ABSTRACT
In the infancy of studio technology, producers and engineers assumed a documentarian role in their reproduction of studio performances. As a discipline, music theory is just beginning to establish methods for the analysis of timbre. The chapter addresses the paradox wherein an album's unmistakable sonic signature is honed using only the most generic of instruments. The persistent melodies and unique sonic signature of tracks like "Aenema" eventually earned it the 1998 Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Tool was slow to find its audience with Aenima—not only among its alt-metal fan base, but also with critics of the day. Most notably, the demos sound considerably rawer, and much closer to Opiate in terms of their production value. Finally, the electronic percussion that integrates naturally with Danny Carey's kit throughout the LP sounds especially disjointed on demos like "Eulogy"—more like percussion overdubs than a drummer at his kit.
