Thy Art Is Murder, Hate

Album Title: Hate (2012)

Band: Thy Art Is Murder

Record Label: Halfcut records

Artist: Brent Elliott White

American artist Brent Elliott White works almost exclusively in heavy metal album cover since 2007. Taking care of both illustration and graphic design, Brent has to his credits album covers for famous bands like Megadeth and Death Angel. The New-York freelancer also has a graphic novel project in the works.

Testament, Dark Roots of Earth

Album Title: Dark Roots Of Earth (2012)

Band: Testament

Record Label: Nuclear Blast

Artist: Eliran Kantor

German artist Eliran Kantor is a frequent contributor to record labels  Nuclear Blast, SPV, Candlelight records and many others. His credits include - among many others - Hatebreed's Divinity of Purpose, Atheist's Jupiter, Sodom's In War And Pieces, and Iced Earth's Plagues of Babylon.

Motorhead, Orgasmatron

Album Title: Orgasmatron (1986)

Band: Motorhead

Record Label: GWR

Artist: Joe Petagno

Portland artist Joe Petagno is mainly known for his cover artwork for Motorhead, but his credits also include Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Marduk and many other famous bands. Joe also created the Motorhead mascot, which he nicknamed "The Little Bastard". Outside heavy metal field, Joe painted covers for Ray Bradbury's book series The Martian Chronicles, among other commercial works.

Loudblast, Disincarnate

Album Title: Disincarnate (1991)

Band: Loudblast

Record Label: Semetery Records

Artist: Wojciech Siudmak

Wojciech "Wojtek" Siudmak is a Polish painter, currently living in France. His works are frequently used as illustrations for science fiction and fantasy literature, including Frank Herbert's Dune series. He is also known for his work on album covers, including the award-winning cover for Eloy's 1977 album Ocean.

Mercyful Fate, 9

Album Title: 9 (1999)

Band: Mercyful Fate

Record Label: Metal Blade

Artist: Thomas Holm

Sweden-based Thomas Holm works as a commercial illustrator and fine arts painter. Thomas painted most of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond's covers thru his company Studio Dzyan (co-owned with designer Torbjorn Jorgensen.

Ravenlord, Descent to the Underworld

Album Title: Descent to the Underworld (2013)

Band: Ravenlord

Record Label: Mausoleum Records

Artist: Caio Caldas

Brazilian artist Caio Caldas - of CadiesArt - created this digital illustration for Ravenlord. Freelancer artist Caio has previously worked with Doro, Paul Di’Anno, Seven Kingdoms, Dominanz and Violet Sun, among others. Caio Caldas also do art direction on various projets, design logos and build web sites.

Disgrace, True Enemy

 

Album Title: True Enemy (2015)

Band: Disgrace

Record Label: Closed Casket

Artist: Dan Seagrave

British artist Dan Seagrave is a well known name in the death metal landscape. His gouache paintings are to heavy metal's visual what Metallica is to heavy metal sound. It defined the genre. Seagraves paintings can be seen on albums by classic bands like Entombed, Benediction, Morbid Angel, Edge of Sanity and countless others.

Obituary, Inked In Blood

Album Title: Inked In Blood (2014)

Band: Obituary

Record Label: Relapse records

Artist: Andreas Marschall

Berlin-based Andreas Marschall is a multi talented artist, who created album covers for bands like Obituary, Kreator, Sodom, King Diamond and Merciless Death. After working on a series of music videos, Andreas completed his first feature film in 2004. Andreas Marschall is also a very prolific commercial photographer.

Mercyful Fate, Melissa

Album Title: Melissa (1983)

Band: Mercyful Fate

Record Label: RoadRunner Records

Artist: Thomas Holm

Sweden-based Thomas Holm works as a commercial illustrator and fine arts painter. Thomas painted most of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond's covers thru his company Studio Dzyan (co-owned with designer Torbjorn Jorgensen.

Monster Magnet, Last Patrol

Album Title: Last Patrol (2013)

Band: Monster Magnet

Record Label: Napalm Records

Artist: John Sumrow

Based in New Mexico, John Sumrow is a former graphic designer who redirected his career in the early 2010 toward illustration and traditional painting. A long time sci-fi and fantasy afficionado, John declared that creating the cover art for a Monster Magnet album is a dream come true.

Motorhead, Another Perfect Day

Album Title: Another Perfect Day (1983)

Band: Motorhead

Record Label: BMG

Artist: Joe Petagno

Portland artist Joe Petagno is mainly known for his cover artwork for Motorhead, but his credits also include Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Marduk and many other famous bands. Joe also created the Motorhead mascot, which he nicknamed "The Little Bastard". Outside heavy metal field, Joe painted covers for Ray Bradbury's book series The Martian Chronicles, among other commercial works.

Suicidal Angels, Divide and Conquer

Album Title:Divide And Conquer (2014)

Band: Suicidal Angels

Record Label: NoiseArt Records

Artist: Ed Repka

American artist Ed Repka is well known in the metal business, having worked with bands like Megadeth, Atheist, Nuclear Assault, Death, and Municipal Waste. Repka has also created Dark Angel's logo, as well as model designs for the Hellraiser film series. He's currently lead painter and head of art direction at the National Entertainment Collectibles Association.

Terminate Damnation, Becoming The Archetype

Album Title:Terminate Damnation (2005)

Band: Becoming The Archetype

Record Label: Solid State Records

Artist: Dan Seagrave

British artist Dan Seagrave is a well known name in the death metal landscape. His gouache paintings are to heavy metal's visual what Metallica is to heavy metal sound. It defined the genre. Seagraves paintings can be seen on albums by classic bands like Entombed, Benediction, Morbid Angel, Edge of Sanity and countless others.

Grave Digger, Grave Digger

 

Album Title:Liberty Or Death (2007)

Band: Grave Digger

Record Label: Locomotive Music

Artist: Gyula Havancsak

 Both illustrator and designer, Gyula Havancsak has been painting albums and book covers since the early 2000's. Working with bands like Annihilator, Nightingale, Destruction, Stratovarius, Grave Digger and many others, Gyula's preferred media is digital.

Spawn Of Possession, Incurso

Album Title: Incurso (Year)

Band: Spawn Of Possession

Record Label: Relapse records

Artist: Par Olofsson

Swedish artist Par Olofsson painted this lovecraftian cover for death metal band Spawn of Possession. Olofson is also behind the album covers of Immortal, Dying Fetus, Immolation and several others.

Helloween, Better Than Raw

 

Album Title: Better Than Raw (1998)

Band: Helloween

Record Label: Castle

Artist: Rainer Laws

Germany-based artist Rainer Laws painted several covers for bands like Holy Moses, Helloween, and Masterplan. This Better Than Raw Helloween cover is a reference to the Smurfs, where evil sorcerer Gargamel plots to use the smurfs as ingredient for an evil potion. Laws depicted Gargamel as a sexy witch, and replaced the smurfs with Helloween's trademark pumpkins.

Meat Loaf, Dead Ringer

 

Album Title: Dead Ringer (1981)

Band: Meat Loaf

Record Label: Epic

Artist: Bernie Wrightson

Award-winning artist Bernie Wrightson was commissioned to work on this classic Meat Loaf album. Wrightson is famous for his horror comic books and illustrations, and is also the co-creator of Swamp Thing, with Marvel's Stan Lee.Wrightson won several awards with his work, including Shazam Award, HP Lovecraft Award, and more recently the National Cartoonist Society Award in 2012.

Sepultura, Chaos A.D.

 

Album Title: Chaos A.D. (1993)

Band: Sepultura

Record Label: Roadrunner

Artist: Michael Whelan

Michael Whelan is an American artist who, for more than 30 years, has worked as a sci-fi and fantasy illustrator. Since the mid-90s, Michael is pursuing a fine art career, selling non-commissioned paintings through galleries in the United States. Michael Whelan is the first living artist to be inducted in the Science Fiction Hall Of Fame (2009).

Kreator, Phantom Antichrist

 

Album Title: Phantom Antichrist (2012)

Band: Kreator

Record Label: Nuclear Blast

Artist: Wes Benscoter

Pennsylvania, USA based artist Wes Benscoter is a well known figure in the heavy metal landscape. His unique airbrush art can be seen on famous albums from Vader, Slayer, Hypocrisy, Dio, Broken Hope and Autopsy, among many others.

Molly Hatchet, Molly Hatchet

 

Album Title: Molly Hatchet (1978)

Band: Molly Hatchet

Record Label: Epic

Artist: Frank Frazetta

Frank Frazetta is a legendary sci-fi and fantasy artist. Notable for his paintings and creepy comic books, many paintings by Frazetta can be seen on heavy metal covers, including Molly Hatchet, Nazareth and Wolfmother.

Disturbed, The Lost Children

Album Title: The Lost Children (2011)

Band: Disturbed

Record Label: Reprise

Artist: Raymond Swanland

Raymond Swanland is a full-time freelance illustrator and designer. His credits include art for Magic the Gathering, World of Warcraft, Aliens vs Predator and many others prestigious names and brands.

Meat Loaf, Bat Out Of Hell

 

Album Title: Bat Out Of Hell (1977)

Band: Meat Loaf

Record Label: Cleveland Intl. / Epic

Artist: Richard Corben

Concept for this cover art is credited to Jim Steinman, but the painting is by Richard Corben, a cult icon from the 70s and 80s. Corben influenced an entire generation of artists, thru his unique work in Heavy Metal magazine, and his countless illustrations published in the most famous magazines around the world.

Mercyful Fate, Don't Break The Oath

 

Album Title: Don't Break The Oath (1988)

Band: Mercyful Fate

Record Label: Roadracer

Artist: Thomas Holm

Sweden-based Thomas Holm works as a commercial illustrator and fine arts painter. Thomas painted most of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond's covers thru his company Studio Dzyan (co-owned with designer Torbjorn Jorgensen.

Suffocation, Pinnacle Of Bedlam

 

Album Title:Pinnacle of Bedlam (2013)

Band: Suffocation

Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Artist: Raymond Swanland

Raymond Swanland is a full-time freelance illustrator and designer. His credits include art for Magic the Gathering, World of Warcraft, Aliens vs Predator and many others prestigious names and brands.

Amon Amarth, Surtur Rising

Album Title: Surtur Rising (2011)

Band: Amon Amarth

Record Label: Metal Blade

Artist: Tom Thiel

German artist Tom Thiel is a commercial illustrator who worked for video games, advertising and editorial commissions. Tom is responsible for most covers of Amon Amarth,
and also bands like Bloodbound, Brainstorm, Cutty Sark and Symphony X.