I have a folder on my hard drive devoted to album covers. It contains two sub-folders, “Album covers – good” and “Album covers – bad”. When I find an image that fits either description, I file it accordingly for possible future use. But I haven’t done so for a little while, because the “bad” folder was filling up so quickly and often that it got depressing. Some labels now put out entire catalogues with bad artwork. Earache, Massacre, and AFM, I’m looking at you. You are flooding the earth with bad images and often-bad sounds. Please stop.
The next category (after “Best Album” – see comments here) in this year’s readers’ choice awards is “Best Album Cover”. Voting occurs in two weeks. Below are five of my favorites. Evidently I am not a fan of text sullying images.
What were your favorite album covers this year? Please post image links in the comments below. And if anyone knows how to embed images in the comments box, please let the rest of us know.
. . .
Thou - Summit
. . .
Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits
. . .
Satanic Warmaster - Nachzehrer
. . .
Nocturnal Blood - Devastated Graves
. . .
Jex Thoth - Witness (EP)
. . .
Baizley’s art for Kvelertak is a fave, but he vary rarely disappoints.
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/46323739/Kvelertak+Coverart+by+John+Baizley.jpg
Arik Moonhawk Roper also came up with the goods for High On Fire
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/media/2010/03/highonfire_cover.jpg
Lawless Darkness has a decent cover too
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_atKrCdoiKZ4/TJrS3vBDdhI/AAAAAAAAFks/PjCSfZQmKYM/s1600/Watain+-+Lawless+Darkness.jpg
Some cool ones off the top of my head: Inquisition, Watain, Deathspell Omega, Year of no Light, The Secret, Immolation, Celeste, Atheist, Blasphemophagher, Dawnbringer, The Sword, Wolvserpent, Vasaeleth
Inter Arma- Sundown-
http://www.forcefieldrecords.org/store/popup_image.php?pID=308&osCsid=fdbd77955ed9f1c9c8aedcb7d8b83654
ps.That Slough Feg cover rules.
Vasaeleth and Inquisition have basically the same album cover. Luckily it is a good one. Not just the cover, but the entire layout and packaging of the LP (and “Die-Hard” LP) of Ares Kingdom’s Incendiary is great, but NWN generally does a great job with packaging and design.
My five favorite metal album covers of the year:
Nails – Unsilent Death
http://deathwishinc.com/estore/graphics/00000001/nails.unsilent.hi.jpg
Starkweather – This Sheltering Night
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/Starkweather_-_This_Sheltering_Night.jpg
High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Snakes_For_The_Divine.jpg
Jesu – Heart Ache & Dethroned
http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/JESU_Heart_Ache__Dethroned_452.jpg
Early Graves – Goner
http://www.metalkingdom.net/album/img/d7/28056.jpg
Inquisition, Vasaeleth, DsO, Dawnbringer… That’s about it. There just isn’t a lot of great metal artwork out there these days. No offense to John Baizley or Jacob Bannon, but if I ever see another one of their album covers again it will be too soon… talk about oversaturation…
my top 5
Unearthly Trance (no contest, the back sleeve is even better and the gatefold is amazing too taking the theme from one of the songs “the horsemen arrive in the night)
FRONT:
http://malsonus.com/cotd/unearthly_trance_v.jpg
BACK:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KAFnfnPTDsE/TCkjEhoWtII/AAAAAAAAATM/Zx9WlLUHmE0/s1600/ut-v-cover-rear-scrawled.jpg
GATEFOLD:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KAFnfnPTDsE/TCkkREOZFpI/AAAAAAAAATU/0zAn7heW8Bc/s1600/ut-v-inner-scrawled.jpg
Abscess (this years darkthrone didn’t do much for me cover wise)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ugmFk4zbwRo/S6zqXupp96I/AAAAAAAACbQ/l6v9FWSJXlc/s1600/Cover.jpg
Atlantean Kodex (very traditional but i love it)
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/kodexcd.jpg
Burzum (again, not very imaginative but a perfect fit)
http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2010/02/22/Burzum_Belus-PINP.jpg
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/kodexcd.jpg
Slaughter Strike (beautiful original piece by denis kostromitin)
http://batillusdoom.com/crustcake/images/slaughterstrike_atlifesend_400×402.jpg
agree with the jex thoth above, but i’m not crazy about most of your pics cosmo. and i’m sure there are a few amazing bartlett covers out there slapped on to shitty bands records.
I really liked Ludicra, Kylesa, High on fire, and Landmine Marathon.
I really like the Mutant Supremacy cover. The Slaughter Strike cover is also a good one and that Satanic Warmaster cover also qualifies. The US Christmas cover is also a nice one.
I know the Baizley is a great artist but I think I’ve had it with his artwork. It is striking but mostly repetitive.
AGALLOCH!!!
Justin Bartlett did an amazing job with Locrian’s The Crystal World. This is by far the best Justin Bartlett piece I’ve ever seen. I love the contrast between the negative and positive space, as well as the use of different colored lines over black. It looks like being sucked into the world of Tron while being on some fucked up drug. It’s got a really organic feel to it, like the skull and the ghostly creatures are coming to life. I bought the new album and it’s a beautiful gatefold digipak for 2 cd’s, and the cd’s even got the vinyl treatment with the wax sleeves. UTECH did a really good job with the packaging.
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/12/locrian_release.html
My runner up is Watain’s Lawless Darkness. Both the limited edition cd digipak and the vinyl has a beautiful die-cut cover complementing the fine linework that Zbigniew M. Bielak executed. You could totally see and feel that black void that is the centerpiece of the cover. I love his use of lines along with the very meticulous of cross hatching over a sepia tone background.
http://www.templeofwatain.com/
Dude. Locrian’s Crystal World wins over all of these, easy. Son, I am disappoint.
Yeah, that Locrian cover is pretty great. However, the title of the post is “The Best Metal Covers of 2010″. Not to get too picky, but Locrian does not qualify as metal.
The details on Watain’s are great. It does look weird as a t-shirt though, it really looks like you have a hole through your body.
http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/images/covers/high/SOM008TSS.jpg?1273045312
Alcest
I’ll second Unearthly Trance’s “V” as well as Cough’s “Ritual Abuse”…Relapse did a bang up job of packaging Glynn Scrawled’s excellent artwork!
Also…Kylesa’s latest looks killer, but has a second life with the spot varnish gatefold double vinyl treatment.
Weapon’s “From The Devil’s Tomb” takes the cake for best traditional evil metal artwork of the year, which just adds to the overall excellence of the album.
Last but not least, Thou’s “Summit” cd artwork and packaging is as awesome as anything they’ve done…can’t wait to recieve the vinyl version!
Decrepit Birth-’Polarity’. Dan Seagrave does it again.
Phantom Glue’s s/t. Handpainted and text free.
Phantom Glue cover http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_i1MSxdKMKRs/TLSNNr5s53I/AAAAAAAAAig/JiQHBSwrEsg/s1600/PG.jpg
In addition to some of the ones already mentioned, I really liked the covers of Hooded Menace’s _Never Cross the Dead_, Darkthrone’s _Circle the Wagons_, and Ghost’s _Opus Eponymous_ (not sure if that last one qualifies for this year or not).
Albums I liked with covers I didn’t like include Iron Maiden’s _Final Frontier_ (too cartoonish, even for Eddie), Apostle of Solitude’s _Last Sunrise_ (two pro wrestlers whose romance has gone horribly wrong), and Valkyrie’s _Man of Two Visions_ (cool concept, bad execution).
I have got to say that like pseudonymous mentioned the Apostle of Solitude had a terrible cover. In fact, that was probably the worst cover I have seen all year.
Making up for my omission of links:
Year of no Light – Ausserwelt
http://metalasfuck.net/zine/sites/default/files/users/581/core089YEAROFNOLIGHTcoversmall.jpg
The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
http://cwgmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-Secret-Solve-Et-Coagula.jpg
Blasphemophagher – For Chaos, Obscurity and Desolation
http://frostdomain.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/cover1.jpg
Celeste – Morte(s) Née(s)
http://images.cryhavok.org/d/15724-1/Celeste+-+Morte_s_+Nee_s_.jpg
Atheist – Jupiter
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_fgGxn1mESsM/TMcfene7NZI/AAAAAAAACvU/VmnzMNjauKo/elirankantor_atheist-jupiter_extrasBIG.jpg
Danwbringer – Nucleus
http://hhbrady.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dawnbringer-nucleus-cover.jpg
The Sword – Warp Riders
http://www.girlieaction.com/media/files/cf640ddedf437bc87d3ed9ef56639e17.jpg
Wolvserpent – Blood Seed
http://static.boomkat.com/images/372647/333.jpg
And I guess everybody knows about the others already
Clearly #1 (wonder why you left them out – I read about the album first @IO … – do I smell something like a Bartlett-backlash here?)
http://www.roadburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DETRITIVORE-PAKT.png
@sickofmotion
Yes! That Atheist cover is awesome. I kind of wish the music on the CD sounded a little more like what that image suggests.
Also, the back cover of The Melvins’ _The Bride Screamed Murder_ is really cool, and reminds me of _Reign in Blood_.
yeah that Apostle Of Solitude qualifies for worst, right after the haarp album.
Don’t forget Nightbringer’s Apocalypse Sun: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Luez1KCL9h8/TDTQ2byiMoI/AAAAAAAACw8/KhXmnTiV_Lg/s1600/NIGHTBRINGER+-+%5B2010%5D+Apocalypse+Sun.jpg
No love for Scenes From Hell, by Sigh?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61QfSngevIL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
or Black Masses, by Electric Wizard?
http://www.mp3crank.com/cover-album/Electric-Wizard-Black-Masses-300×300.jpg
or definitely Full of Hell, by Howl
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/howlcd.jpg
I really dug the cover to The Tenant, by Ludicra. Incredibly evocative and perfect for the album’s content, in my opinion
http://www.roadburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Ludicra-The-Tenant.jpg
The artwork for Ecailles De Lune by Alcest was my computer’s wallpaper for a fair while. Gorgeous. I think I like it more than the album, to be honest…
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3885/alcestnew.jpg
And finally, Heliocentric by The Ocean
http://reviews.wruv.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/theocean-heliocentric.jpg
Worst of the year goes to the cover of Option Paralysis by The Dillinger Escape Plan. Is that, is that an ear holding a knife? In photomosaic? What?
The Thou cover posted above reminds of the IPod ad campaign and its dancing sillouettes. The figure in the image even looks like he has a cord trailing down from his ear.
Locrian’s The Crystal World for sure.
I’m partial to Mortualia’s Blood of the Hermit, as well as Les Discrets’ newest.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XafAWrzeEjA/S60S3sZD-NI/AAAAAAAABys/UTGwsDq5G1A/s1600/mortualia.cover.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Luez1KCL9h8/S7JJWn-GD1I/AAAAAAAACdA/dwbxb2N6rno/s1600/LES+DISCRETS+-+%5B2010%5D+Septembre+et+ses+derni%C3%A8res+Pens%C3%A9es.jpg
I’ll drop another vote for Warp Riders, and I’ll mention a couple of personal favorites:
I’ll Eat Your Face – Irritant: Probably my favorite album of the year, and the artwork is fucking phenomenal (courtesy of Johnny Burger Pimp).
Iron Thrones – The Wretched Sun: Just fucking cool.
unearthly trance dogg
You guys may be comforted by the fact that I considered the vast majority of your suggestions before I wrote this post. If there is a Justin Bartlett backlash, there shouldn’t be one. The dude did great work this year with Detritovore, The Secret, Bohemian Grove, Locrian, and more. Also, Dennis Dread did great covers for Abscess and Darkthrone, though the inclusion of logos and text slightly diminished the final products.
you guys literally mentioned everything I even thought of, so I won’t bother.
that said, the one that disappointed me, to be honest, was Dan Seagrave’s Decrepit Birth cover. It suits the music (which also left me cold), but it feels too cartoony… and this from the the man responsible for some of my favorite classic DM artwork — Left Hand Path & Effigy of the Forgotten.
Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s) gets my vote too
http://images.cryhavok.org/d/15724-1/Celeste+-+Morte_s_+Nee_s_.jpg
@ Ignacio Brown
Locrian uses minimalist metal riffs and a small amount of doom drumming, so that definitely qualifies as metal. It may not fit the metal stereotype, but it does have the elements necessary for them to be a metal band, regardless of how drony, atmospheric, or challenging their music might be.
Worst album cover would be any tech death/Sumeriancore band with bad Photoshop “artwork”. Seriously, what’s with tech death and bad Photoshop? Must be the Pro Tools and triggers. Yuck.
@ Carm
Exhibit A: http://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/a-higher-place.jpg
Covers like that one make me feel that Photoshop should have its own Clippy assistant built in (à la Microsoft Office) that monitors the user’s projects and occasionally offers suggestions like “It looks like you’re overdoing it with the saturation and lens flares. Would you like help?”
OK, so this is a 2011 album, but I doubt anyone will remember it a year from now. It’s more of an example of text fouling things up anyway. Here is the cover of Jag Panzer’s The Scourge of the Light before text/logos were added:
http://i.imgur.com/tHpZV.jpg
And the final:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HnES8zoU8vs/TP5-47ZlFNI/AAAAAAAAALc/xVJYxhZMoXg/s1600/Jag+Panzer+-+The+Scourge+Of+The+Light+small.jpg
Gross.
1. Sigh – Scenes from Hell
2. Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
3. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
4. Conan – Horseback Battlehammer
5. Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
Also really liked Encoffination, Thou, Deathspell Omega…
@ Carm
Then anything with a distorted guitar qualifies as metal. Cher’s “If I could Turn Back Time” had distorted guitars. Was it metal? No. Not that I want to get into a silly discussion about what’s metal and what’s not. I am a Locrian fan by the way.
Agree on Bongripper. I don’t know if it would be considered metal, but I really like the Sailors With Wax Wings cover too.
Best goes to Ghost from sweden’s “Opus Eponymous”
http://www.soundstagedirect.com/ghost-opus-eponymous-import-vinyl-lp.shtml
and worst/best goes to Bongripper “Satan Worshipping Doom”
http://gottagrooverecords.com/tag/bongripper/
both albums are fucking amazing too!
my top five in no particular order:
wojczech for the metal cheez factor
http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2010/11/g-review-wojczech.html
cellgraft for elegance
http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2010/11/g-review-cellgraft.html
wake for more elegance
http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2010/09/g-review-wake.html
gigantic brain for those staring eyes
http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2010/10/g-review-gigantic-brain.html
and thedowngoing for the holy-shit-what-the-fuck-is-that-kill-it-with-fire factor
http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2010/06/g-review-thedowngoing.html
I bought The Secret album purely on artwork alone, though that was as much for the palindromatic logo as the cover:
http://www.myspace.com/thesecret/photos/69059429#mssrc=SitesPhotos_AP_ViewPhoto
Both Lawless Darkness and Opus Anonymous has great booklets but in my opinion let down by the actual covers…
I really like the stark simplicity of the Salome’s Terminal, a bold statement especially as they had that amazing Salome & John The Baptist painting hidden inside
LOVE LOVE the Satanic Warmaster one you posted Cosmo, Alphonse Mucha and NSBM together at last! I’m tempted to buy a copy to hang on my wall…
Worst cover I’d have to go with Electric Wizard as it’s just weak, and we know Jus can do better from the previous album. Either that or the Maiden which is just fucking awful. Eddie. Is. Not. Predator.
(oh and thanks for everyone mentioned Bongripper, I checked them out – killer sleeve obv. – and am DL’s the album from their Bandcamp, it’s excellent)
Salome, “Terminal.”
My shit might lean towards punk and hardcore but fuck it.
You guys who posted the Bongripper cover, check out Miller’s cover for Sick/Tired’s Highlife LP(crazy fucking good album). Pretty good example of text not sullying the image at all: http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/145/l_34d21e1b55f74097a31b9ad5a28d6cee.jpg
Back: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/mcnail/OMG4/IMG_2788.jpg
Insert artwork for it is cool too: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgZDkA59lLU/TCCbmIaW4bI/AAAAAAAAA-U/OPcId_sbx2M/s1600/S%2BT+-+inlay.1.jpg
Tallboy’s art for the Agoraphobic Nosebleed/ANS 5″: http://blowthescene.com/files/2010/12/ANS-Agoraphobic-Nosebleed-A-Tribute-to-Gang-Green-Split-Cover.jpg
The whole layout and design for the Hooded Menace/Anima Morte split 7″: http://www.vberkvlt.com/pages/images/509.jpg
Human Intruder/Thou 7″: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__ukh6e8UkjI/TLLj-TdZY7I/AAAAAAAABD4/wcYP7FH_1eU/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG
Sea of Shit/Socially Retarded: http://cache0.bigcartel.com/product_images/25492421/split.jpg
Some Daniel Shaw love:
War Master Thrones of Tyranny single cover: http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/122/l_937ca30c6f51431c8e035199101cd4b4.jpg
PLF’s side of their split with In Disgust:
Wastelander/Abigail’s Nuke N’ Puke 7″ is cheezy aawesome: http://www.legionofdeathrecords.com/shop/images/WastelanderAbigail.jpg
Funerot’s And Then You Fucking Die Man: http://www.inimical.com/images/records/ATYFDM.jpg
I can’t believe Hooded Menace and Howl have only been mentioned once. I like Coffinworm’s too…
Hooded Menace – Never Cross The Dead http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2010/05/07/hoodedmenace-PINP.jpg
Howl – Full of Hell http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/howlcd.jpg
Coffinworm – When All Became None http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61ZpmJ4PFzL.jpg
Immolation? Autopsy?
Ikuinen Kaamos – Fall Of Icons
Dark Fortress – Ylem
Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
The Kylesa cover is definitely cool. It doesn’t look like much on a computer monitor, but in a 12″ format it’s pretty striking. I start to get woozy when I stare at it for too long. An actual physical reaction to a drawing — badass.
I remember thinking all year about what the artwork for the new Salome would be. I had some crazy ideas, but when I saw the official artwork I was kind of shocked. Then I thought about it, and realized that it’s the perfect artwork to reflect Salome’s music.
Triptykon, “Eparistera Daimones”
The Melvins “The Bride Screamed Murder”
Sigh “Scenes of Hell”
The new Atheist album
Godflesh “Streetcleaner” remasteres (I know it’s a reissue, but…)
Really enjoyed the Black Breath album cover, as menacing and campy as the album itself. DsO was great, as were Unearthly Trance and Mutant Supremacy. Bartlett, aside from the quality work already mentioned, delivered some quality filth with the Trap Them EP. Nightbringer took the top spot for me though, dark and mysterious and evocative, all at once.
Album covers from Kvelertak, Watain, Dawnbringer, Agalloch, Thou, Deathspell Omega are among my favorites.
But my two favorites by far:
Ghost’s opus eponymous
Castevet’s cover for Mounds of Ash.
Deathspell Omega and Bohemian Grove (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eo1guNTklzk/TQcKDihR53I/AAAAAAAAAWI/D3kL9AYfjTM/s1600/Bohemian%2BGrove%2B-%2BEP.JPG)
I really love this cover in Horn Of The Rhino’s – Weight Of The Coronation. So-so band but this cover is pretty fucking amazing!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xd_R4l7jWYE/TLJCHvrDGzI/AAAAAAAAADE/G5crJ-nqb6Y/s1600/rhino2.jpg
Yeah, that Maiden cover pretty much blew it. They’ve definitely done waaay worse though (2002’s Dance Of Death Immediately springs to mind)
http://www.google.com/images?q=dance+of+death+maiden&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=iv&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=6p0ITb3zEIbQsAPCkISpDg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CA4Q_AU&biw=1627&bih=964
Let’s keep Eddie looking like Eddie on the next one. And don’t even try to tell me that was the final chapter in Maiden’s career. They’re gonna shit out at least another 5 or more records with 20 more world tours.
And I cannot believe I forgot how awesome Hooded Menace’s was. It’s timeless perfection, totally nailed. Everything from the logo down to the color scheme has a classic early Entombed feeling without at all being a rip-off. I feel like part of the reason that record got so hyped had to be due, in part, by that sleeve art. Let’s be honest. The music is really good also but that fucking cover is a Death Metal masterpiece.
http://www.keepersofmetal.net/2010/05/hooded-menace-never-cross-dead2010.html
@RiigormortiiS
Story I heard on the Dance Of Death cover was the design company supplied an early rough visual and the band (Harris) loved it and insisted on going with it… if you look at the inlay it’s actually really nicely put together with great photos etc
Ah, so we have Harris to blame for that one.
Derek. Riggs. Paintings. Please!