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Tool have become one of the most popular metal bands in the world by developing a distinctive sound merging progressive rock and heavy metal. They are especially noted for their elaborate song structures and irregular time signatures, industrial rock and gothic leanings, and taboo-breaking stance. Forming in LA in 1990, their first EP released two years later earned them support slots with the likes of Rage Against The Machine. Debut album Undertow (1993) sold platinum thanks to the single "Sober" and more successful touring. Ænima, dedicated to comic and friend of the band Bill Hicks, sold triple platinum and received widespread praise from reviewers. Legal problems with their label followed, leading singer Maynard James Keenan to form A Perfect Circle as a side-project. Tool weren't to release a new album until 2001, but despite the long break they had lost none of their creative touch. Lateralus was also released to acclaim and sold double platinum, although some commentators were unimpressed by the perceived self-indulgence of the 80-minute record. While Tool toured extensively, it took another five years for a follow-up: 2006's 10,000 Days sold over half-a-million copies in its first week, but was less well-received by reviewers than their previous albums. Paul D'Amour (born May 12, 1967 in Spokane, Washington) was the original bass guitarist for Tool. His bass sound was recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can clearly be heard on Tool's first full length album, Undertow. Originally a guitar player, D'Amour became Tool's bassist after being introduced to the band by guitarist Adam Jones. Like Jones, D'Amour was in Los Angeles because of his wish to enter the film industry. Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor (born February 4, 1971) is a British-American musician, best known as his position as the bass player for Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool, and formerly of the band Peach. He has the mental illness Synesthesia. Chancellor is of Norwegian and English descent. Since settling in the US, along with his engagement in his musical projects, he and his wife Shelee run a store called Lobal Orning in Topanga, California, dedicated to music, literature and film "that shaped and changed" both of them. Some of Justin's favorite musicians include Jimi Hendrix, Fugazi, The God Machine, and Swervedriver. Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan on April 17, 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1988 to pursue a career in interior design and set construction. He formed the band Tool with Adam Jones shortly thereafter. Keenan is best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle with whom he has released four and three studio albums, respectively. In 2003 he created Puscifer as a side project, financing and releasing its first studio album in October 2007. Since rising to fame, Keenan has been a noted recluse, although he does emerge to support charitable causes. In addition to his music career, he has performed improvisational stand-up comedy and ventured into acting. He is the current owner of Merkin VineyardsRead full review
Seeing as how I had listened to "Ænima", "Lateralus", "10,000 Days", and "Undertow", it was time to hear TOOL's first EP (which is referenced in "Hooker with a Penis"). I always have an interest in listening to the first album of any band that I listen to. I wouldn't say that "Opiate" is one of my favorite albums, but I wouldn't say it is one of the worst either. With this album, you can hear TOOL's style of music beginning. You can definitely hear the grounding that they would create in "Undertow". It is a seamless transition from "Opiate" to "Undertow". I heard the song "Sweat" whilst watching "Escape from L.A.", and I admit that I fell in love with the song after that. That sounds weird, I know. It is the first song on the album, but a good one at that. You get a feel of Maynard James Keenan's vocalist role in the band, as well as what the music is going to sound like. For a band who's revered in not including lyrics to their songs (thus allowing people to come up with their own conclusions for songs), my take on "Hush", "Part of Me", and "Opiate" (before "The Gaping Lotus Experience) is that (in a sense) they both put off the censorship mentality. Then again, I might be wrong, I'm just saying. The two live-songs "Cold and Ugly" and "Jerk-Off" offer a feel of what TOOL were like live, and they are interesting songs in themselves. "The Gaping Lotus Experience" (the hidden track in "Opiate"), reminds me of "Hooker with a Penis", in that it seems to be telling a story, in a humorous sort of way. I was thinking about whether or not to buy this EP, considering that I could not figure out who owned the label, "Zoo Entertainment" or "Volcano Entertainment". It turns out that "Volcano Entertainment" is basically the continuation of "Zoo Entertainment". I'm glad I figured that out! On a side note, the cover artwork does a GREAT job in freaking me out, as do the inside images. It is also interesting to note that this EP had Paul D'amour as the bassist. So definitely, if you are a fan of TOOL, I would consider getting "Opiate", because it's ♪better than one might think♪. I don't think any collection could be complete without the first EP, album, etc.Read full review
When you hear the word Tool, metal might not be the first thing to come to mind. We all know that Tool started out as a hard rock band, but their 1992 was more than that. Opiate is still a hard rock album, but it comes surprisingly close to metal, especially for Tools standards. First of all, this album is not that difficult to obtain over the internet and in some major music retailers, and it a heck of a lot easier and cheaper to get than Salival! The first thing to grab your attention is the front cover. As you can see, there is a demonic looking priest, holding six hands up in prayer. One can infer that the cover art is making a statement about religion. It is common sense to Tool fans that Maynard is not a fan of organized religion. The very title of the album, Opiate, refers to Karl Marx's stance on religion. When I intially purchased this CD in 1993 I knew Opiate would be quite a heavy album. I feel Opiate is the hardest material Tool has ever put out in regards to their music. It is nothing like Slipknot or anything, but it could still be considered metal by some, especially in songs like Part Of Me and Cold And Ugly. This is why I enjoy Opiate so much, it hits harder than Undertow (another perfect album, but different than Opiate) but it isn't true heavy metal. The lyrics on the songs Opiate and Sweat have some excellent lyrics. Opiate is obviously the central song to the album, in terms of lyrical content. While catchy, the lyrics are also quite thoughtful and profound. The hooks are great, and the cd has Live versions of 'Jerk off' and 'cold and ugly'. Snobs out there may complain that Opiate is too simple an album, but that is partially why it is perhaps one of my fav's. It is a fairly basic rock album, but it is nonetheless a great album to listen to. The one complaint is the album only contains 6 songs, it is less than half an hour (although 6 of their latter songs could easily add up to at least an hour). It's a small amount of time, and Opiate is a fast-paced album. It just seems to run past you, and before you know it, you've listened to it a few times. It can be hard to grasp at times, but there isn't that much to grasp, to tell the truth. Opiate does not fall victim to the over-analyzer fan boys that Maynard discourages in the song Lateralus. It is a great album to rock out to and sing along with! When rating this album, it is not fair to compare it to their other albums. 'Undertow was less hard and more melodic, Aenima maintained some of the rock elements but was more experimental and psychedelic, and Lateralus was marked by the evolution of Tool from hard rock to progressive. Tool was just starting out as a band in 1992, fresh out of the pretentious art scene in Los Angeles. Opiate showed that they were a hardcore band, that had some real statements to make.' All fans of Tool should check out Opiate, because it's important to know what Tool evolved from. For fans of metal, you may want to give it a listen, but it's not a particularly special work of metal or anything, just awesome. Personally I give the ablum a 5 out of 5, or at least it is quite a biased rating, given the fact that Tool is probably my favorite band. Taken into account it may be biased-most other fans and music enthusiasts may give it a 4 out of 5 for the reasons of length, sound quality-could benefit from remastered, and lack of other content in the album. A BUY!Read full review
IF YOU ARE A TRUE TOOL FAN.EACH CD IS A CYCLE OF HIS ABUSE BY HIS FATHER A PREACHER. WHEN I SAW LIVE HE EXPLAINED OPIATE THE LAST SONG. HOW IT WAS ABOUT RELIGION AND HOW THEY JUST WANT TO TAKE YOUR MONEY. PROMISE FALSE FAITH. OPIATE IS THE ONLY CD THAT HAS 2 LIVE TRACKS ON IT.FROM L.A IN 1992. EVEN THOUGH ONLY 6 SONGS ON THE EP SINCE WAS THE 1ST ALBUM EVERY SONG IS SO HARD HITTING AND TAKES YOU AWAY. THE SECRET SONG IS JUST HILIROUS ON THIS ALBUM. IF YOU FOLLOW TOOL EVEN LOOK AT AEIMNA AND THE TRACKS 46 AND 2. MUTIPLE THAT WHAT DO YOU GET 92.WHICH WAS WHEN THIS CD WAS REALESE. EVERYTHING HAS A REASON A CAUSE AND EFFECT THAT WAY AFTER OPIATE,UNDERTOW,THEN AEINMA. IT WAS A PERFECT CIRCLE WHICH EXPLAINS THAT ALBUM. BECAUSE IT WAS TO BE THE LAST THE FINAL STAGE OF GETTING OVER THE ABUSE. STILL TO THIS DAY 1 OF THE RAWIST CDS ON THE PLANET. ALSO PLEASE LET EBAY KNOW IF MY REVIEW OR GUIDES ARE HELPFUL AS I'M WORKING ON MORE REVIEWS AND THEY JUDGE ME BEING 1 BY THATRead full review
This is the first album Tool put out and it's so origanal it's scary.Sweat,Cold&Ugly(live),and opiate are phenomimal songs that will keep you listening over and over again.There is also a hidden track about someone on LSD and Ecstasy doing crazy things.Very funny song.Opiate is'nt very long,but every track is great.Maynards voice will give you chills and the music will influence new parts of your brain.If you don't own this album and your a Tool fan,your not a Tool fan.BUY THIS ALBUM NOW! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
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