My Favorite Album Covers: Jay Valentine (Guilt Trip)

2 days ago
3 min read

Manchester hardcore set the stage for a global reign, spearheaded by a force of an EP.

Hardcore, much like death metal, is in a contemporary golden era with bands across the globe releasing a staggering array of quality releases month after month, sometimes week after week. Manchester's Guilt Trip are among those at the forefront of it all, letting work ethic and raw energy bleed into their craft. On February 11th, the band shock-dropped a God Forgives EP via their new label, Roadrunner Records, continuing the hot streak that River of Lies (2019) and Severance (2023) have kept them on.

Guilt Trip are currently on the road across Europe before hitting North America alongside MLVLTD stablemates Malevolence, where one could expect the might of God Forgives EP to hit stages. Like its predecessors, God Forgives is representative of the grit and driving mindset behind the band's purpose. The EP's punchy instrumentation narrates their lyricism well, making for a listen equally grand both in its studio version and live rendition. In terms of visuals, Guilt Trip just get it. With artwork by contemporary great Andrei Bouzikov at the forefront of both studio full-lengths, the band have an eye for selection, indicating yet another strong cover to come for the follow-up album. Let God Forgives serve as a hell of a taste for one of hardcore / crossover's best bands doing it today.

Guilt Trip frontman Jay Valentine shares a brief list of covers that impacted his journey early on, detailing the art that drew him into hardcore and metal:

Slipknot — "Iowa" (2001)

"Simple, clean yet so effective. The symbolism instantly stood out to me when I first saw this record, and I love how it sounds exactly how you’d think from just looking at it, especially the deluxe version."

Terror — "Always The Hard Way" (2006)

"I’m a huge fan of any kind of Renaissance-style artwork and this was the first time I remember seeing it used for an album cover. It sucked me in visually, and that then became my introduction to hardcore."

"The Hunt of Meleager and Atalante" (c. 1618-29) by Peter Paul Rubens

Stone Temple Pilots — "Purple" (1994)

"I love the weird and wonderful, and this album art is just that. I’m not sure I understand it to this day, or even if I’m supposed to, but that makes it all the more interesting to me. Art is supposed to invoke feelings and emotions, and intrigue is an exciting way to feel."

Linkin Park — "Meteora" (2003)

"The soundtrack of my childhood, although 'Hybrid Theory' was my introduction to heavier music, Meteora became an obsession. Nothing will ever beat nostalgia, and it’s impossible to avoid when I see this album cover."

Cover Artwork by Frank Maddocks and James Minchin III

Korn — "self-titled" (1994)

"As I mentioned earlier, art is supposed to trigger emotions, and seeing this as a child terrified me. I didn’t really know what I was looking at, but I just knew it was scary. Then, the older I got, the scarier it became. Another example of a cover looking exactly how a record sounds, and I think to grasp that theme of fear and discomfort while still creating something iconic is super impressive and groundbreaking for what would become its own genre of music."

God Forgives is streaming everywhere now via Roadrunner Records (Listen). Dive into the madness with the official video for Dirt & Angel Eyes below prior to the band's heavy-hitting North American Tour with Malevolence (dates below).