Unoriginal album covers.

[Wyvern]

Sometimes album covers are made out of already existing art. A well known case will be "Mob Rules" made out of a Greg Hildebrandt painting. Paintings and drawings of H.R. Giger, Luis Royo, Jacek Yerka, Brom have been used in covers with or without license. Original art have beend eveloped for covers too.

But what when a cover comes out looking like original and then you find somedody just steal an idea? Well that just happened to me with the new Doro album, judge by yourself:

The cover of the magazine (Luis Royo) dates from 1991, I guess whoever made the new Doro cover wasn't that original after all :Smug:

Do you know a similar case?

NP: Chris Poland - 'Salvador'

 

[Kenneth R.]

wow that is pretty blatant! I like both versions though.

Can't go wrong with a girl with a sword.
When I saw this title, I thought it was going to be about the unoriginality in general of metal covers. Lately it seems like nearly everyone is using the same 2 or 3 (alright, they are very talented) artists to do their covers and as a result there is a lot of stylistic similarities across the genre these days in cover art. Same effects, same lighting style, same fonts even! There really are fewer traditional "painted", photographed, or otherwise non-obviously-digital album covers these days. I think it's a shame.

 

[tsorl]

Here's some recent examples, the three latest releases from three German metal monsters:

I mean, come on, enough with the hooded figures already. All of these covers are extremely good looking, but they could almost be some "alternate" cover arts for the same album.
I admit that power metal album covers through history have always been cliched and somewhat repetitive, but at least back when Andreas Marschall did 90% of them he managed to squeeze some human touch into them.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Apparently the new Edguy cover is a spoof of a cartoon show, there was a really similar poster I saw recently

 

[SickBoy]

As for the Doro cover, there wasn't any secrecy about using the Royo as a template...
But THIS is real copying and fanboying:

 

[Platinum Maze]

You know it's over when you're copying friggin' Autograph. By the way, either the back or inside cover of the Autograph album looks even more like the Aerosmith cover. Hurtin'.

Doro looks better. There's also a band "Warrior Soul." I don't know which annoys me more....

 

[Wyvern]

You know it's over when you're copying friggin' Autograph. By the way, either the back or inside cover of the Autograph album looks even more like the Aerosmith cover. Hurtin'.

Doro looks better. There's also a band "Warrior Soul." I don't know which annoys me more....

Actually both are done (with or without consent I don't know) by Hajime Soroyama (another of my favorite artists) work

And just found another for the record. Death SS new album has a striking rsemblance to something already done...

 

[Dee Snarl]

 

[OfManAndMetal]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
look familiar

 

[zeppelin]

Actually both are done (with or without consent I don't know) by Hajime Soroyama (another of my favorite artists) work

I remember I once had an album called "Metal Marathon", it was a whole lot of OS songs all flowing into one, this pic is on the cover.

 

[Wyvern]

I remember I once had an album called "Metal Marathon", it was a whole lot of OS songs all flowing into one, this pic is on the cover.

Actually I just picked that one randomly as an example of Soroyama's work

Great examples so far. The SOD was meant as a tribute but nevertheless works for this thread.

One more I do have on my sleeve:

Depeche Mode single is from 1991 but undoubtedly is based on a pic so maybe the Sbbath cover from 1983 is also based on the same pic

 

[Kenneth R.]

wow. the Death SS one is the same statue, exactly.

 

[Wheezer]

Sort of. At any rate, I like the way the side-by-side worked out. It looks like the VH angel, being younger, is picking up on the bad habits of the elders.

 

[ElectricWiz]

You know, mildly Off topic, Heaven and Hell has one great cover!

 

[Wyvern]

Sort of. At any rate, I like the way the side-by-side worked out. It looks like the VH angel, being younger, is picking up on the bad habits of the elders.

Great call Wheez, I was expecting that one . I remember when the VH album came out and I thought how unoriginal was the artwork concept.

Of course it helped the fact that I'm a huge BS fan and don't like VH

NP: Stream Of Passion - 'Passion'

 

[Hawk]

:Smug:

 

[Wheezer]

Great call Wheez, I was expecting that one . I remember when the VH album came out and I thought how unoriginal was the artwork concept.

Of course it helped the fact that I'm a huge BS fan and don't like VH

That's funny because that one has stuck in my craw since it came out too. Prolly because I'm a BS fan and don't like VH either.

 

[Bryant]

I really mean no disrespect to any of the bands listed above but NONE of those covers really are among my favorites less the Angra... as the "Rebirth cover is absolutely beautiful.
I am far from a graphic artist, though I know I can come up with something better than those shown above. I am sure our Oldschool banner artist would also be able to create a wonderful cover.


Bryant

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I am far from a graphic artist, though I know I can come up with something better than those shown above. I am sure our Oldschool banner artist would also be able to create a wonderful cover.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, Bryant! I am more of a designer than an artist though. My talent lies in taking an artists work (or provided photos) and adding the necessary elements (logo and support text) for the project I am creating. That said, I know I could do better than those stupid Born Again and Depeche Mode covers! Drawing that graphic of Doro is way outside my area of expertise.

The GraveDigger and Blind Guardian covers are a prime example of excellent artwork and shitty design. Those covers are way too busy. The names of the band and album don't stand out enough. They are half buried by the background.

The Angra cover would be more my style. Taking various photos or graphic images and making a collage like I did on the UMOS header. I could only recommend some minor tweaks on that one. The artist/designer did a really good job.

 

[KMADD]

I always thought the Tankard covers where pretty cheesy back in the day.