Gnarly Album Covers: Best of 2012

In the age of digital media, previously important items are becoming lost in the realm of music.  Albums are no longer collectables amongst most of the younger generation and "singles" have certainly become king.  Of course many of your "audiophiles" and vinyl collectors will insist on purchasing physical media (\m/ \m/), that fact of the matter is electronic means of acquiring music will now and forever be the largest and most lucrative method.  As a result, I fear people, and possibly the musicians themselves, will no longer appreciate the significance of album art.

The album cover has always been very important to me and to the music itself.  In particular, metal bands like Iron Maiden and Megadeth have relied heavily on their covers to entice new listeners and introduce them to their catalog (in all its devastating glory!)  That being said, I have commonly purchased CDs and records based solely on an album cover that had caught my eye.   Eventhough more often than not I have sold these albums back to a local record store, others have proved to be exceptional.  I cringe at a time when artists release their music without this memorable element.  Until that time comes...

Enjoy my favorite album covers of 2012.


5. Pallbearer - "Sorrow And Extinction"

4. Céu - "Caravana Sereia Bloom"

3. Matt Elliott - "The Broken Man"

2. Angel Witch - "As Above, So Below"

1. Chromatics - "Kill For Love"