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10 songs that feel like Ænima

Matched to Ænima by Tool on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
Ænima
Tool
intense 71/100 intensity 118 BPM
Easy Money — King Crimson intense 126 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (68/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (126 BPM).

Cowgirl in the Sand — Neil Young intense 128 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (68/100). Same layered texture.

Brennisteinn — Sigur Rós intense 120 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (71/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

I Don't Live Today — The Jimi Hendrix Experience intense 115 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (71/100). Same layered texture.

Switch — Siouxsie and the Banshees intense 135 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100).

Precious Things — Tori Amos intense 135 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (73/100). Same layered texture.

Night — Bruce Springsteen intense 120 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (68/100). Measured 94% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Victory — PJ Harvey intense 120 BPM

Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (68/100). Same layered texture.

Cruel — Tori Amos intense 110 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (67/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (110 BPM).

Bad Guy — Eminem intense 90 BPM

92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 65/100. Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Ænima is more than you want right now.

Los Ageless — St. Vincent moderate 110 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Intensity 59/100, down from 71. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Super 8 — Jason Isbell moderate 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 53/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Ohio — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young moderate 128 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 50/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode
Personal Jesus — Depeche Mode moderate 129 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. 54/100, versus the original's 71.

Panic — The Smiths moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Intensity 53/100, down from 71. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan
Maggie's Farm — Bob Dylan moderate 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 46/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

We the People.... by A Tribe Called Quest
We the People.... — A Tribe Called Quest moderate 92 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 50/100.

Smackwater Jack by Carole King
Smackwater Jack — Carole King moderate 96 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. 48/100, versus the original's 71.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Ænima” by Tool?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Easy Money” by King Crimson, “Cowgirl in the Sand” by Neil Young, “Brennisteinn” by Sigur Rós — the top match scores 96% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Ænima” but calmer?

“Los Ageless” by St. Vincent, “Super 8” by Jason Isbell, “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Ænima”?

It measures 71/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 118 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 90% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 71/100 comes from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a huge quiet-to-loud swing: more extreme on that axis than 96% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep0/10
Focus2/10
Workout5/10
Dinner5/10
Party / hype7/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

1996 in context

The 309 songs we’ve measured from 1996 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 9/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity71
Dynamics89
Tempo43
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability100
Vocal force75
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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