Gimmicky usb screen aside, I think the rest of the packaging is their best yet. Great artwork. Really seems like the Lateralus cd packaging amped up by a factor of 10. Inclusion of lyrics is nice too.
I think this is only the second time they've included lyrics. First time was Undertow but I'm pretty sure they were just snippets from each song strung together. Toolband.com compiled all the lyrics around the time of Lateralus' release. I think toolshed had official 10,000 Days lyrics. Might still.
__________________ I think this song is about old people and growing older. In the beginning of the song I believe I heard mention of watching re-runs of X-files, and old people really love that show.No one ever listens to old people. I can't remember one time when they weren't harping on about the good ol' days and talking about nonsensical things that never happened, while watching X-files, in their small and cluttered room in Happy Acres Retirement Homes, all the while they were pleading with me to listen.
I like the artwork and the fact that they included lyrics. Can't figure out all the hidden meanings/possible puzzles though. And this might just be my brain overstretching but I noticed some capital letters in the lyrics that are strangely placed. Example: Overdue, Contagion, Deciever(?), Poison, Spectacle (2x), Evacuate, Venom, Fear in the first track. Spells OCD, PSS, EVF. All abbreviations for diseases if I'm right. But then again, it might mean nothing or something else. Perhaps some words are used as a persona (the Devil perhaps?)
Other tracks have some as well but I really can't place those.
I like the artwork and the fact that they included lyrics. Can't figure out all the hidden meanings/possible puzzles though. And this might just be my brain overstretching but I noticed some capital letters in the lyrics that are strangely placed. Example: Overdue, Contagion, Deciever(?), Poison, Spectacle (2x), Evacuate, Venom, Fear in the first track. Spells OCD, PSS, EVF. All abbreviations for diseases if I'm right. But then again, it might mean nothing or something else. Perhaps some words are used as a persona (the Devil perhaps?)
Other tracks have some as well but I really can't place those.
And what's up with the 14 holes in one of the pages?
Now these two ideas about the artwork might actually be worth looking into. Research on and tell us what you find when you return from the rabbit hole.
__________________ "WITHOUT A LITTLE EVIL, GOOD WOULD NEVER EXIST"
I think they’re talking about the small holes forming a square around the first transparent page with the gold line work. Across from Fear Inoculum lyrics.
And what's up with the 14 holes in one of the pages?
This got me looking deeper at those transparent pages. The linework seems to frame the portraits pretty OK. Neat. But not Tool-levels of neat. It is interesting that if you look through the linework at Fear Inoculum lyrics, “Others I hear the” is framed by the center of the mandala. I immediately thought of the references to schizophrenia in Culling Voices. Significant? I doubt it.
Just for fun I’m flipping to the other transparent pages to see which lyrics they might highlight. The other pages have larger inner circles with more words to consider, so again I don’t think this is going anywhere, but
Descending- the word “Madness” is right in the middle of the circle. Interesting.
Culling Voices- “psychopathy” stands out.
Invincible- nothing stands out visually, but “tripping” is a comical fit to the building evidence pointing towards a theme of mental illness.
