10 Dark Horse Albums By Legendary Bands

Most prog rock heads can probably point to the exact moment in time where they were when they heard Tool for the first time. Across all 5 of their albums, these hard rock nutcases have turned in some of the most celebrated metal ever released, from the mind-melting sounds of Lateralus to the pure aggression found on Undertow. Whereas the latter may have shown the band at their hungriest, that's not where everything really starts for them.

Before they went in to cut Undertow, Tool's first real step up to the plate with Opiate is probably the most savage thing they have ever made. Whereas Undertow may have already sounded punishing when you heard it, this makes the first album look almost tame, with songs that are a lot more threatening than you might think. At the same time, it's not like the Tool kookiness has really gone anywhere, with the Gaping Lotus Experience hidden track being about Maynard wanting to make sweet, sweet love to his La-Z-Boy.

That's probably the biggest problem with this album: it's Tool at their youngest. For as much as these songs might kill in a live setting, this was the sound of prog metal's greatest act just getting their bearings. Other albums may have been more interesting, but this is still one hell of a nice start.