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.