I'm trying hard not to get too excited right now. I have a feeling that we could be in for something really special come September 24th. I'm really excited about the tracklist, particularly the song titles. Sure, they might be a little cheesy, but it's DT after all. I loved the quote of JP saying that people are going to be "freaked out" by Mangini's drumming on the album. I don't know, but that seemed like more than just the typical pre-album bluster to me.
I'm kind of in the middle on the logo. It's not the biggest deal that they changed it, but I understand where people like Blob are coming from. No offense to anyone, but I find it surprising that some people don't see the difference, I noticed it instantly. It also seems like weird timing, and I feel that ADTOE would have been a more appropriate time for a logo alteration, with the drummer change.
As far as the cover itself, I get a little of a DSOTM and Black Album vibe, which I don't think is purely coincidental. DT has never been shy about showing their influences, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was another way to do so. I agree that the way the earth just cuts off is a bit of an eyesore, and would prefer to see it cleaned up before actually being released, but I am not expecting that.
Either way, I'm not going to allow my opinion of the cover or the logo to affect my enjoyment of the album (not that I'm implying those who strongly dislike both are going to do so). Close to the Edge is my favorite Yes album, and one of my favorites of all time, and it has a terrible cover.
New pic on the FB page.
Also, am I the only one who digs this pic? They look very... confident and together. And I actually think JP's coat is pretty cool, he looks like some prog metal pimp or something.