Opiate (album)
Encyclopedia
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". 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.
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 6 seconds into the song.
The song "Sweat" was featured on the Escape From L.A.
soundtrack.
"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. 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.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
. It was produced and engineered by Sylvia Massy
Sylvia Massy
Sylvia Massy is an entrepreneur, record producer, and studio engineer in the United States. Massy is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993's Undertow, the full-length double platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles rock band Tool.-History:...
and former Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
bassist Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen was a bass player in the hardcore band Minor Threat, joining them in the fall of 1982 to allow bassist Brian Baker to switch over to second guitar....
. 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
Undertow (Tool album)
"Disgustipated" is track 69 on most pressings in North America . It also appears as track 39, track 10 or as a hidden track following "Flood" on track 9...
, by a year. It is named after a quote by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
: "Religion [...] is the opium of the masses". 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
Opiate features six tracks, two of which are live recordings. Some versions of the EP feature a hidden seventh trackHidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
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 6 seconds into the song.
The song "Sweat" was featured on the Escape From L.A.
Escape from L.A.
Escape From L.A. is a 1996 film directed by John Carpenter. The sequel to the action film Escape from New York, the film follows former war hero Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell...
soundtrack.
"Cold and Ugly" and "Jerk-Off" were recorded live at the Jello
Green Jellÿ
Green Jellÿ is a Grammy-nominated American comedy rock band formed in 1981. Originally named Green Jellö, the band changed its name due to legal pressure from the owners of the Jell-O trademark, Kraft Foods, who claimed that it was an infringement of their trademark...
Loft on New Year's Eve 1991, the band's second public show. These two tracks, along with "Hush" and "Part of Me", were featured on the band's debut demo recording, 72826
72826
72826 is a demo tape by American rock band Tool. It was released in 1991 in very limited quantities, probably between 200 and 1000. It is also referred to by the name Toolshed, or Tool...
. "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
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar...
's studio.
Track listing
- "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 6:06
Personnel
- Maynard James KeenanMaynard James KeenanMaynard James Keenan 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...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Adam JonesAdam Jones (musician)Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Paul D'AmourPaul d'AmourPaul D'Amour 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...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Danny CareyDanny CareyDaniel Edwin "Danny" Carey is an American drummer best known for his work in American Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....