Vicarious Music Video
A seven-minute journey through transparent skin and infinite heads.
Vicarious serves as the lead single from Tool's fourth studio album, 10,000 Days. Debuting on Maynard James Keenan's 42nd birthday, April 17, 2006, the seven-minute track reached number two on both the Billboard Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. In June 2008, Rolling Stone ranked it number 100 on their list of top 100 guitar songs of all time.
Quick Facts
- Album
- 10,000 Days
- Release year
- 2006
- Visual artist
- Alex Grey
Lore & Background
The music video is completely made through the use of CGI, marking Tool's second full CGI effort compared to their past stop-motion animation. Co-directed by guitarist Adam Jones and artist Alex Grey with creative input from Chet Zar, the visual narrative begins in a dry desert devoid of vegetation. A humanoid with visible internal organs and bones stands observing a ball-like object with tentacles scraping the floor under an eclipsing sun. Two glass-like walls appear, reflecting the figure as an insect-like creature walks upon him and the walls.
Reader's Guide
Fans can explore the extended version of this much-delayed video on the DVD released December 18, 2007. This release includes short documentaries on the making of the video and Jones's previous film work, plus commentaries from comedian David Cross. The Tool venue in Guitar Hero World Tour incorporates elements from the scene featuring multiple god heads and energy spheres.
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