When you guys say "cutoff line" are you talking about the line bisecting the planet? If so it seems to me that it is intentional. Maybe
you are talking about something else I don't see.
The diagonal line as seen here:
I honestly thought that was 100% intentional and represented the Terminator line which seperates the light from the dark and I
figured it played into the Illumination Theory in some way. It's far too obvious to be a flaw. Isn't it?
Nah. If it were intentional, I'm sure it would be a bit more evident that this was what was meant. This is just a case of sloppy/hurried artistry, whether done by Syme or not. And as I mentioned before, unfortunately, Syme has gotten sloppy in recent years, which is a pity. So while my gut tells me that this wasn't done by Syme, it's quite possible that it was.
Honest question: As a band, does Dream Theater have so much concern for what the masses think of their album covers?
If so, they are much more down-to-earth than I'd ever imagine a group of "celebrities" (for lack of a better word) would be. As mentioned, I am a very new fan of this band but not of music/musicians in general. I find it interesting that anyone would think they'd care what fans think about such things.
Not sure what the band thinks of discussions like this and whether it would be enough for them to get the cover art fixed or reworked. I know they certainly were concerned about what the masses thought of their Live Scenes From New York artwork so that they replaced the burning apple (with the NY skyline in flames) with a majesty symbol, but this is different.
But I'm sure they appreciate the fact that their fans are rabid enough to notice the little details like this. Of course it would be difficult, if not impossible for them to cater to every fan's wish, but when it comes to something like this, which is clearly a mistake and caught before the manufacturing stage, one would hope they'd take it to heart and realize it's a matter of the fans caring, not being a bunch of nitpicks.