As the title of Tool's 1992 debut implies, they're none too impressed by religion, though other targets-fear ("Cold and Ugly"), hypocritical moralizing ("Jerk-Off"), nonconformity ("Hush")-get their time in the spotlight as well. Opiate is a collection of heavy, aggressive, cynical music (though the tail end of the title track sounds more like Acid Rock), packaged in songs noticeably shorter than on their later efforts (Undertow, 1993, and Aenima, 1996). While not as impressive as Undertow, arguably their finest effort, Opiate has a definite appeal.
In retrospect, Opiate seems a little haphazard, but it's possible to hear the seeds of Tool's bleak, cerebral metal in such cuts as "Sweat" and "Opiate." The two live tracks, "Cold and Ugly" and "Jerk-Off," don't sound out of place, since they share Tool's characteristic undertow of gloom and doom and the EP as a whole points toward the ground the group explored in Undertow and ?nima. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tool: Maynard James Keenan (vocals); Adam Jones (guitar); Paul D'Amour (bass); Danny Carey (drums).
Producers: Sylvia Massy, Steve Hansgen, Tool.
Recorded at: Sound City, Van Nuys, California and live at Jello Loft, Hollywood, California on December 31, 1991.
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock, Metal
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
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Tracks
| A1 | Sweat | 3:47 |
| A2 | Hush | 2:48 |
| A3 | Part Of Me | 3:17 |
| BA1 | Cold And Ugly (Live) | 4:10 |
| BB1 | The Gaping Lotus Experience | 2:16 |
| BA2 | Jerk-Off (Live) | 4:22 |
| BA3 | Opiate | 5:22 |
