"ART FOR ART'S SAKE"; A LOOK AT METAL'S IGNORED ARTISTS: PART ONE

One thing that arguably sets your average Metal album part from say a Pop album, or even the majority of Rock albums, is album art. Back when I actually still had a local record store I used to buy a lot of albums based on album art. I wouldn't have developed my lifelong man-crush on Mike “Gunface” McKenzie if I hadn't picked up The Red Chord’s Fed Through The Teeth Machine based on the artwork. I think most of you would be lying if claimed not to have had a similar experience.

If I had known the name of the artist whose work adorns the cover of Fed Through The Teeth Machine, I would have named them and trust me, I looked. The fact that I found nothing is perhaps a sign that the art on the surface of an album is not as well respected as the art found within. Take your favourite album, do you know who did the album cover? I know I don’t.

This doesn't really seem all that fair does it? So to help remedy this, let’s talk art in this first part of our two part feature on some of the best visual artists in Metal.

Derek Riggs

Let’s start of easy. Derek Riggs is possibly the most iconic album artist in all of Metal. Though that may likely be to the fact that he's the core artist for Iron Maiden, one of the biggest bands ever.

Rigg's style is heavily influenced by Science Fiction and Horror art which certainly comes across in his work for the British Metal Super Stars. Incredible landscapes and strange beings aplenty grace Rigg's work and you can almost believe in these fantastical worlds. The Sci Fi influences being no more apparent than they are on Gamma Ray's Power Plant. Truly awesome stuff.

Larry Carroll 

Larry Carroll's claim to fame is his work with Slayer, finding his place on the front of Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss and Christ Illusion. Prior to being contacted by Rick Rubin to work on the trifecta of Thrash brilliance (and Christ Illusion) Carroll's sole work was with political magazines. Yet somehow he managed to create some of the most gruesome and deeply interesting album covers that didn't just focus on gore. In an age prior to Photoshop Larry Carroll  created collages through manipulating Xeroxed images and this style is easily seen on Slayer's detailed covers. Larry Carroll is unlikely to return to the Metal world but his contribution to the genre and unique style cannot be denied. 

Dan Mumford

Iconic artists seem to mainly be relegated to the history books, many of them are no longer active, or at least only working with the same handful of old school true metal bands. Dan Mumford however, with his work with bands such as Biffy Clyro, Protest The Hero, The Devil Wears Prada, THE HELL and well... a huge amount of modern bands outside of the realm of "trueness", makes him a very much a contemporary figure. Dan's bold, cartoony style is unmistakable. Despite being mainly known for his Metalcore album covers, this is not the only place he flexes his creative muscle, working with charities, art galleries and film directors on a variety of different projects doing general arty things, Dan Mumford has his fingers in many paint pots. You may not like the bands he's working with, but you can't deny the guy has talent.

Ed Repka

If we think of Derek Riggs as the king of NWOBHM Art, then Ed Repka, most famous for his depiction of Megadeth mascot Vic Rattlehead, is the king of Thrash Art. His vividly colourful depictions of the comically and satirically grotesque can be found on albums from Austrian Death Machine,  Nuclear Assault, Possessed, Death and many, many more. Repka's brand of supernatural realism has become a staple of Metal album art and is perhaps one of the most replicated styles in its field; the impact the now Art Director of NECA's work has had on album covers is huge. Ed Repka is still an active artist and still takes commission for album covers and basically anything else. If price is no obstacle how cool would it be to have art from the guy who gave life to the most well known mascot in all of Thrash Metal and provided cover art for the Godfathers of Death Metal themselves?
 

Eliran Kantor

While Eliran Kantor is not as big of a name as Riggs or Repka his work is no less spectacular. From the early 2000's Kantor's varied style can be found on bands from a variety of Sub-Genres. Manipulated photographs, classical inspired painting and supernaturally real works graces albums from Testament, Sigh, Kataklysm and a whole range of other modern releases. It his perhaps his classically inspired paintings that are the most memorable, the painterly style adding a sense of grandiosity and importance to every album such work adorns. The art for Kataklysm's Waiting For the End to Come is perhaps the best example of this, highly reminiscent of  Gustave Doré's illustrations for Milton's Paradise Lost, this cover sets the album off to a dark and imposing start even before you've put the CD in the player.

John Dyer Baizley

Apparently not satisfied with merely being the guitarist from one of the best Progressive Sludge bands out there, Baroness guitarist John Dyer Baizley has continued to develop his first love of Graphic Design, becoming one of the most instantly recognisable visual artists in the Metal world>. While Baizley is a little uncomfortable working on a commission basis, as he told Metal Injection, Baizley has worked with many bands, including high profile work for Metallica. Citing his influences at Art Nouveau meets Black Flag covers with a dash of  Punk artist Pushead, John Baizley has a surreal, comic-like style with thick lines and bright colours. Baizley does not seem to be slowing down with his work, despite claiming there is no money in album covers, so you're sure to see his expressive pieces on many more albums to come. 

That's it for Part One of our Two part feature. Make sure you check out part Two where we'll be featuring even more great Cover artists!

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