10 Underrated Hard Rock Albums Of The '90s

Many a metalhead could recall their first time hearing Tool as a transcendent experience. Whether it was the random genius behind Lateralus or the psychedelic bliss of 10,000 Days, every single record these guys have put out has been nothing short of heavy perfection. However, their start goes back a little bit further than Undertow.

Written just as they were assembling the group, Opiate is not too shabby for just one lone EP. Instead of being sneak previews of what we would eventually see on Undertow, these are all original tracks that have their fangs out, ready to kill. Even though the production is a bit more slipshot on this outing, there are some genuinely great riffs to be found on songs like Part of Me and Hush. The title track is also one of few songs on this album that would have fit nicely on some of their later albums like Aenima.

So, why isn't this included among the best that Tool has to offer? Well, it normally comes down to some of the lackluster production quality and the fact that some of the topics haven't necessarily aged all that well, especially on the end of the album where Maynard talks about fornicating with his La-Z-Boy. At the same time, those kind of weird eccentricities just make the album all the more endearing in the eyes of Tool fans. Certainly not their best outing, but a tremendous sign of what was to come.