Review Summary: A disappointing, underdeveloped debut EP from a band that would go on to become much more.
Tool's albums Aenima, Lateralus, and, to a lesser extent, 10,000 Days, have rightfully earned them a reputation as a groundbreaking alt-metal act. With stellar musicianship, tongue-in-cheek lyricism, progressive songwriting, and a pinch of mystique, Tool has paved the way for bands like Deftones, Chevelle, Earshot, and countless others to find success in the mainstream. Over the years, Tool's music has proved controversial, thoughtful, engaging, daring, and complex.
...Of course, not that you'd know any of this by listening to their debut EP, Opiate.
While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Opiate is an outright failure (it's certainly not, especially considering how young the band was at this stage), it sure leaves a lot to be desired. While Danny Carrey and now ex-bassist Paul D'amour form a tight, enjoyable rhythm section, and Adam Jones conjures up some moderately enjoyable leads, these songs simply go nowhere interesting. There are no risks and there is no experimentation, which would still be OK if only the songs were more engaging. Limp, half-hearted, midtempo grooves and crunchy guitar chords define every track. The production on the record (not too bad for a 1991 debut EP, but still pretty sterile and lifeless) doesn't help. It all sounds a bit like second-rate grunge. This is what makes Opiate such a frustrating listen- it's decidedly ordinary music from a clearly extraordinary band.
Opiate doesn't really have a solid standout track. Hush has a noticably cool bass groove to it, but at just over 2:45 it feels underwritten. The title track seems a bit more developed and dynamic than the rest, but that's not to say it's really any more enjoyable. What's more, the 'hidden' track (The Gaping Lotus Experience) is quite possibly the worst sonic work Tool has ever put to tape. Maynard devlivers a story about a drug-addled friend who 'tried to **** (his) lazy-boy' over guitar noodling that I'm sure was hilarious at one time, but sounds beyond idiotic on record.
Speaking of Maynard, he does, thankfully, give a great performance on this record. Even this early on, he's got an undeniably awesome rock and roll voice. He tackles the two live tracks on Opiate flawlessly. You only need to get through the first 25 seconds of Cold and Ugly, where he lets out a great bellow to kick off the song, to realise this. Maynard also stands out on Opiate and on Jerk-Off, where he never loses pitch even as he screams his voice raw.
Given that they are usually one of Tool's strongest assets, it's especially unfortunate that Opiate's biggest problems come in its lyrics. At best, they're juvenile, and at worst, they're just awful. For the most part, they're mean-spirited without being particularly clever or funny, which is a pretty bad mix. Examples?
'**** yourself / **** yourself / You piece of ****, why don't you just go on and kill yourself?... Just kidding!' (Hush)
'Jesus Christ why don't you come save my life now?... He has needs like I do / We both want to rape you!' (Opiate)
'I should play God and shoot you myself / Because I'm tired of waiting' (Jerk-Off)
'I should kick you / beat you / **** you / and then shoot you in the ****ing head' (Jerk-Off)
...Yeah. To really enjoy these songs, I needed to overlook the lyrics instead of embrace them, which robbed the EP of an extra songwriting dimension it could have taken advantage of. Luckily, this is an area that Tool would improve dramatically on in later releases.
All in all, Opiate is certainly not a bad EP, considering its origins. However, it remains a deeply flawed and unsatisfying release from a band that would mature and hone its craft in later years. If you're just starting with Tool, Opiate is a poor and unrepresentative introduction. If, however, you're already a fan, Opiate is definitely worth checking out. Just don't expect anything beyond a brief collection of decent hard rock tracks.
