COVER ARTWORK STORY: EGREGORE's "IT ECHOES IN THE WILD"

Canadian Occult Black/Death Metal act, Egregore, recently released its second album "It Echoes In The Wild." The cover was designed by Brazilian artist, Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos. In the following interview, Egregore's guitarist/vocalist, Catastrophe Saturna, and Vasconcelos talk about this graphic. 

How did Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos become involved in the project?

Catastrophe Saturna: We first came in contact with Luciana back in 2019 when she did the cover art for the final Auroch album, "Stolen Angelic Tongues." We stayed in contact, and she contributed a piece to the interior design of the Egregore demo, "The Word Of His Law."

Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos: The cover for “It Echoes In The Wild” is definitely a favorite of mine, I enjoyed immensely the process and the final result turned out even better than what I had planned. For this kind of commission, I like to talk to the band first to get to know their own vision for the cover so I can have a starting point.

Who is this creature/character shown on the cover?

Catastrophe Saturna: This is the spirit of communication, called Mercury, called Khemenses, in his aspect as the Voice on the West Wind. This is a representation and celebration of our species passing on knowledge through the ability of speech.

Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos: I was given key words and a visual concept, and the image of the wind being blown by the god Zephyr prevailed over other possible paths. I took inspiration from different traditional depictions of this classical theme.

Luciana, how did you create this graphic?

Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos: The artwork itself was made with gouache on black paper, the color of the background being also a nod to the Greek style of ceramic art. To me this is definitely a classic cover to a classic album.

Egregore's "It Echoes In The Wild" is available at https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/egregore

See more of Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos' work at https://www.luciferovs.com

VIDEO PREVIEW OF BOOK "...AND JUSTICE FOR ART - ULTIMATE EDITION"

...And Justice For Art's YouTube channel just premiered a video preview of the new book "...And Justice For Art: Stories About Heavy Metal Album Covers - Ultimate Edition." This hard cover volume includes 372 color pages, 700 graphics and more than 120 exclusive interviews about the making of hundreds of iconic metal album covers. This epic journey through the art of heavy music features stories about the sleeve artworks for albums like Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden's Killers, Metallica's ...And Justice For All, Cynic's Focus, At The Gates' Slaughter Of The Soul, Slayer's Reign In Blood, Opeth's Heritage, Darthrone's A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Suffocation's Effigy Of The Forgotten, Tiamat's Wildhoney, Neurosis’ Times Of Grace, among many others.

This is a limited edition of 500 copies. It's only available at THIS LOCATION. Use the discount code AJFA15GOOD to save 15% on your purchase.

Check the preview video below.

THE MAKING OF DIMINISHING's "THE OUTCOME" EP COVER

Diminishing is a project formed by Lane Oliver (ex-Yatsu, Feel Happiness) and David Brenner (Gridfailure), who experiment with drone, noise, dark ambient and post-Industrial to create haunting aural experiences. The duo's new conceptual EP is titled "The Outcome" and perfectly exemplifies the duo's creative ethos. Constructed around a bleak and grating improv dual-guitar drone recorded while they were putting together their first album (2023's “The Unnamable”), this new record delves into the dark corners of the human psyche.

Conceptualized by Oliver (who is based in Texas) and designed by Brenner (based in New York), the cover graphic for "The Outcome" captures the eerie vibe of the record. In the following interview, they talk about the origins and creation of this vision.

This cover artwork is truly haunting and representative of the EP's content.

Lane Oliver: "The Outcome" deals with the impending passing of a loved one and our reactions to that anticipatory grief. With that in mind, I knew we had to utilize a sepia-toned, old-timey family portrait in some form.

The original photo of the forest used to design the cover.

David, this image combines photos of an eerie forest and an old family portrait. Can you give us some details about the origin of these images and the design process?

David Brenner: I took the underlying photo of the deserted path while jogging in the Winter. It was well-below freezing and there was nobody around; the silence was deathlike. We had an initial concept for the cover that we couldn’t quite figure out–using the family photo layered over the forest shot. So, I began working in this direction, and I think the bleakness adequately depicts the concept Lane wrote.

Most of my cover designs are much more complicated or technical, with many more elements coalescing into something otherworldly and expansive. But this EP is basically a single track cut down into four chapters, and I felt it called for a simpler approach: an altered early-1900s family portrait ghosted over the underlying deserted Winter forest path photo and some spot highlights, shadows, fades create the main image.

Instead of our crusty band logo, I went with clean fonts to give the impression of an old funeral parlor or death notification. I applied the same look to our promo photos, which are composite merges, as Lane and I live across the country from each other.

This old photo of a family was manipulated and combined with the image of the forest shown on the cover.

Oliver, what's "The Outcome" cover portraying or representing?

Oliver Lane: There are lines in “The Outcome” that reference visiting childhood places and reminiscing about times with your loved one who is going to pass away. The darkened road on the cover could be interpreted as the path back to those aforementioned places and the ghostly figures could represent the memories you have of this person. Or they could be actual ghosts. You decide.

"The Outcome" will be released on May 29, 2026. Pre-order at https://diminishing.bandcamp.com/album/the-outcome

Follow Diminishing at https://linktr.ee/diminishingnoise

THE ART OF DAVID METZGER (PAVOR NOCTURNUS)

David Metzger is a Hungary-based artist/musician with a background in film and television concept art, as well as fantasy, sci-fi, and horror illustration. His creative process incorporates a wide range of digital mediums, including drawing, painting, 3D and VR-based techniques. He uses these techniques/mediums to "create cover and merchandise artwork," Metzger says. "My style blends a love for Metal music with aesthetics inspired by the dark-toned metal subgenres of the 1990s, alongside epic surreal fantasy landscapes."

The name of Metzger's creative studio is “Pavor Nocturnus.” This is a Latin term that describes episodes of intense fear emerging from deep sleep, most common in children and often leaving no memory behind. "Pavor Nocturnus is the anguish of a forming consciousness awakening to the human condition," the artist comments. "It is the realization of imprints within us from lives before our birth and glimpses of paths beyond our passing. It is the echo of our transcendent being - the strings embedded deep within the unconscious mind being struck and resonating through the ages."

David Metzger/Pavor Nocturnus is now accepting new commissions.

See more of his work at https://linktr.ee/pavornocturnus

Contact the artist at davidmetzgerart@gmail.com

Every copy of the new book "...And Justice For Art - Ultimate Edition" comes with an exclusive Pavor Nocturnus sticker. Order at https://andjusticeforart.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-book-and-justice-for-art-ultimate- editionUse the discount code AJFA15GOOD to save 15% on your purchase.

ALBUM COVER STORY: NEQUIENT's "AVARICE"

American Grind/Hardcore collective, Nequient, has released their third album, "Avarice" through Nefarious Industries. The record's panoramic sleeve artwork was hand-painted by Arifullah Ali, who has collaborated with several underground bands in recent times. In the following interview, Nequient's vocalist, Jason Kolkey, talks about this imposing work of art. 

The illustration adorning the front and back sleeves of "Avarice" is simply magnificent and also intriguing. What inspired this arresting vision?

Jason Kolkey: The cover artwork was primarily inspired by a song on the album entitled “Brain Worms.” It’s a (mostly) thrashy tune with lyrics focused on how our present media ecosystem twists people’s thoughts and perceptions, making them easy prey for charlatans in the world of politics and beyond. Notably, we completed this song very early in the writing process for this album, so it actually predates any revelations about the contents of RFK, Jr.’s skull. The cover captures the album’s pervading horror with an expressionistic vision of a giant worm constricting and devouring an agonized victim.

How did artist, Arifullah Ali, become involved in this project?

Jason Kolkey: Our guitar player, Patrick, connected with Arifullah after discovering and being impressed by his artwork on Instagram. We liked that he relied on traditional painting techniques, not digital tools, to achieve elaborately grotesque results. In general, we consult with an artistic collaborator early on in the process to approve a concept, but otherwise, leave them alone to pursue their own aesthetic ideas. That makes it especially important to select artists who have a strong, unique vision for their work.

The complete "Avarice" artwork.

Do you have any information about Arifullah's creative process? Was the definitive cover layout designed by someone else?

Jason Kolkey: Arifullah used oil paints on canvas. When asked about his approach, he said, “It's an intuitive process; there's no proper structure to the artwork besides the main composition and the color tone. My main focus is to visualize the intensity and the violent nature of the band's sound.”

After Arifullah sent the completed artwork, Scott Shellhamer —who was the cover artist and designer for our previous album, Darker Than Death or Night—took over. Scott provided a sense of visual consistency across the two records by retaining elements like the fonts and the use of a sun and moon motif to identify the two sides of the LP and cassette.

The official album cover features a revamped rendition of the Nequient's logo designed by Shellhamer.

Jason Kolkey: Our good friend, M.G. Miller (best known for his contributions to Bongripper's albums like Satan Worshiping Doom), designed the original Nequient logo along with creating the artwork for many of our early releases and merch offerings. When Scott Shellhamer took on the art and design for our second album, he felt that the record’s bleak atmosphere and death metal elements called for a corresponding makeover to the logo. With Avarice, he made further modifications inspired by the artwork. The original contours of the M.G. Miller logo are still visible, maintaining a consistent identity across our three full lengths, but the updated versions reflect the way the band’s sound and outlook have evolved over the years.

Order "Avarice" at https://nequient.bandcamp.com/album/avarice

See more of Arifullah Ali's work at https://www.instagram.com/kanvaskarat/

ALBUM COVER STORY: WYRMHAVEN's "SEASONS OF GLOOM"

American Death Metal band, Wyrmhaven, will unleash its debut full-length "Seasons Of Gloom" on May 29, 2006. The cover illustration was painted by acclaimed American artist, Adam Burke. Below, Wyrmhaven's guitarists, Travis Skye and Nick Cowan, provide information about the making of this portentous vision.

Why did you choose Adam Burke to create the cover illustration for your first album?

Travis Skye/Nick Cowan: We have followed Adam’s work for some time. He has made album art for a lot of notable bands and has a style that always seems to suit the group he’s working with. We feel very fortunate to have his talents bringing everything together for "Seasons Of Gloom." 

The image's main element seems to be a lightning striking a tree that is part of the ruins of an ancient setting. Other relevant elements are an eclipse and a storm looming in the horizon.

Travis Skye/Nick Cowan: This piece is a wonderful representation of the sonic realm we were trying to create, where beauty and terror can exist concurrently in an almost entirely unrelated way. The convergence of the apocalyptic and the celestial is a recurring theme throughout "Seasons Of Gloom" and Adam was able to convey this visually in a way that also seamlessly embedded the calm of a canyon landscape behind all of the chaos. The art ultimately represents the emotional and narrative components of the album, and we are honored to have worked with Adam.

The complete artwork has a panoramic format. The stormy landscape, the lightning striking the tree and the eclipse generate drama and feelings of utter doom.

Travis Skye/Nick Cowan: Adam paints otherworldly landscapes, using hand drawn techniques with acrylics and oils. Adam uses rich, beautiful, saturated colors to create moods for his art. 

The band's new logo was created by Belgian designer, Christophe "Lord of the Logos" Szpajdel. "Seasons Of Gloom" is the first release that features this logo on the cover.

Travis Skye/Nick Cowan: We felt very strongly about changing our logo for this new release. We wanted a logo that if you saw it, you knew exactly who it was. We worked together with Christophe Szpajdel to bring our new logo to life. We wanted to have an elegant look but still have an edge to it. We worked through a few different hand drawn designs to capture what our blend of melodic heavy music is. 

Pre-order "Season Of Gloom" at https://wyrmhaven.bandcamp.com/album/seasons-of-gloom

See more of Adam Burke's work at https://nightjarillustration.bigcartel.com/

ALBUM COVER STORY: AZIOLA CRY's "DYSPHORIA RITUAL"

American Instrumental Progressive Rock/Metal trio, Aziola Cry, just released its fourth album "Dysphoria Ritual" which features a cover illustration designed by Travis Smith (Opeth, Katatonia, Devin Townsend). In this short interview, guitarist Jason Blake talks about the collaboration with the talented American graphic artist.

How did Travis Smith get involved in the making of the cover for "Dysphoria Ritual"? 

Jason Blake: I have been a fan of Travis's album covers for some time now. His unique style has always appealed to me. I had an overall vision for this album's presentation, and I felt Travis was the only person who could achieve it. I reached out to him, which began the process. He is an incredibly kind and creative person to work with. 

It seems that Travis used different mediums to create this piece.

Jason Blake: Travis said that the artwork was a mixture of photographic and painted elements and textures. For example, the eye is not a photograph of an eye, but a few different photographic elements cut out and assembled into an eye and then mixed with some painting and texturing. The same applies to the hands which were photographed, distorted and then painted over in some places.

This is a quite surreal graphic that transmits feelings of isolation, loneliness, despair, etc. What Inspired the cover concept?

Jason Blake: I presented the album's concept to Travis and showed him a previous cover by the band, so he understood our overall aesthetic. With the overarching theme of isolation in mind, Travis did his thing and returned with a cover that perfectly represented the album's subject matter and the direction I sought to move the band into.

"Dysphoria Ritual" is available through 7D Media. Order at https://7dmedia.com/aziola-cry-dr

See more of Travis Smith's work at https://seempieces.com/

NEW BOOK "...AND JUSTICE FOR ART - ULTIMATE EDITION" NOW AVAILABLE

The new book "...And Justice For Art - Ultimate Edition" is now available to the general public! This 372-page, hardcover volume contains more than 700 graphics and 120 exclusive comments and interviews from bands like Opeth, Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Cattle Decapitation, Testament, Dream Theater, Sodom, Mayhem, Enslaved, Slayer, and graphic artists such as Travis Smith, Mark Wilkinson, Eliran Kantor, Andreas Marschall, Costin Chioreanu and many more.

This edition is limited to 500 copies. If you are going to buy just one book about Heavy Metal art in your life, this might be the one! A truly epic journey through the art of heavy music.

Order and see more details about the book at https://andjusticeforart.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-book-and-justice-for-art-ultimate-edition

Use the discount code to save 10% on your purchase.

We ship almost to almost every country in the world. For more information, contact us at andjusticeforart@gmail.com

ALBUM COVER STORY: NIGHTS OF MALICE's "CHAOS EXORDIUM"

American extreme metallers, Nights Of Malice, will unleash their new album "Chaos Exordium" on June 4, 2026. The front and back cover artworks (which portray a violent, Sci-Fi scenario) designed by Andriy Tkalenko of Daemorph Art. In the following interview, the bands drummer, Joe Capasso, talks about the making of these graphics. 

What inspired the concept for the album's front and back sleeve artworks? 

Joe Capasso: The inspiration for the album artwork was the title itself “Chaos Exordium”, which is essentially the inception of chaos. That was our goal with this album, to grow from what we have typically done in the past with darker, more atmospheric styles. This time we wanted to pull out all the stops and bring maximum energy. The artwork embodies that perfectly with the first-person perspective feeling surrounded by monsters, police shooting, people exploding all around, perfectly complimenting the music.

How did the band discover the works of Daemorph Art?

Joe Capasso: We discovered Andriy Tkalenko (Daemorph Art) through many of his other works for bands within our style such as The Black Dahlia Murder and Abominable Putridity. We felt as though he could capture our vision and really put himself in the middle of the chaos and bring our vision to life.

Daemorph Art apparently employs a mixture of different mediums, including traditional and digital techniques. Did he share with you updates of the artwork's evolution?

Joe Capasso: Not the full process, but from what we saw it was first hand-drawn and then converted to digital. 

The back cover artwork.

The rendition of the band's logo featured on the cover goes hand-in-hand with the violent, Sci-Fi vibe of the scene. 

Joe Capasso: The logo is a redesign of our existing logo made by Maxwell Aston. For the album artwork/promo for this cycle we had a stylized version created by our friend Amber Cherie to give a three-dimensional chrome variant. We felt this would perfectly fit with the atmosphere of the artwork, as well as help portray the new beginnings for the band’s approach to writing. 

Nights Of Malice's "Chaos Exordium" will be released through Bleeding Art Collective / Blood Blast Distribution.

See more of Daemorph Art's work at www.facebook.com/daemorph and https://www.instagram.com/daemorph/

ALBUM COVER STORY: VOMITORY's "IN DEATH THROES"

Swedish Death Metal collective, Vomitory, just released its new album "In Death Throes" through Metal Blade Records. The cover artwork was crafted by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art Design. Below, the Greek artist and Vomitory's drummer, Tobias Gustafsson, talk about the making of this artwork and other collaborations.

How did the band discover the works of Giannis Nakos?

Tobias Gustafsson: I've seen his artworks for different bands over the years, and I think his work is amazing. We were first in contact in 2014 when my band Cut Up was looking to get a band logo. We didn't use any of Giannis' logo drafts though, but I noticed right away that he was a cool guy and very easy to communicate with. So, when we were working on the previous Vomitory album "All Heads Are Gonna Roll", we asked him to do the cover art for it. And since he did a fantastic job on that one, we hired him once again for our new album "In Death Throes."

The cover for "In Death Throes" looks very apocalyptic. What is this image depicting?

Giannis Nakos: The initial idea was based on a reference given to me by the band. The whole of humanity is coming to an end. The sky being blood red and cracked, and in the center: a figure in the throes of death, surrounded by others like it, half alive, half ashes. The whole idea is as Death Metal as it can get. So we went for a decaying guy, being ripped from existence. Pretty iconic and with a straight to your face depiction.

Giannis, how did you create this artwork?

Giannis Nakos: This is a digital illustration indeed. A mixture of photobashing and digital drawing to be more precise. The digital medium always makes retouching and re-visiting parts of the art easier.