I can see what you mean... it's a similar way to the way Devin Townsend wrote the "Alien" album by Strapping Young Lad and the "Synchestra" album for his own Devin Townsend band... Apparently he went off his bipolar disorder meRAB to write the music on Alien and then wrote the music from Synchestra after going back on meRAB and normalizing himself... in that way, these two albums were kinda tied to together as a first episode and sequel format... similarly Lateralus and 10,000 Days kinda form flip sides of mooRAB, so in that regard, your point is definitely Valid, Duga... the albums themselves are, however quite different sounding and feeling, and one is a progression from the other, for sure, much like Townsend's efforts...