was this directed at me? because I wasn't trying to imply that he was all in it for the money or anything... I'm probably just missing who it was replying to.

Well I can tell you he's STILL making money from it, and will for many years to come...in the scence of ripple affect. Pretty much 1/3rd of his market base is Tool fans now. I've rarely if ever seen anyone gain such a base from doing album art.

As far as how much he made doing the actual art...I really have no idea. I imagine whatever it was, the members of Tool most likely added a hefty donation to CoSM, however their names are not listed on any donation sheets, but that really doesn't mean anything.

It was more of a general comment, but it didn't come from you.

What?! How dare you post that!

This doesn't mean anything!!! Alex Grey is in on the hoax!!! He's in on it!!!

Blah blah f*ckin blah....

lol

I can't wait until May 2nd to hear these same people claim that the record stores too are in on the hoax when they go to buy the album and it has the 'three-faces' cover...

then they'll take it home, listen to it, and will be so thown off by the stylistic changes that they'll swear it's that 'decoy album' thing that Blair was joking about which some people took seriously...

I hear ya. I've always wondered that. Like the record is platinum. So, does one gat a percentage or a flat fee? Kinda crazy. Then there is the whole video thing and the tapestries, etc. I'd venture to say he made over 6 figures off of Lateralus wouldnt you think?

Boozy- One thing I always wondered, with all the appearances Alex does, etc. How many hours a day does he spend in the studio? Is he using studio assistants / painters at this point in his career?

yea, Tool copyright logo.

I could give two shits if the album cover was a stick figure as long as the album's good and the only thing better would be if I could fast forward time and get the damn thing.

Tool is catering to the music industry now. That's your position? That's logical?

He does indeed currently spends less time painting and more time communicating with friends, dealers, schools, etc. I've seen him spend anywhere from 2 to 15 hours painting in a day. He does all painting himself. Of course everyone gets their input, but he is the only one that touches the paint. People sometimes help in preparing. A woman did send in a plaster cast of her 8 month pregnant belly, hand, and breasts. She wanted to see if it would be possible for Alex to someday paint on it. I reenforced the casting and sealed the edges, then sanded it down and added hooks to hang it with. His wife Allyson is involved in almost every non-painting project he does ie Lectures, Instulation, Performance.

He does have two amazing Studio Assistants though.
Zachariah Gregory did most of the art on the CoSM walls. He continues to update it, and I hear the latest additions are pretty badass. Sharon Fulcher works on 3D modeling. She designed minature versions of the sacred mirror frames (which I believe you can still buy from the website) and also has constructed various figures from Alex's paintings in 3D form for future projects. Maticulous is the best word to describe her work.

I'm a fan of Allyson's work too, as I think the abstracted elements in her grid work are more archetypal then some of the figurative work in Alex's stuff. That being said, those are some massive stretchers to be building for a guy his age!

You know, I never really cared for Allyson's work until I saw it in person. Some of her paintings are some of the most detailed and challanging Color Wheel type works I've ever seen.

yeah, I caught it at the Outsider Art museum in Baltimore before I moved to California. Quite impressive. I have to confess though - Why is it that transcendental experiences come in a primary color palette? I've noticed it in Alex's work, Luke's, Allyson's, my own.... It's strange how are visual memory is color coded.

we have proof now I guess

I am in complete agreement with Inner_Eulogy. I wouldn't care if the new album had a picture of Fred Durst at an all-you-can-eat fried chicken and grits buffet and was called, "Fat, Trailer-Man Eatery", I just want the music. The art is nice, the new shiny logo is nice, but the music gives me goosebumps and has been known to bring me to tears...it's all about the music.

"Talking shit about a pretty sunset, Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon..."

Not "catering." But they have to release information so that chains that they expect to carry their product (because they DO SELL products) can have enough time to prepare, promote and presell their album.

I hate to break this to you, but Tool is an artist signed to a major label... it's not like they burn and distribute each cd by hand. As much as I enjoy and approve of their anti-industry beliefs and such, they are still distributed by Sony and therefore have certain expectations as far as information and release details go.

My position is that we've been given the truth, and people who have built up their own image of the band in their minds disagree so much with what we've been told that they've concocted elaborate theories and proofs as to why the information we have is false. When questioned, they rehash old stories of Tool releasing false information, which they've only done before one album. All other little lies such as Maynard finding Jesus are different because our single source was Toolband, and the ramblings of Blair. Here, we have mulitiple sources, a leaked review that perfectly matches the given tracklist that came after the review, verification from the artist themselves (Alex Grey) of the title and cover of the record... I really don't know what else to tell you.

Logic escapes every other explanation. But people are going to believe what they're going to believe, and I imagine there are plenty rolling their eyes at this post right now, so I'll stop.

the truth is we will all be suprised when we see the final product - right now i see the 'cover' image as suggesting a 'darker' version of lateralus perhaps; darker meaning heavy and angry..

This doesn't prove it's the COVER!



(I didn't read one post in this thread besides the first, so forgive me if I've sinned.)

You're forgiven.

According to Alex Grey, it is.

+1

=)

As ive seen some people note....a legitimate source has yet to claim this is the cover. Just "album art".

...

Alex Grey refers to it as "the cover."

Alex Grey did the artwork for this album.

So he would know what images were used and how they were utilized.

I don't really know what else to tell you though. I guess you can reserve judgement until you have the cd.

I still call elaborate hoax.

Figured you would.

i doubt that.... because it would be like two different styles...

if they can make the end of parabola w/o davis's help, then i doubt they will need him to do the website if alex is doing the artwork...

looks like we'll have to get used to lateralus II

Sure would be nice to see the newsletter. You know, to erase the probability of heresay.

Thank you much! :o)

"The Grammy award winning progressive metal rock band, TOOL, will drop their next album, "10,000 Days", in early May.

Many fans have inquired regarding the album art TOOL has released on Amazon for pre-sale of the album.

The cover is an adaptation of Alex Grey's painting, Net of Being."

P.S. If this stuff is legit, I will always laugh when I see that new 'Fool' logo. :o)

I posted the website a few lines up, but that guy caught it for me anyway.

No problem.

I still can't accept that Alex Grey didn't even change anything about the painting other than the color. Perhaps if he had added some vines and signs of decay to the figure, it would've made more of an impact to the message of 10,000 days. But the same art :/.......

or not

Specially on the T-shirts xD

You know, after staring for a long time at the album art on the website, I think I figured something out.

Originally the art looked off center, since that's how it is shown on the website. But when you look at it, you realize that the center nose and such is off center to show depth and attachment to the center face. That being said, Blair's post alludes to a "bigger picture" and that they key "is right in front of your very eyes." Sort of like... a nose?

Maybe somehow the cover will actually be a three-dimensional face, with the off center graphics actually being a front-facing feature? I don't know if they would try and package this as a hologram of sorts or possibly an actual physical enlargement of the cardboard case, oddly wrapped.. who knows. Just throwin it out there, because when I think about that idea, suddenly the album art takes on a COMPLETELY new level.

you're lucky that dreaming is for free =)
but good idea anyway...

Wow... Tool actually instructs you to do something? In which case, they have authority over you. In which case you should question it, by your own rules. Some people on this board scare me.

No shit sherlock, dont you think I have been questioning EVERYTHING we are getting via their official online resource?

duh.