The Cosmic Dead – Inner Sanctum

I’m a sucker for nature and the universe so this tickles me in all the right places. Glasgow’s The Cosmic Dead fried my brains live a few weeks back and I bought  a rad print of their world tour poster. Their drummer Julien Dicken did this artwork and the poster but Lewis Cook on synths has done covers too. Julien Dicken goes under the moniker Moonshake Design and has a bunch of awesome stuff. The Cosmic Dead live experience is other worldly and the image themes for their discography range from doomy death to psychadelic shamanic adventure. Get on this trip.

The Cosmic Dead – http://thecosmicdead.bandcamp.com/

Julien Dicken – http://moonshakedesign.tumblr.com/

Sunnata – Zorya

Zorya is surely an album of 2016 already! Sunnata are doing unique things with doom, taking it on a spacious journey through fuzz and psychadelica to sludge and retaining all that is heavy. With a name that translates to ’emptiness’ and 5 songs that all play out around 10 minutes a piece this art by Jeffrey Smith is as intoxicating, hypnotic and gorgeous as the music it fits to. Having produced works for Judd Madden and others he has an impressive gallery to check out.

Jeffrey Smith’s artwork – http://www.ascendingstorm.com/

listen to Sunnata – http://sunnataofficial.bandcamp.com/album/zorya

 

SubRosa – No Help For The Mighty Ones

If you have an interest in heavy music you’ve probably seen posters or covers by Glyn Smyth. Having collaborated with Wolves In The Throne Room, Bacchus, Tombs, Year Of No Light, Tombstones and Zozobra (Savage Masters cover should probably get it’s own post) his style incorporates pagan, occult and ‘magick’ symbolism with bleak imagery. It’s visceral and raw yet well crafted. SubRosa’s experimental sludge doom has been making waves with their violins and female vocals. Intelligently thought out, there’s the obvious knowledge of folklore and history yet both artist and bands output is utterly unique. Glyn also did the art on their newest album, the great ‘More Constant Than The Gods’. This marriage between art and music is harmonious, both haunting and engrossing they deserve your time and you’ll be rewarded.

Glyn Smyth – http://www.stagandserpent.com/

SubRosa – http://subrosausa.bandcamp.com/

Elder – Lore

Elder and Adrian Dexter have featured on this blog before, but you can’t have too much of a good thing. This is one of my favourite albums of the year and I’m sure I’ll still be saying that in December. Adrian Dexter has done the artwork for Elder’s previous albums, capturing the doom heavy psych perfectly. The vinyl has more artwork inside and it is a treat.

Elder – beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com

Adrian – http://afdexter.blogspot.co.uk/

Abrahma – Reflections In The Bowels Of A Bird

Due for release in May, Jalón de Aquiles expansive artwork for Reflections In The Bowels Of A Bird has me counting down the days. An extraordinary display of talent throwing so much into this sleeve without it becoming over bearing or convoluted. The colours are so rich and vibrant but there’s a definite darkness to the imagery. Too much to describe here. Having heard two powerful songs from this album I feel Abrahma are set to make more than a few end of year lists again and I’m more than happy to see Jalón’s artwork everywhere. His blog is a showcase of wonder.

Check out Jalón de Aquiles here – http://enjalonate.blogspot.co.uk/

Listen to Abrahma – https://abrahma.bandcamp.com/

Junius – Days Of The Fallen Sun

I’ve neglected this blog for a while, but going to see Junius in a month has got me stoked and I figured more people could do with listening to their music and Adrian Brouchy does an amazing job of visually describing their wonderful doom laden atmospheric gloomy end of the world sound. Having also drawn for bands like Ghost, Kongh and the Dwellers, Adrian has his own woodblock/screen print style and stays away from using vast amounts of colour to generate space and atmosphere. Instead relying on the etchings, lines and blocks of black and grey we’re ominously aware of what’s inside the packaging. His blog gives excellent step by step insight into a lot of his work too, well worth checking out.

Listen to Junius – junius.bandcamp.com

Look at Adrian’s art – http://coven-art.blogspot.co.uk/

Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder

Al Cisneros, Scott Kelly, Dale Crover and Wino got together and created Shrinebuilder and some of the greatest heavy tunes to grace this planet. The massive responsibility of artwork went to Josh Graham and he made this masterpiece.

Shrinebuilder – http://www.neurotrecordings.com/artists/shrinebuilder/shrinebuilder.php

Josh Graham – http://www.suspendedinlight.com/

Beastwars – Beastwars

It’s been a while since I updated on here so I’ll leave you with a cover to get lost in. Beastwars self titled has it all. The atmosphere on here is Incredible. Nick Keller has also done the artwork on their newest album. Heavy heavy crunchy riffs abound.

Listen to Beastwars – beastwars.bandcamp.com

Amaze your eyes – http://nickbkeller.blogspot.co.uk/

Stoned Jesus – Seven Thunders Roar

Sadly I can find little information about the artist of this sleeve. Stoned Jesus say it is by Yuriy and that he was/is in the bands Nice Wings, Icarus! and Uprising Formalhaut. From this I can deduce that it is Yuriy Nagorniy but I can only find a graphic designer of that name and nothing remotely similar to this piece. Can anyone help? I would love to see more of his work.

Also, the riffs on this album are fantastic.

Listen to Stoned Jesus – http://stonedjesus.bandcamp.com/

Samsara Blues Experiment – Revelation and Mystery

A feast of an album and a feast for your eyes. Samsara Blues Experiment release yet another amazing album though this time it’s packaged in artwork by Oleg Korolev,

Samsara Blues Experiment – http://www.samsarabluesexperiment.com/

Oleg Korolev – http://www.koro-art.com/