Recently when writing the page about Dissection i briefly mentioned the artist that did the covers for thier first to albums as well as some of their demos, that being Kristian Wåhlin aka Necrolord. He is what i consider a legend amongst album cover artists, maybe rivaling only a few like Vince Locke (best known for being the artist for Cannibal Corpse and someone i think deserves their own blog entry) and has crafted some of the most iconic album covers in the Scandinavian scene. I wanna briefly mention some of his best works and my personal favorites, so let's go!
Before i talk about that though i suppose we meet the man himself first. Wåhlin was born in 1971 and showed intrest in art at a young age. He started a band with At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg. Said band would break up in 1990 but Wåhlin would still work with Lindberg and other At the Gates members, specifically on the album cover for Slaughter of the Soul. Throught his carrer he would go on to work with Dissection, Emperor and many more
I suppose since i alredy mentioned At the Gates i might as well mention the work he has done for them. Slaughter of the Soul is definetly one of his stronger works, and if we look at it from a musical perspective one of the greatest melodic death metal albums of all time. The interesting piece shows Jesus Christ, drawn in this Eastern Orthodox style (as someone from the region the style imitates i can say it's definetly accurate!) surrounded by realistic designs of many guns. Now if you look at it from a regular cd, vinly or streaming output it might be hard to see, but a original framed version can be found on the internet which shows the cover withouth any text and it's very interesting! Now i like this cover but Im more of a blue/purple kinda guy so this bright red and orange doesn't move me as much
Coming out in 1994 In the Nightside Eclipse is considered a milestone in symphonic black metal. Now i haven't listened to it in full (yet) but i know a couple of songs like I am the Black Wizards and Inno a Sathana (if that's how it's written). Onto the cover itself it's actually a Lord of the Rings piece which shows orcs travelling to Minas Morgul. Now i have watched lotr, the first two to be specific, as well as all 3 Hobbit movies though my memory is fizzy. Nonetheless this is a very detailed album cover which is covered in this beutiful blue (purple depending on print) color that i mentioned i love. Many of the orcs are very detailed with lots of evil in thier expression, while the castle looks menacing and looming while still staying impressive. Another banger!
As I've spent my time talking about this album in the Dissection retrospective page i won't spend too much time on this one. But it's a creepy grim reaper type figure riding on a dark horse, holding an hourglass while being surrounded by a winter tundra. It's very creepy yet badass, with the horseman being preety much the only thing to see. It helps that he's so black and dark yet everything around him is white and bright. It makes me feel cold just looking at it!
We're going from earie and frosty to pure motherfucking bad-fuckin'-assery!!! This bad boy is so metal that it turns my little orange kitten into a flesh eating tiger and a fork in my kitchen into a sword! It's a Warhammer inspired piece, and now i don't know TOO much about 40k cuz i certainly don't have the money to afford it and no playing experience, but i have read some lore over the years for fun. Even so, you don't need much knowledge of 40k to appreaciate this one. It's a space marine (not sure which legion) walking thorugh a fucked up battlefield full of skulls with tanks behind him ready to turn anyone into dust. The walking killing machine is weilding 2 chainsaws and i certanly wouldn't wanna cross his path on a bad day. Absolute shred!
Since these two are connected i decided to put them into one section. Nordland would be two of Bathory's last albums before Quorthon passed away and left a legacy of a legend that they speak of in Valhalla. These two are pretty simple compared to what I showed you so far. They're the same cover but flipped, but still very pleasant to look at. They show a Scandinavian landscape consisting of a frozen lake, mountains and trees, something im sure would be amazing to see in real life. Considering they were the last albums before Quorthons passing it makes them even more beautiful. Instead of over the top demons or battles, it's simply calm landscape, somewhere you would sit down and take in the sights before continuing your journey. Mythically (something that had a big part in Bathory's music) it also feels like a place spirits would gather and it would have a strong spiritual presance in general. Again, the blue here is great and finishes the vibe.
My final thoughts? Well that Necrolord is an amazing artist, that's what! I would die of hypothermia in his covers! Age certanly doesn't slow him down as he continues to make bangers even to this day. What's your fav cover from him? Let me know in the newly added comment box i implemented!