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(dis)Cover Artwork

(dis)Cover Artwork – Vol 1: Qbomb, Doodseskader, ROMES, Danz CM, Great American Ghost, Throwing Bricks

In our inaugural volume of the new series (dis)CoverArtwork, we dive into awesome artwork from Qbomb, Doodseskader, ROMES, Danz CM, Great American Ghost, and Throwing Bricks.

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Ever see a totally rad cover artwork on an album, EP or single and wonder how it came to be so fetching? You’re not alone; we have as well. In fact, this crosses our minds daily, thanks to the deluge of new music bombarding our inboxes. Enter (dis)Cover Artwork, a simple series focused on diving a little deeper into some of the most eye-catching imagery to grace new musical output.

Herein, we’ll break down six different covers from various artists across all genres that we found to be particularly un-look-away-able. We touch on the new music and the story behind each cover and artwork. Moreover, we also get some input from the bands and artists themselves to gain a little more insight into what these rad covers are all about.

After checking this out, we’re sure you’ll look at all the artwork in your album collection a little more curiously!

Artwork for the album ‘HYPERPUNK’ by Qbomb

1. Qbomb – HYPERPUNK

release: October 28, 2022
label: Ghost Pixel Records
genre: hyperpop, punk, chiptune, alternative metal

Despite having written and recorded their debut album, HYPERPUNK, in 2019, the electronic-infused, post-apocalyptic punk sextet Qbomb dropped it in October of 2022 via The Living Tombstone’s new label, Ghost Pixel Records, affording the band an even tighter final package. We’re sure you’ll agree, the record’s cover is one not to miss. Zoom in… there’s so much cool detail.

Per their bio, “HYPERPUNK explores feelings of frustration and self-deprecation. As a whole, the album is a screed on pushing oneself past the point of sustainability and burning yourself out. It deals with loss, self-loathing, lashing out over the hardships everyone faces and lashing out at people who have hurt you, all the while infusing a tongue-in-cheek recognition that these complaints come from a flawed place.”

Commenting on the album’s neon, post-apocalyptic-yet-loveable cover artwork, Gene Goldstein (in character as Izzy Deluxe) states:

“HYPERPUNK’S ALBUM COVER IS ADORNED BY OUR BOMBASTIC MASCOT, QUINN, POISED WITH A GUITAR ATOP A CRACKLING MOUNTAIN OF BLOWN-OUT AMPLIFIERS AND APOCALYPTIC DEBRIS! POWER SURGING, FEEDBACK SQUEALING AND READY TO SHATTER THE WORLD WITH THE STROKE OF A PICK! THE SCENE IS SET SECONDS BEFORE THE OPENING TRACK, AND THE INTERIOR OF HYPERPUNK’S PACKAGING FUNCTIONS LIKE A FLIP BOOK DEPICTING THE OPENING NOTE CONNECTING THE ARTWORK TO MUSIC, AND CREATING A COHESIVE AND INTERACTIVE AUDIO-VISUAL EXPERIENCE! THE NEON APOCALYPSE USED FUTURE AESTHETIC DEFINES THE SEEDY YET BRIGHT AND ENERGETIC SOUND OF HYPERPUNK!”

“The neon apocalypse used future aesthetic defines the seedy yet bright and energetic sound of HYPERPUNK!”

Adding more context to the cover, artist Mike Horowitz says:

“Izzy kicked down my door one day, lifted me up by the collar, waved around an old mechanical pencil threateningly, and demanded I illustrate ‘the world’s final moments before death by Hyperpunk.’ So I did.”

Artwrok for the album ‘Year One’ by Doodseskader

2. Doodseskader – Year One

release: November 18, 2022
label: Isolation Records
genre: metal, metalcore, grunge, hardcore, punk, sludge

The Belgian duo Doodseskader (pronounced: dood – ses – kader), whose name translates to death squad, is comprised of vocalist/bassist Tim De Gieter (Amenra, Every Stranger Looks Like You) and vocalist/drummer Sigfried Burroughs (Kapitan Korsakov, The K) and their debut album, Year One, drops on November 18th via Isolation Records.

An adventurous musical mix which sees the band lean into hip-hop, metal, punk, and grunge at different times (sometimes, all at once), they endeavour to sound fresh and innovative and made “a conscious effort to discover fresh artists from all corners of the musical realm, sharing an open mindset with genre-defying and -defining trailblazers like Show Me The Body, Ghostemane, and Ho99o9.”

Cerebral, exploratory, and complex, it’s easy to see how the Year Zero cover ties into the band’s music, which, the band note, is “about growing up, fighting your demons and giving them a place to rest.”

The Year One album cover was created by Jordi van Putten who offers insight into how it came to be:

“Doodseskader asked me to make a visual interpretation of the music. Not some interpretation of what a heavy band is supposed to look like. Nothing too dark, no graves and no skulls.

“Listening to Year One sketched a pretty clear scene for me: Imagine a Fight Club-style montage of Greta Thunberg working as a cashier, only because she needs to pay her rent. Wanting to change the world, yet stuck in a depressing downward spiral of nothingness. As a puppet controlled by capitalism. Witnessing the shitshow that is this world. Exhausted by anger. Risible suffering.

“As most of us do, you just put on your mask and participate in a world which is slowly but surely bringing itself down. So yeah, that’s still pretty dark. Sorry guys! I wanted to keep the design clean, so I made different visuals of 1 of the elements from the scene above. Only asking myself: ‘Would I buy this? Would I wear this?’”

“As most of us do, you just put on your mask and participate in a world which is slowly but surely bringing itself down. So yeah, that’s still pretty dark.”

The band adds:

“Let us start with the fact that we’re both big fans of Jordi as a person and an artist, in no particular order. His rather extreme, often experimental, colourful approach is something that we saw fit our music from miles away. Year One has similar parameters applied to a different artistic form.

“The use of color has been of great importance since we’ve started out. We’re not just into this to make music. We’re pushing ourselves to create a piece of art. Color is a necessary thing to carry out what we envision. As a digital designer, Jordi has a foot into modern art; he’s fresh, looking to push and break contemporary boundaries. That approach matches us perfectly.

“The fact that the head is neutral and faceless makes the work ambiguous. While observing it symbolically, we feel it embodies a look into the 45 future. Year One is the blueprint and foundation for things to come. It’s all getting more personal, intense and humane. Until all is 45.”

Artwork for the single “WE NEED SOME HELP” by ROMES

3. ROMES – “WE NEED SOME HELP”

release: November 4, 2022
label: BMG
genre: alternative

Toronto, Canada-based alternative two-piece ROMES recently dropped their latest single, “WE NEED SOME HELP,” an ear-worm of a song with poignant and introspective lyrics that comes on the heels of World Mental Health Day. The song, which aims to speak to those struggling with mental health, was mixed by Matty Green (Weezer) with co-writing from Rachel Kanner (Royal & The Serpent).

Commenting on the single’s topic, vocalist Jacob Bitove says:

“I’ve always found it difficult to share my daily struggles with other people – those negative feelings often get bottled away, only making problems worse. ‘WE NEED SOME HELP’ is a realization that everyone has their own crosses to bear and, yeah, life can be shit, but sometimes the best way to get out of your own head is to understand that you’re not alone.”

As evidenced by the artwork depicting two people floating face-down in the water, themes of “drowning” (both figuratively and literally) are ever-present in the song. Not to mention the choice of the colour blue. The band adds context to the artwork, sharing:

“We usually have a pretty clear idea on the visual aspects of our music – artwork, music video, etc. – so we handle the creative direction and design for all our projects. The ‘WE NEED SOME HELP’ cover art uses a mix of digital and analog media, and the idea came about once we started exploring concepts for the music video. Imagery of drowning and being buried alive kept coming into the conversation, so we thought to capture a bird’s eye view of us floating in some body of water, tying into the darker themes of the track.

“Imagery of drowning and being buried alive kept coming into the conversation, so we thought to capture a bird’s eye view of us floating in some body of water”

“Our buddy Quinton Meyer used a drone to snap the photo of us in Lake Huron, and being near the end of September, it was damn cold! We messed around with some colour-grading and effects in Photoshop, then printed the design and scribbled the other elements on it. After collaging some other photos on top, we scanned everything together to get the final piece. This was actually the first time we mixed analog approaches in our cover art – something about the raw energy of the track seemed to call for it.”

Artwork for the single “Fast Cars” by Danz CM

4. Danz CM – “Fast Cars”

release: November 4, 2022
label: Channel 9 Records
genre: synthpop, indie rock, electronic, experimental

Opening with the lyrics “Driving / D-d-d-d-driving / D-d-d-d-driving / Turn on the radio / D-d-d-d-driving / Turn it up, let’s go,” one can’t help but envision this luxurious Lamborghini ripping down a beautifully-paved road, windows open, hair whipping in the air, as funky beats drip from speakers.

Well, one might concur that NY-based musician and producer Danz CM (aka Danielle “Danz” Johnson, Danz, Danzie, Computer Magic) nailed the vibe of her latest single with the ‘80s-esque photo of a Lambo in Cali. At least, we do.

So, how did this artwork come to grace her new track? Well, Danz CM shares:

“I lived in New York City for a long time and moved to LA last year. In New York, I took the subway everywhere. In LA, I drive. The last time I really had to drive was growing up in rural upstate New York, where expensive Italian sports cars were a rarity. Here in Los Angeles, I’ll get passed in my Prius, going more or less the speed limit by Ferraris going 100 mph in the merging lane. It feels surreal and like I’m in a movie.”

“I was looking for something pretty specific for “Fast Cars” . . . The Lamborghini Countach with the doors open in LA was perfect, kinda fit the tune just right.”

She continues, elaborating further on the song and artist:

“This song was basically written by a parallel universe version of myself, where I’m the one in the fast car. It’s a fantasy, where at home in my garage is an extensive vehicle collection – like one of those musicians featured on a 1990s MTV Cribs episode. The art is by rflctve and features a Lamborghini Countach. I got into the Lamborghini aesthetic when I discovered producer Giorgio Moroder (Donna Summer, Daft Punk, etc.) helped design one in the 1980s. This song was written and produced by me. A neat tidbit about it is that the opening organ/synth sound is a vintage Roland Saturn-09 from the 1970s. I was looking for something pretty specific for “Fast Cars” and came across Andre’s (rflctve) work. The Lamborghini Countach with the doors open in LA was perfect, kinda fit the tune just right.”

Artwork for the album ‘Torture World’ by Great American Ghost

5. Great American Ghost – Torture World

release: January 20, 2022
label: MNRK Heavy
genre: metal, metalcore, hardcore, hardcore punk, thrash

Boston-based heavies, Great American Ghost, unleashed their newest four-song EP, Torture World, on January 20th via MNRK Heavy and have received high praise for their latest set of songs ever since. The record was once again produced by Will Putney (A Day To Remember, Knocked Loose, The Amity Affliction), who was at the helm for GAG’s 2019 offering, Power Through Terror.

Lots of activity has ensued since January, including tours and music videos, all of which help the band to showcase further how the album, per a recent press release, “directs old-school death metal wrath at hypocrisy, apathy, and self-loathing, delivered in a dark cloud of relentlessly bludgeoning riffs.” Getting the picture yet that the above artwork terrifically ties into the theme(s) at hand?

Sharing some insight into their horrifying EP cover, vocalist Ethan Harrison states:

“The Torture World album cover was something that our Manager, Will Putney, and I dreamt up with the thought that we would probably never actually get it done. We were collectively obsessing over an artist named Paolo Girardi. We would send his artwork back and forth to each other on Instagram and just talk about how insane it always was. Every piece would be wilder and darker and sicker than the next. When we decided to title the EP ‘Torture World,’ we started brainstorming artwork, and one of us just said, ‘Message Paolo Girardi and see what he says.’ fully expecting him to say no or to not respond at all. ‘Within about ten minutes of sending the initial email, Paolo responded with simply, ‘What do you want?’ That was all.

“We were collectively obsessing over an artist named Paolo Girardi. We would send his artwork back and forth to each other on Instagram and just talk about how insane it always was.”

“After excitedly convening on some ideas, I hit him with this wish list of wild things Will and I had cooked up. Again, ten minutes went by, and Paolo simply responded, ‘This will be done in 10 days.’ To this man’s word, ten days later, the Torture World artwork was done. Exactly the way you see it now. He said to me, ‘I have been living inside of this; I am glad it is done,’ and that was it. The man is truly a genius, and I will forever be honored that he gave us the chance to have his art help define ours.”

Artwork for the album ‘The Burden’ by Throwing Bricks

6. Throwing Bricks – The Burden

release: October 28, 2022
label: Tartarus Records
genre: black metal, grindcore, hardcore punk, screamo, sludge

Based in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Throwing Bricks is a five-piece post-metal band that melds elements of sludge, screamo, hardcore and black metal into their own caustic sound, as evidenced by their latest nine-track full-length recording, The Burden.

Kicking around since at least 2013, when they dropped their five-track Demo, the band—Jesse Stey (guitar), Jordi van Putten (bass), Robert Constant (drums), Marius Prins (guitar, backing vocals), and Niels Koster (vocals)—released a couple of EPs before dropping their debut full-length What Will Be Lost in 2020 via Tartarus Records. Enter The Burden, their sophomore full-length, recorded at Much Luv Studios by Tim de Gieter (Amenra, Doodseskader) and mastered at The Atomic Garden – East Room by Jack Shirley (Comadre).

While their debut, thematically, was centred around experiencing loss, new offering, The Burden, heads in a more hopeful direction, tackling topics like making peace with loss, coping with mental health, and overcoming negative thoughts. These same themes are carefully captured in the album’s art, created by photographer Daantje Bons, who comments on its origin story, sharing:

“The photo itself was made in 2019 but somehow feels more relevant today. It was part of an exhibition about street harassment. For which I drew inspiration from my own experiences. So the process of this photo was quite intense. Intimidation because of my gender can feel really suffocating. Especially when no one else dares to stand up, speak up, or ask me if I’m ok. It feels like you’re being treated like trash on the side of the street. This self-portrait is powerful to me because It gives me the power to use my own body and gender to fight this struggle in my own way.”

“This self-portrait is powerful to me because It gives me the power to use my own body and gender to fight this struggle in my own way.”

The band also adds their two cents about the art:

“This photo really spoke to us. The first time we saw it, we immediately reached out to Daantje. It just has so many interpretations and stories hidden in it. Escaping your own little trapped world trying to get somewhere better. Will it really be better, though? The real story is about fighting negativity in your own way, which somehow fitted the album perfectly.”

Born in 2003, V13 was a socio-political website that, in 2005, morphed into PureGrainAudio and spent 15 years developing into one of Canada's (and the world’s) leading music sites. On the eve of the site’s 15th anniversary, a full re-launch and rebrand takes us back to our roots and opens the door to a full suite of Music, Film, TV, and Cultural content.

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