Opiate (EP)

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Opiate
File:Tool-Opiate.jpg
EP by Tool
Released March 10, 1992
Recorded December 1991 - January 1992
Genre Alternative metal[1]
Length 26:52
Label Zoo Entertainment
Producer Sylvia Massy, Steve Hansgen, Tool
Tool chronology
72826
(1991)728261991		 Opiate
(1992)		 Undertow
(1993)Undertow1993
Singles from Opiate
  1. "Hush"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 3/5 stars[2]
Kerrang! 3/5 stars[3]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[4]

Opiate is an EP by American rock band Tool. It was produced and engineered by Sylvia Massy and former Minor Threat bassist Steve Hansgen. Released in 1992, it was the result of some two years of the band playing together after their formation in 1990. "Opiate" preceded Tool's first full-length album, Undertow, by a year. It is named after a quote by Karl Marx: "Religion [...] is the opium of the masses".[5] The EP was certified platinum by the RIAA on April 1, 2005. As of July 7, 2010, Opiate has sold 1,155,000 Copies in the US.

Background and recording

Opiate features six tracks, two of which are live recordings. Some versions of the EP feature a hidden seventh track titled "The Gaping Lotus Experience". The song is hidden at the end of the last track of the EP, "Opiate", and begins approximately 6 minutes and 10 seconds into the song. Vinyl copies of the EP featured a double groove on the second side; one which contained "Cold and Ugly", with the second containing "The Gaping Lotus Experience" and a small period of silence. Both grooves led into "Jerk-Off".

The song "Sweat" was featured on the Escape From L.A. soundtrack.[6]

"Cold and Ugly" and "Jerk-Off" were recorded live at the Jello Loft on New Year's Eve 1991, the band's second public show.[citation needed] These two tracks, along with "Hush" and "Part of Me", were featured on the band's debut demo recording, 72826. "Jerk-Off" and "Cold and Ugly" have never been recorded in the studio except for in this demo. All four songs were re-recorded for this EP.

In the original CD inserts of the EP, there is a collage of tiny photos of the band members as children, and also includes a picture of someone engaging in necrophilia with a well-decomposed cadaver. In reality, it is a friend of the band joking around in prop maker Stan Winston's studio.[7] A black and white music video was made for the track "Hush". The Canadian music channel MuchMusic played it regularly.[8]

Music and lyrics

Many fans consider Opiate to be Tool's heaviest album (along with Undertow)[9] The EP lacks several progressive traits the band became known for later on in their career. In a 2013 interview, guitarist Adam Jones stated " I love metal, but I love the other stuff that's been contributed by the band. When we started out, the record company said that we had to pick our heaviest songs, because that's the impact - you're metal and that's really important."[9]

Lyrical subjects explored on Opiate include censorship and organized religion.[10][11]

Release history

2013 reissue

On March 26, 2013 the band released a special 21st anniversary limited edition package of the album, It includes bonus features, such as new artwork. It was limited to only 5,000 copies.[12][13][14] The packaging was done with an old fashioned Heidelberg Cylinder Press.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Sweat"   3:46
2. "Hush"   2:48
3. "Part of Me"   3:20
4. "Cold and Ugly" (live) 4:10
5. "Jerk-Off" (live) 4:25
6. "Opiate"   8:30
  • "Cold and Ugly" was recorded December 31, 1991 at the Jello Loft in Hollywood, California
  • "Jerk-Off" was recorded January 1, 1992 at the Jello Loft in Hollywood, California
  • "Opiate" ends at 5:20. The hidden track, "The Gaping Lotus Experience" begins at 6:10

Personnel

References

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  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Transcribed by Rory Mitchell and archived at the Tool Page. “Theresa: We played it all the time on MuchMusic.”
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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