I know threads like this are a slippery slope, because people will just throw some gore crap on here or their favorite bands cover and give no reason why they feel that that album cover painting represents a feeling of dread. For those unfamiliar with the definition of dread here you go “Profound fear; terror.”
Straight splatter gore does not equal dread in my opinion, so try and think about what you post, before posting it.
I recently got my copy of Nominon’s excellent new album “The Cleansing” and this inspired me to create this thread.
Gazing upon the wonderful artwork of Jaunjo Castellano I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.
The back and white post apocalyptic landscape with littered corpses laying all around, after what could only be a plague or other cataclysmic event. Then there are what could be churches burning in the far distance bellowing thick black smoke of the burning remains of humankind into the air choking out the the sun with holocaustic overtones. The smoke chokes out everything and the acrid stench of coal and bodies burning must be everywhere. Those building shapes could even be massive crematory ovens set up to remove the remains of the dead and this sets a very grim stage. I feel that the back ground leaves a lot to the imagination of the viewer.
However, the hooded and face covered Black Priests leering in opposite directions of each other like silent machines on their path of collecting the dead, scanning the littered horizon for any unwanted saviors really tops the sense of dread found here. Their possibly hideous faces are obscured, with only their evil filled eyes peeking out looking for any undead is just so awesome and dread inspiring.
You could almost imagine yourself alive laying amongst the dead, not moving and begging they don’t collect you.
There’s plenty of cool covers out here in the metal world and many that shocked me over the years, especially when I was younger, but this is really the first one in a long time, that brought a sense of unease or dread over me, and I love it for it. Let’s see some others. Enjoy.
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