A treasure trove of feats in the upper echelon.
Words by Luis (@heaviestofart):
Like music itself, the realm of cover artwork continues to deliver tenfold and this month's top picks are representative of the quality we receive on a near weekly basis. Eclectic styles, vast detail, graceful color palettes, Crowley worship, kinship, and more define the chosen output for today's column.
It's no surprise that Zbigniew M. Bielak's staggering contribution for Ghost's Impera finds itself here, especially as one of the band's best covers, if not the best, to date - truly an architectural feat to behold. From here we head to Sydney Hermant's ambiguous watercolor prowess for Destroyer's Labyrinthitis, a record defined by its expansive craftsmanship and inviting nature. Skull carver Dolen Carag partnered with Amenra frontman Colin H. van Eeckhout for a chilling cover sporting a mysterious new entity that serves as Absent In Body's identity for debut Plague God, further elaborated upon through distorted black and white photography by way of Stefaan Temmerman. From here we head to the heartfelt work that Nwaka Okparaeke delivers for Kojey Radical's Reason To Smile, which is as Kojey himself describes: hard food, not fast food. Mariella Angela, a consistent partner for Benny The Butcher, treads down this same path of camaraderie with a portrait of the rapper, MGB, and Westside Gunn harkening back to their childhood roots and embodying very well the power that lies within Tana Talk 4's lyricism. We then head to the forward-thinking showcase that is This World Is Going To Ruin You by Vein.fm, aptly illustrated by graphic designer Autumn Morgan for a cohesive composition we featured in depth through our Behind the Cover column. The always consistent Mark McCoy does it again with an uncanny cover for Aeviterne's death metal gem, The Ailing Facade. Known for his mixed-media and collage art expertise, Dave Danzara is no stranger to perplexing an audience and his cover for Ritual Earth's MMXX does just that while the band soars high with one of the month's best records. Multi-layered on all ends, Stabbing Westward's Chasing Ghosts sports David Seidman's talents as one engrossing piece worth dissecting. Rob Borbas of Grindesign Tattoo wraps us up with one haunting altar depiction for Angelmaker's Sanctum, a record equally deadly and detailed. Consolidating hundreds of selections into 10 was no easy task, but the below showcase stands tall as a glance of the wealth of talent holding us down day in and day out.
Here are the best album covers of March 2022:
Ghost - Impera (Zbigniew M. Bielak) | Listen
Destroyer - Labyrinthitis (Sydney Hermant) | Listen
Absent In Body - Plague God (Dolen Carag, Colin H. van Eeckhout) | Listen
Kojey Radical - Reason To Smile (Nwaka Okparaeke) | Listen
Benny The Butcher - Tana Talk 4 (Mariella Angela) | Listen
Vein.fm - This World Is Going To Ruin You (Autumn Morgan) | Listen
Aeviterne - The Ailing Facade (Mark McCoy) | Listen
Ritual Earth - MMXX (Dave Danzara) | Listen
Stabbing Westward - Chasing Ghosts (David Seidman) | Listen
AngelMaker - Sanctum (Rob Borbas / Grindesign Tattoo) | Listen
As always, thank you for supporting artists responsible for enriching our lives with their creativity. We remain sane because of it. Stay tuned to Heaviest of Art on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for your art and music needs throughout the day.
