defied commercial trends and single-mindedly pursued their visions as artists to create brilliant and original music. In the background of the bleak modern music scene, like the quiet kid at a high school party, one can find the band Tool. It's not due until Wednesday, so if anyone has suggestions for changes, I'd be all for hearing them. I asked my teacher if I could extend this slightly so that I could analyse Ænima. For my psychology class this semester, we had to write a paper analysing a children's story from the perspective of a particular psychological theory.

Tool aenima album art