The monthly selections returns in prime form with an eclectic fold.
Words by Luis (@heaviestofart):
January came and went in the blink of an eye and it's evident that many are still catching up to the quality that 2021 brought us all. We don't blame you. If you've gazed through our Top 30 Album Covers of 2021 list, you'd have noticed that you missed so many great records and covers altogether, and these lists only scratch the surface. However, music never sleeps and we bring you the first entry of our audiovisual column for the new year.
What is typically a slow month for music proved otherwise as January 2022 delivered tenfold. Khaos Diktator Design joins our monthly entry once more with Deathcult's Of Soil Unearthed and further cements himself as a prominent force in metal artwork. One could even say this blood red cover is one of his best works in recent years, of which he's had many. Another familiar face around the column is Pär Olofsson, who depicts quite a harrowing scene of a world ravaged by industrialization as workers bury their colleagues in groups. French post-black metal unit Celeste and Mira Nedyalkova partnered for a compelling black and white cover photograph that encapsulates the heart riding in each riff and melancholic passage. Lilas Dupont captures bleakness among empty halls as the protagonist is surveyed by a looming spirit, an apt representation for Silhouette's Les Retranchement. For Punch Brothers' Hell On Church Street, Phillip Singer employs a beautiful color palette that illustrates self-destruction accessibly. Justyna Koziczak's work for Mizmor's new chapter Wit's End is every bit as towering as the record itself, putting a face to the themes that lay within. The norm for live record album covers are photographs of the concert or the performing artist, but Zezeah and Anna von Hausswolff stray from conventionality and showcase a somber rendition of the frontwoman getting dragged down by roots, which proves to be the ideal visual for the haunting composition. Mitchell Nolte's work for Descent's Order of Chaos is as apocalyptic as it gets, putting warriors, demons, and Death himself among the madness of it all. Adam Burke allows the mind to roam for Fit For An Autopsy's Oh What The Future Holds, placing a mother and her child amidst the grass as the scene slowly deteriorates, allowing for glimpses of death to shine through. Abhi7 places Cordae in front of a starry painting for From A Bird's Eye View, a scene of introspection for the rapper as the painting's figures sit in deserted landscapes as birds fly in their proximity. It's a gentle scene, one that encourages a deeper visit as Cordae's worldplay runs through the playlist.
Here are the best album covers of January 2022:
Deathcult - Of Soil Unearthed (Khaos Diktator Design) | Listen
Shadow of Intent - Elegy (Pär Olofsson) | Listen
Celeste - Assassine(s) (Mira Nedyalkova) | Listen
Silhouette - Les Retranchement (Lilas Dupont) | Listen
Punch Brothers - Hell On Church Street (Phillip Singer) | Listen
Mizmor - Wit's End (Justyna Koziczak) | Listen
Anna von Hausswolff - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (Zezeah) | Listen
Descent - Order of Chaos (Mitchell Nolte) | Listen
Fit For An Autopsy - Oh What The Future Holds (Adam Burke) | Listen
Cordae – From A Bird's Eye View (_abhi7) | Listen
As always, thank you for supporting artists responsible for enriching our lives with their creativity. We remain sane because of it. Stay tuned to Heaviest of Art on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for your art and music needs throughout the day.
Comments