I’ve long had an uneasy relationship with Slipknot. They either strike a nerve with me — usually but not always in a good way — or I find them too ugly to bear. I’m sure the band’s mastermind, M. Shawn Crahan — you may think of him as Clown — would be flattered.

His art is the same way for me. Fascinating, and not always in a sick way.

So… of course I’m totally coveting his forthcoming photo and art book, The Apocalyptic Nightmare Journey.

Here’s what the press release I saw has to say:

Apocalyptic Nightmare Journey, which will be published by MTV Books in June, is a collection of explorations in darkness and light from Shawn’s experimental photography, his second and equally powerful artistic outlet which he has honed for over a decade. Weird, wired, paranoid, endlessly imaginative and cancerously prolific, he’s created thousands of dangerous representations of reality through eye-gouging Polaroids in numerous styles in this hand-picked collection.

That says everything… and absolutely nothing. Notice that?

I’ve seen pieces of Clown’s work, as it’s been posted online. It’s been enough to make me realize that for a press release that says everything and nothing all at once, it’s dead-on accurate.

The book, featuring a foreward from one of my heroes, Lars Ulrich, will be out in June.

Yeah, okay. Lame post title.

You don’t think? Read on.

Alex Lifeson, the guitar virtuoso of rock legends Rush, is the latest musician to expand into visual arts. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is offering limited-edition copies of his artwork. And I do mean limited — only 250 are being printed!

It’s pricey, too, as befits a special print for a special cause — $275 Canadian for us here in the States (shipping to the US included). The prints have an original autograph from Alex, but they do NOT come with a frame. You’ve got that expense on top of the cost of the print.

Still… I think collecting art from musicians is a cool thing to do. Go buy my books so I can, eh?

Here’s more info, from the official site.

I’m lousy with jokes of this sort, so if you can think of one about the one-armed drummer who begins making gorgeous art, let me have it.

I don’t have much info on this, other than to think that on the surface, it’s not that different from what Matt Sorum is doing.

Here’s from the press release, or the article posted at Brave Words, or wherever this originated from (it’s posted on Allen’s website and is credited to Blabbermouth, so… clear as mud. Which could be another art form, I know):

DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen\\\’ collection of visual art, “Electric Hand: Rhythm + Change”, is set for release on April 18 exclusively at RickAllenArt.com. Allen is translating rhythm into a visual art medium through an extensive process involving drumbeat, light, photography, and graphic design. The result is a collection of abstract imagery built directly from Allen’s rhythmic prowess. And as one of the pioneers in this new medium, Allen is holding true to a lifetime of breaking barriers and new ground.

Jokes aside, even though I’m too lame to make them, I met Rick Allen once, way back, not long after the whole arm thing and his triumphant return to the stage. He was a nice enough bloke. Very NOT a rock star, you know?

He’s gone on to form the Raven Drum Foundation and other cool things that are changing the world.

So… check out the art. It comes out a mere six days after King Trevor, so you should budget accordingly (King Trevor, of course, being a book and not one-of-a-kind art that makes Susan drool, will be significantly less money, so if you have to choose…).

Let me know what you think!