A varied bunch stands tall amidst the heat of the summer.
Words by Luis (@luis.hoa):
For as overwhelming as monitoring the release weeks has been, our eyes are always on the prize and today, we bring you the next entry of our monthly cover art column, albeit not an easy month to narrow down. Like music, art is subjective and when coming to an agreement on the choices, much was taken into consideration. Is the illustration congruent to the music? Is it direct or does it welcome interpretation? Does it spark curiosity? All these questions and more helped guide a typical running list of over two dozen covers, month after month. In presenting July's most stunning, the distinct nature of each album's genre played a role in the diversity between the covers, each of which conveys a different message under a different tone.
To kick us off, Tyler Remikie's vibrant pink and orange hues set the heartfelt tone of Dave's We're All Alone In This Together, a sophomore full-length that depicts the immigrant experience of crossing the ocean in refuge and the feelings associated with it. It's warm nature pairs well with Dave's profound lyricism. In that same vein, A14 paints a starry sky above a longing protagonist to pair well with the emotion riding on Krahnholm's atmospheric black metal. Giovanni Forlino elaborates on the power that stems from Oscar Lang's guitar strings as layer after layer unfolds with each passing track from Chew The Scenery, showcasing the versatility present within and the moving nature of it all. Tata Kumislizer pulls from the Greek myth of Daemonis Ceramici and generates a haunting image of a wicked creature built from a collective Solus Ex Inferis mind to wreak havoc on existence. Making his return to the monthly column is Caelan Stokkermans, who on Lacerate Thy Maker's Submergence breathes life into the tornado of thoughts that haunts our mind. Phib Stuff and Mario Lopez transport us to new worlds, the latter of which is the result of an artificial intelligence takeover of mankind. Julia Soboleva, Mikko Raima, and Taylor Bates provide more questions than answers, and that's a good thing, inviting viewers to form their own impression of what is transpiring as they dive into the lyricism of each composition. One thing we know is that Bates does not have a good relationship with the tooth fairy, if that's what that even is. We can discuss the significance of each cover for hours, but there's no fun in that. Scroll through, lose yourself in the visuals, and click through those links to find yourself a great record or two.
Here are the best album covers of July 2021:
DAVE - We're All Alone In This Together (Tyler Remikie) | Listen
KRAHNHOLM - A Wind in the Cold Night (A14) | Listen
OSCAR LANG - Chew The Scenery (Giovanni Forlino) | Listen
SOLUS EX INFERIS - Daemones Ceramici (Tata Kumislizer) | Listen
LACERATE THY MAKER - Submergence (Caelan Stokkermans) | Listen
CAPSTAN - Separate (Phib Stuff) | Listen
SPACE CHASER - Give Us Life (Mario Lopez) | Listen
A FORMAL HORSE - Meat Mallet (Julia Soboleva) | Listen
KNOW//SUFFER - The Great Dying (Taylor Bates) | Listen
THE AGE OF TRUTH - Resolute (Mikko Raima) | Listen
