10 Album Covers (5 Scary & 5 Disgusting)
The saying never judge a book by its cover has never stuck with me whatsoever; I do consider the graphic part an essential element of a product or piece of art.
Music-wise it goes even further. The sonic part goes hand-to-hand with what you can stare at while listening to the music (or even before you do it). I perfectly recall interesting tunes that were put aside because the album cover was not of my interest or taste; some other songs were not that good but by being part of an album that had an appealing cover a spot in my playlist was assured for them.
Nevertheless, as any depiction of art (and basically any depiction of life) album covers have the capability of getting to very dark corners and boundaries (sometimes going beyond them).
The following are the ones I appraise as the scariest and most gruesome out there:
Scary: Revolution DNA - Septic Flesh
Year: 1999
Genre: Death/Industrial/Gothic Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? Indeed. If you want to dig into Septic Fesh this album is the easiest way in.
Greek pride Septic Flesh are renowned as tyrants in European Death Metal. Nonetheless, Revolution DNA is their (low?) experimental point. The industrial metal trend going strong at the time drifted them towards it making it a very novel entry in their discography. Quite ironic is the fact that their most accessible album is the one with the scariest cover.
Disgusting: Reek Of Putrefaction - Carcass
Year: 1988
Genre: Grindcore
Do I recommend listening to the album? Of course.
The now known for being Melodic Death Metal pioneers Carcass once were way more primal and reckless. To feature this album cover for your debut is quite a statement (after it and Symphonies Of Sickness their covers got eventually lamer) and you can expect what you are seeing in the music. I do recommend starting listening to Carcass (if you want to of course) right here in order to pin down the band's evolution and development.
Scary: Pervertor - Lord Mantis
Year: 2012
Genre: Black Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? No. It is overtly repetitive and that speaks volumes in one of the most repetitive subgenres in metal music.
If you know me is no strange to you that I am (or at least that I consider myself) a secular individual. It is clear that this album cover does not offend me. Rather than that, it scares me because of the colors and the hollow cavitites all over; very Junji Itoesque at first sight if you ask me. In terms of music the album is a slouch; expect the Bathory sound with worse production and almost three decades apart.
Disgusting: Gore Metal - Exhumed
Year: 1998
Genre: Deathgrind
Do I recommend listening to the album? Not really, despite of how fun it can get from time to time.
Deciding between the two available (and uncensored) covers of this album I decided to lean towards the one you can see here (the other one is as gruesome although it is cartoonish).
First one I got to see was this one and I could not help but reminisce of Frank Manera's introduction in Outlast: Whistleblower. Addressing the album it is worth mentioning that it is not for everyone; in spite of that, it can be a fun ride (specially the Pimpinelaesque Necromaniac).
Scary: Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice - Deathspell Omega
Year: 2004
Genre: Black Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? Yes. The total opposite of Pervertor.
The album occupying this spot is particularly interesting. Regarding the lyrical content and its quality is fair to say that it is the best album in the whole list in that department. In additon, the juxtaposition of the avant-garde music with the simple but appalling imagery in the album cover make up for a very compelling experience in Black Metal. As scary as the cover my be, it really got me at first sight.
Disgusting: Inhuman Grotesqueries - Malignancy
Year: 2007
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? This is extremely tricky. The album is rather novel and goes to multiple directions, but lacks coherence.
In the purview of Technical Death Metal New Yorkers Malignancy are not the most virtuoso or groundbreaking act. However, the composition of this album (whose cover is a total abomination) reminds me of that of Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart (with all due respect to the later). The imagery in both music and cover offers, as hinted beforehand, no shortage of cruelty and depravation.
Scary: When The Kite String Pops - Acid Bath
Year: 1994
Genre: Heavy Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? Yes, I do. It is one of the most beloved underground and cult classics in all of Heavy Metal.
This album cover is ghastling (and controversial) for several reasons (although its background stands out above the other aspects). Firstly, there ir a considerable amount of people that deem clowns as scary (coulrophobia anyone?); secondly, the painting depicts one of the most infamous and notorious serial killers in modern times, John Wayne Gacy (a.k.a. Pogo The Clown) who raped, tortured and killed 33 young men and boys; is there anything else? Of course, this representation was painted by the man himself.
Disgusting: The Dawn Of The Black Hearts - Mayhem
Year: 1995
Genre: Black Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? No. It is a bootleg with very poor quality recorded at a very forgettable live performance.
Throughout all the horror themes, topics and representations that I have covered here in Hell House VMM, which span fourteen posts, I had never typed a curse or what soft people consider "bad language"; however, I do not see any other way of expressing what this album cover is other than fucked up.
To make a long story short, what you see is an actual picture of Mayhem's vocalist, Dead (yes, that was his a.k.a.) after killing himself with a shotgun; said picture was taken by a bandmate, guitarist Euronymous (it is also mentioned that he used pieces of the skull to craft a necklace and he even did a photo session of the occurrence). Indeed, Black Metal has reached really fucked up corners outside its music and off stage.
Scary: Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Year: 1970
Genre: Heavy Metal
Do I recommend listening to the album? Absolutely. It is the best in the list and by a wide margin.
This album is no stranger to anyone; not for horror fans, metal fans nor this page of course (Black Sabbath earned a spot in the list of the 10 Spookiest Songs Ever). In its simplicity lies its biggest strength; one look at it and uneasiness starts getting over you. Moreover, the subject matter alongside the cover crafted the most compelling and influential experience in metal history. I still wonder how people coped up with this monster half a century ago.
Disgusting: Humanure - Cattle Decapitation
Year: 2004
Genre: Deathgrind
Do I recommend listening to the album? Although it unfolds better than the average Deathgrind album, I do not recommend checking it out.
When even Metal Blade refuses to distribute your album because of its cover you know that you have limned something grotesque. In general terms there is little to nothing to mention about the album (I believe the picture speaks for itself); I personally have no trouble with it, except for the fact that after seeing it I cannot longer see Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother the same way.
Bonus: Scary: Most Precious Blood - Merciless
Year: 2005
Genre: Hardcore Punk/Crossover
Do I recommend listening to the album? Don't let the cover fool you. The album is suprisingly decent so yes.
At first, I did not know this cover was intended to be the original one; when I discovered the album its cover was basically the same situation but the person in the picture was covered by a sheet which had a blood stain. Shortly after, when I was looking for the cover to place it on my downloaded files of the album, I stumbled upon it; not a very pleasant suprise to be honest. The album is lots of fun, though.
Bonus: Disgusting: Heavy Petting Zoo - NOFX
Year: 1996
Genre: Punk Rock
Do I recommend listening to the album? No, I don't. I have never been really fond of Punk Rock music and the album is more of the same.
Before diving into a short description of the album I need to reafirm that by no means I support Zoophilia and that is why this spot is one of the most revolting. I decided not to include the LP version cover named Eating Lamb (check it out at your own peril) that is a little nastier in order to give the most famous cover a place here (which is equally filthy and disgusting nonetheless) In musical aspects, the album does not deal with anything its cover does so we can clearly see that the band's intention was just to upset people. They clearly succeeded.
Honorable Mentions:
Scary:
- Richard D. James - Aphex Twin
- Korn - Korn
- Welcome To Hell - Venom
- Release From Agony - Destruction
- Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death) - Marilyn Manson
- Tearless - Amnesia Scanner
Disgusting:
- Virgin Killer - Scorpions
- Medical Renditions Of Grinding Decomposition - Pharmacist
- Butchered At Birth - Cannibal Corpse
- Posthumous Humilliation - Pissgrave
- Matando Güeros - Brujería
- Slave To The Scalpel - 200 Stab Wounds
