I've been seeing more and more death metal album covers that have bright color schemes and similar logos to power metal bands, such as Abramelin's Deadspeak. When did this trend start and is it even a conscious decision? Every album of Bolt Thrower seems to be like this and though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover I find it hard to throw out preconceptions at first. It seems like for some death metal bands it could be their way of tipping you off that the music is going to be somewhat melodic and not use gore themes, but I'm sure it's not always the case.

Obituary's Darkest Day, anyone?

Okay, wrong genre altogether, but Cathedral's The Etheral Mirror doesn't look like doom art at all, it looks like something a spazzy progressive band would put out. I agree with Obituary's Darkest Day, however.

I immediately thought of that one. And the album sucks too...

Yeah, it's not just death metal that has seemingly non-fitting artwork, but I've been noticing it a lot lately in that genre.

Amon Amarth's covers, if you consider them death metal enough, are pretty much all PM-worthy.

Yeah, but that logo is totally recognizable as death metal. I've noticed some bands use this Lucida Blackletter fancy script now and it seems to fit into different genres. I started seeing it in black metal a lot, and then I got Kaledon's album V: Legend of the Forgotten Reign(not sure if that title is correct) to review.

Turns out they're a power metal band, but even despite the knight-and-dragon shtick on the front cover I thought it might be a black/death metal album. Also, really extreme genres like black and death don't always sing about serious or extreme subject matter anymore.

I don't know about power metal, but this looks pretty black metal to me.

I see your point, but with the album you mentioned (a favourite of mine), I'm not sure how a necrobrutalgrim-looking fish could be construed as power metal.

kinda?

Some of Bolt Thrower's covers could easily be mistaken for PM.

Obscura's Cosmogenesis comes to mind.

What's so Power Metal about that? The going into the light thing maybe, but the passageway-thing and the tree-fungus-thing arround it just screams Death Metal

That Edge of Sanity cover looks like it could have been a Blind Guardian album cover in the early 90s.

Aside from the bloody album-title (which is still really cheesy), it looks like pure budget USPM.

Sorcery's logo is awesome, holy crap.


Doesn't exactly scream death metal.

Referring to the Unleashed picture above:

I always picture this band of being a Black/Death metal band due to the logo and a few of their album covers

Although it's VERY suitable for their style.

True, it has a very intriguing atmosphere very reminiscent of their music.

Not at all PM-ish.