Classic Cover: Morbid Angel - Covenant

June 22, 1993, Death metal was still in it's prime, and yet another album was added to the canon on this day: Morbid Angel's Covenant.

So Morbid, and full of ANGLES!

This cover held nothing back, The Book of Ceremonial Magic on the right, the Pact Of Urbain Grandier on the left, and a daunting Grimoire with the MA's sigil and "Covenant" in gold lettering. To top it off, they even included a dripping candle, a feather quill and ink, and a dagger resting on top of the grimoire. If it's a crime to be overly dramatic, Morbid Angel is guilty as charged.

I've always liked their hokey logo, even though I usually highly disdain logos with everything imaginable crammed into them. It contains inverted crosses, a pitchfork with a demonic hand grasping it, and finally MA's classic Necronomicon-derived sigil right smack dab in the center. The letterforms are spiky, with some hints of curves to them to give a classic thrash/death metal appeal which was the prevalent look then.

The rest of the packaging for the CD version was very fitting as well, with medieval woodcuts adorning the booklet, back cover and CD. The cover and packaging throws the listener back into dark, medieval times full of plagues, forests full of witches and dimly lit ritual chambers evoking Satan himself.

This cover has been memorable from the first time I picked it up eons ago, and will stay with me for years to come. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for it's day-glow predecessor, but that's another article for another day.

Ewww

Titanic Titan

Being a huge fan of Steve Moore of Zombi fame, I was pretty stoked to hear that he had a metal-ish band on the side called Titan (Note: not the Canadian one). This has what you would certainly expect from Moore, plenty of Moog synths reverberating from the speakers while sending the listener in a progressive landscape. Ah yes, everything I would expect from Moore.

Cover art, being a visual manifestation of the music contained, I feel should reflect the emotions and general feeling the band wants to convey. The logo, in combination with the artwork, fits the music. I can always appreciate a simple take on band identity, it speaks maturity as well as taste to opt for simplicity rather than bells and whistles.

The general vibe you gather from the artwork is a bit dated, but not in a bad way. Vintage late 60's and 70's seems to be in vogue today, and I can totally dig and appreciate the aesthetic. The almost collage assembled geometric shapes with a almost screen printed looking logo in combination with muted colors and tones make for an interesting, aged look. The logo, which appears to be derived from the Black Sabbath logo on their self-titled record, evokes a magical late 60's feeling that is sure to appeal to any fan of vintage aesthetics.

Even the myspace page melds well with the general feeling the cover art conveys, bringing all of the elements, which may also appear on the packaging as well. Overall, quite nice design, a bit on the safe side, but it's still alright.

Stream "Sweet Dreams"

Titan Myspace

5 iconic Black Metal Logos

1. Emperor - Surely you knew this was going to be here. Designed by Christophe Szpajdel, this logo is probably the most recognized black metal logo ever. It's clean, sophisticated, as well as almost symmetric design has worked for the band from beginning to end, and has adapted to many forms through their career. When I think "Definitive Black Metal Logo," I think of this logo right here.

2. Leviathan - Even though this logo is next to impossible to read, it still holds a soft spot in me with it's clever shape, creepy spikes and not to mention the drippy moon. Even though I'm not their biggest fan, I would love to own 20 shirts of this logo alone emblazoned in white or silver.

3. Deathspell Omega - What can I say, I love me some calligraphy. I get excited every time I see this logo, I expect nothing short of a treat when I decide to listen to these guys, mostly just to look at their logo and art of course. Even the lettering alone sells this logo, not to mention it would print well and be just as effective without the winged skeleton accompanying it.

4. Summon - This logo means business. Steep angular lines with mere hints of curves to them spell out BADASS no matter how you write it. It's easily read and looks good on any format. My only complaint is the minute illustration of Baphomet inside the logo, but it is forgivable.

5. Borknagar - Hate 'em or love 'em, they have a pretty sweet logo. It's much like the Emperor logo in terms of legibility as well as form. If a design could be interpreted into music, this logo would fit Borknagar perfectly; sharp points to emphasize the grim black metal roots, and flowing curves to represent their intricately melodic side

Burzummed

Burzum's newest release, Belus, was released in March by Byelobog Productions. Even though the clamoring has subsided for this release, I feel I must add a few cents on the design aspect. There are a few new things here, such as a new logo, as well as a change from the typical illustrations we have all come to know and love.

After years of using the calligraphy styled logo found on every official release, it is ditched for a more ornate floral typeface logo on Belus. While you cannot blame anyone for wanting something fresh, I do not believe this was the best choice for representing Burzum as a whole. The old logo carried a sense of timelessness as well as simplicity which could be recognized easily and reproduced to any size with little or no distortion. Truthfully, the new typeface cheapens the cover. The script typeface seen here has been used to death by bands like Brodequin, Sactification, as well as a plethora of black metal bands. The ornate floral design prevalent in the type design does no justice to the bands using the typeface; it reeks of a dated victorian-esque era which does not scream "BLACK METAL!!" to me.

On top of that, the title placement is awkward. There are better solutions that could have been executed here that would have worked better. This with the combination of same point size for the band name and album name can cause confusion for first time listeners. Minor complaints I know, but this could have been executed better.

Moving on, there is something else about this cover that bugs me. I can appreciate photos of nature, scenery, woods, etc., and while I do not expect Ansel Adams from a Black metal band, this shot could be better. The sunlight being blinded out by the tree is a fine artistic statement, my complaint lies with the quality of the photo. Surely they could have found someone with a decent camera; this appears to be a photo taken with a small point and shoot camera. But still, why of all things a photo? I am sure commissioning another illustration would not be an absurd idea considering the rest of the discography consists of illustrations. Sure, Aske had a photo, but why not just stick to tradition here?

Overall, I feel like the cover was a botched job. More time could have spent on this, I know Burzum is better than that. I would like to see a whole-hearted and passionate attempt to return to the logo and album art quality I have grown to love from Burzum.

It ain't no Secret...

It's no Secret why I love this band, they have great tastes in art and design (they're Italian, of COURSE they do!). Here we see the cover art from their latest release, Solve Et Coagula, which was just released this month on Southern Lord and it's gaining massive headway in the metal scene. The cover is a two color print job in gold and black, and features an outstanding goat silhouette illustration by the amazing Justin Bartlett.

Amazingly haunting work. 

More bands need to take cues from The Secret, that simplicity in packaging and design can make you stand out in an industry drenched in over-photoshopped logos and covers.

Their logo even being just as simple, has one distinct characteristic that makes it stand apart from the rest: it's reversible. The logo can be read the same way right-side-up as it can be upside-down.

Much like the lettering that appears in Dan Brown's novel, Angels and Demons, the same approach has been borrowed here, creating a distinct looking logo that will stay relevant and classic for years and years to come.

Staying away from cliches, The Secret is blazing their own trail, and will continue to infiltrate our ears with their barrage of crusty grindcore.

http://www.myspace.com/thesecret
https://www.southernlord.com/band_SEC.php

Horns Held High!

Metal Design Militia is a metal/design blog dedicated to bringing the two worlds together to discuss the elements surrounding graphic design and art in metal. This will including band logos, cover art, packaging, layouts, photography, websites, and anything in between. Any heavy music will be discussed, such as Death, Thrash, Black, Grind, Doom, and whatever else lurks in the depths of Metaldom.

One of the things I'd like to accomplish through this blog is to bring attention to the importance of good art and design for metal bands; that not only is it necessary, but may be a crucial element of selling a complete package that comes full circle with the music itself.

This will be occasionally be spell checked and sometimes updated daily.

My name is Paul Von Slagle. I am currently a design student, with some experience of metal logo design. I live in the mountains of North Carolina, and I was born in 1984. I was inspired to create this blog after reading blog after blog about the importance of design in the commercial field. Feeling a lack of coverage of design in metal culture, I decided to start my own blog about the subject.

This blog reflects my own views and tastes, and I don't expect anyone to agree with me. If your work is presented here and you want it removed, please email me at paulvonslagle at gmaildotcom.

If there is something that you feel that should be posted, feel free to email me at paulvonslagle at gmaildotcom.