The vibe: An imposing, emotional touchstone of modern heavy metal Dive in if youвЂ™re a Tool completist, but all others shouldnвЂ™t feel guilty passing on Opiate nearly 30 years later. вЂњOpiateвЂќ closes on a terrifically frantic drum solo from Carey before revealing the bandвЂ™s first secret song, вЂњThe Gaping Lotus Experience.вЂќ Beyond those two tracks, the album hasnвЂ™t aged nearly as well as the rest of the Tool discography, as every member of the group was clearly still honing his respective craft.

ItвЂ™s a jagged and uniformly aggressive effort that toes the line between Pearl JamвЂ™s patented crunch and PanteraвЂ™s heaving riffage, revealing only glimpses of ToolвЂ™s later evolution: KeenanвЂ™s breathless verses on вЂњSweatвЂќ and the sonic deconstruction that takes place across the eight-minute title track, which appears to unpack Karl MarxвЂ™s dissenting view of religion. Listening now to Opiate, ToolвЂ™s first properly recorded album after two years of performing around its native Los Angeles, the six-song EP is nearly indistinguishable from the dayвЂ™s grunge and metal moments. The vibe: An unrefined, grunge-adjacent introduction from a band with room to grow 7), let us be your guide to the raging, obsidian world of Tool, sharing key songs and cheat sheets for one of modern rockвЂ™s most distinguished acts. Where does one even begin with frontman Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor?ДЄs fans gear up for the new album, and absorb the explosive new title track that just dropped Wednesday (Aug. This is a far cry from Tool's previous, nearly flawless album Lateralus and is a bit of a disappointment.Tool by the Numbers: 10 Things to Know About the Band's Chart HistoryД®ven though Tool have only released four LPs and one EP over the bandвЂ™s 30-year existence, their body of work is still overwhelming in its sonic density and challenging themes. 'The Pot' and 'Rosetta Stoned' are very good and the rest of the tracks are acceptable. I would be willing to overlook this lack of cohesion if closer listening resulted in the discovery of some really phenomenal things however, this is not the case here. It seems that Tool took their progressive leanings way too far this time around and committed the crime of self-indulgence, sacrificing the very important element of flow.

The album becomes a meandering mess that requires very careful listening and even then doesn't gel into a very cohesive whole. Halfway through the 'Wings' duo, we realize that the band has absolutely no intention of being on the same page as the listener. 'Jambi' is more meandering but still very memorable. The first is pure gold single material with its superb riff, phenomenal buildup and clever lyrics. Is 10,000 Days worth the wait? Well, the answer is a definitive yes, although this album is not actually Tool's best.ДЎ0,000 Days starts misleadingly with two quite accessible numbers in the form of 'Vicarious' and 'Jambi'. We had to wait 5 years for a new release from Tool.

Tool 10000 days album playlist