As a fan of cool artwork and metal music, I've always liked that our genre has some of the coolest covers in the history of the world. Other forms of music seem content in giving us half-assed, boring pieces of shit for covers. But, since this is the greatest type of music in the universe, the cool covers go with it. I have ranked the best of the best, and this was not an easy list to make. As such, it is THE biggest list I have ever made on this blog. I wanted to fit as many as I could. all types of subgenres are included here: nu-metal, industrial, metalcore, deathcore, black, death, etc. I even threw in some hard rock bands. Now, remember the quality of the album does not at all weigh in with being included, its the artwork that counts here.
You will notice that the artwork includes lots of zombies, skulls, demons, babes, gore, and scary stuff cause that's what I like. The list will also have some admit ably satanic, sexually graphic, anti-Christian, intensely violent, and other potentially offensive material, so be for warned. But, if you been following this blog for long enough, you should that I could give a flying fuck about offensive material. Anyways, you have been warned...
Now let the countdown begin!!
175. Disturbed- Ten Thousand Fists- Disturbed's mascot, The Guy, makes his album cover debut here along with a bunch of others looking to stand in defiance in the very first album on this list. Props for the punk rocker hottie next to him.
174. Municipal Waste- The Fatal Feast- This cool cover by Justin Osbourn of Slasher Design is pure trash/ horror cheesiness with zombies eating human flesh in some sci-fi setting. Easily my favorite album cover of this crossover thrash band.
173. Dokken- Tooth and Nail- 80s metal band Dokken had a lot of hair, but I always thought that they were miles ahead of the other hair bands. This cool cover with a Creature form the Black Lagoon type monster hand reaching out of the water kind of adds to that coolness factor.
172. In This Moment- Blood- The first photography based cover to make the list comes courtesy of this alternative metal female fronted band. It's both sexy and kinda creepy, but all cool!
171. Helloween- Metal Jukebox- German power metallers Helloween have their pumpkin-headed mascot put some tunes on the jukebox on this cool cover to an all covers album.
170. Slayer- Hell Awaits- The first Slayer album to make the list is filled with demons in hell, and, coolest of all, a dude getting his guts ripped out by a trio of them. Gore, demons, and hell! This had to be here!
169. Metallica- Kill 'Em All- The fast as fuck debut from Metallica is the next of the Big Four to make the list. Simple but cool and bloody, the image of the hammer and the blood tell you a nasty murder has been committed.
168. Disturbed- Asylum- The second Disturbed album to make the list has a real pissed off looking The Guy looking cool as fuck. I love it when bands have their own mascot!
167. Halestorm- Halestorm- Philly hard rockers continue to get more and more popular, but it's this debut that ranks in the list. Featuring robotic versions of the band, it's a cool concept and the artwork looks great. Also, I wouldn't mind having a cyborg Lzzy Hale!
166. Behemoth- Evangelion- Blackened death metal masters Behemoth get on the list with this cover that looks majestic and evil. According to front-man Nergal the cover is:
"The picture is of The Great Harlot of Babylon riding the seven-headed
beast. Saints bow before her in worship whilst the tablets of the Ten
Commandments lie broken at her feet. It represents our vision and the
interpretation of the New Testament parable where the “Whore of Babylon”
is a symbol of rebellion and resistance against God."
165. Suffocation- Effigy of the Forgotten- Some sort of robotic horror is the focus of this cool death metal cover that is just that just perfect example of that the best of that type of cover.
164. Overkill- Fuck You... And then Some!- Badass and simple this rerelease of the classic live EP from New Jersey's king's of thrash is just too cool and memorable. Especially, when you first see it as a teen on someone's shirt and are like "Fuck! I NEED that t-shirt!!"
163. Scorpions- Blackout- The best album from Germany's hard rock/ metal gods has a self portrait of artist Gottfried Helnwein. Rudlof Schenker would play the character in the video for "No One Like You".
162. AC/DC- If You Want Blood You've Got It- The first live album both on the list and released by AC/DC has Angus getting impaled by his guitar. The cover was once pointed out as being some sort of satanic ritual by some jackass (who he is unimportant really), but that guy can suck it. Gore and great hard rock FTW motherfuckers!!
161. Kataklysm- Heaven's Venom- The tenth album by Canadian death metal band Kataklysm has their demon mascot getting attacked by some pissed off looking angels. For some reason he rips out his own heart like a self version of
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!
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