Cover artwork plagiarism - Iron Maiden, Kiss, Manowar, Evergrey, Morbid Angel

[painergrey]

I can't believe how incredibly shameless are those graphic designers nowadays. Besides the lack of talent to create their own art, they copy other artists' artwork.

Check out those cases involving front covers of KISS/Manowar, Hexenhaus/Morbid Angel, Ivanhoe/Evergrey, Open Fire/Alabama Thunderpussy

Similar/identical Metal albums artwork part I

Then, take a look at those including Uriah Heep/Annihilator, Angra/Death SS, Nazareth, Nashville Pussy, Warlock/At Vance.

Incredible! Ridiculous.

Similar/identical Metal albums artwork part II

Even the might Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden did it with a 70's prog rock band - link

Does anyone remember similar cases?

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

I remember seeing a similar thread on this a few years ago. This is stupid, but riff stealing is way worse.

 

[Omni]

Hey, remember how a lot of album covers legally use paintings created by artists that were originally created for other purposes?

Also, some of those definitely aren't related.

 

[painergrey]

Omni, I think case there is related... they are impressively similar, when not identical.

 

[waif]

The MA/Hexenhaus thing is just the same painting.
The Open Fire thing...wtf? I imagine they must be related somehow.
The Kiss/Manowar thing...pretty sure that was a Manowar tribute to KISS.
The Ivanhoe Evergrey thing isn't related.
I looked at the others and most of them are cases of both simply being the same piece of art or using preexisting artwork.

 

[painergrey]

The Ivanhoe Evergrey thing isn't related.
I looked at the others and most of them are cases of both simply being the same piece of art or using preexisting artwork.

It's the same picture... they are definitely related.

 

[SweptbackFlame]

It's the same picture... they are definitely related.

How can it be related...Evergrey and Ivanhoe came out with a 2008 album, with 3 days apart from each release, tell me how they would know that Evergrey copied Ivanhoe, that's just downright stupid. Sure the internet reveals shit, but come on seriously, in no way did those 2 bands knew that there covers we're pretty much Identical, mere coincidence if you ask me.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Evanescence EP, 1998, Nightwish - Once, 2004


I know it's an existing sculpture, but it's kind of dopey to share the cover with a band you're now unfortunately being compared to.

 

[painergrey]

agreed 100%

For me, this was a publicity stunt from Nightwish. They took advantage of Evanescence's popularity in the U.S.

 

[Omni]

Omni, I think case there is related... they are impressively similar, when not identical.

Some of them, like the Uriah Heep album and whatever album was being accused of ripping it off, are obviously just coincidences, and things like Hexenhaus/Morbid Angel are just because both bands obtained rights to use the same painting for the album covers. Some of the others that are similar might be related, but a lot of those are stretching it.

Oh, and the Nashville Pussy album accused of ripping off the Nazareth cover is obviously a tribute to the very cover they're accused of ripping off, so that one's just retarded.

 

[Blind Guardian]

This was a real stretch, Nazareth didn't invite four person-band photos in black and white.

*edit* "invite" lol, but i'm keeping it.

 

[painergrey]

C'mon

Angra and Death SS, Alabama Thunderpussy and Open Fire, Eternal Night and Ten, those are BLATANT ripoffs there.

Manowar and Kiss aren't blatant, but they were done by the same artist. Very creative he is.

 

[Xorv]

The only difference is KISS is excessively homoerotic and ManOwar pulls it off once again with their masculine flatulence even tho they're gay aswell.

 

[painergrey]

Both bands are great musically-wise.

In terms of artwork, not so much.

 

[SweptbackFlame]

Seriously, who cares about album covers, it's not the album cover that will make you listen to it. Ok. maybe a little, but it's the music that counts.

 

[painergrey]

I would have fallen in love with "Lateralus" just for the music of that album, but one got admit that the whole package makes it even more magnificent.

 

[Vossyrus]

I forget what band it was, but I'm sure it was a recent fairly black metal album. Anyways an artist had provided artwork for the band's album cover - and another band, without permission, used the image (but edited the colours) for their album cover. Forget what bands though...but I know the artist had found out, when someone on myspace had pointed out the similarities to him.

 

[Omni]

This was a real stretch, Nazareth didn't invite four person-band photos in black and white.

*edit* "invite" lol, but i'm keeping it.

Both covers have four-person band photos with the members in black and white in the exact same positions in front of a white background and identically-colored green logos. Nashville Pussy's logo looks completely different on every single other album by them. It's not remotely a stretch to assume that Nashville Pussy has heard and liked Nazareth's music, because of the style of music that they play. The homage is pretty obvious.

C'mon

Angra and Death SS, Alabama Thunderpussy and Open Fire, Eternal Night and Ten, those are BLATANT ripoffs there.

As we've already discussed, those paintings were probably legally used by both artists, since they weren't originally created for the album covers that they appeared on.

 

[painergrey]

There was a story on Blabbermouth past year in which members of Alabama Thunderpussy blamed the Open Fire band for the ripoff... which is quite strange since their album was released before ATP's

 

[waif]

The homage is pretty obvious.

The n is a give-away.

Surprised nobody brought up this:

but maybe just maybe people weren't retarded enough not to realize it's an homage.