Lateralus Music Video

Lore & Background

Instead, it highlights the existence of a substantial ten-and-a-half minute music video for the song "Parabola." This specific video is noted as being so long that it presented challenges for both fans and music programming schedules. The text explains that "Parabola," along with "Schism," was later featured in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour. This mathematical concept drives the song "Lateralus," which uses successive time signatures of 9/8, 8/8, and 7/8 to reflect the desire for knowledge and expansion.

Reader's Guide

The only concrete detail provided regarding visuals is that the album insert is translucent and flips open to reveal layers of the human body, with the word "God" disguised in the brain matter on the final layer. Artist Alex Grey created this artwork and later designed covers for Tool's subsequent albums. Regarding the song "Lateralus," listeners should note its incorporation of the Fibonacci sequence, specifically the number 987 as the sixteenth integer of the series. The lyrics describe a desire to explore and expand, using the phrase "spiral out" to reference both human ambition and the mathematical spiral formed by connecting square corners.

Did You Know?

• The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 555,200 copies in its first week.
• Early CD pressings incorrectly spelled the ninth track as "Lateralis."