2025 — Somebody took Autopsy's "Macabre Eternal" and replaced the damned soul with a mighty beetle, I see. And it's a good choice! Male horned dung beetles can roll up to ~1,100x their body weight. Since they weigh around one gram, this means they can roll just over one kilogram, i.e., two bottles of Coca-Cola, or, you know, an empty human skull. (Artist: Marald van Haasteren)

2025 — Other metal cover artists take note: This is how you do brutality, this is how you do macabre! Speaking of notes, I see none from the painters; no brush strokes of any kind. When life-seizing violence is in front of you, what is there to learn? Nothing of artistic value, it seems. I really can't fathom how our ancestors attended public executions as a form of entertainment. (Artist: Eliran Kantor)

2025 — When the Old World landed on the shores of the New World, they kickstarted a number of catastrophes, one of which was environmental destruction. Smokestacks on the boats pump smog into the pristine air while a harpy with an arrow through the chest leads the charge. I imagine that latter part symbolizes how "half-human" it is to destroy the bosom from which we live. I also dig the butterfly, the tribesmen, and the purple. (Artist: Tyrone Le Roux-Atterbury)

2025 — I appreciate that you called, comfort anime, but no, you can't have your cover back. Cuteness and warmth are welcome even here, in this bleak corner of the human experiment. Little kitty prints are for everyone, damn it! And an angel on a ledge smoking a cig next to a black cat is metal enough anyway. (Artist: Redregenmann)

2025 — Bassist Jesse Massant once wrote a poem that would inspire a trilogy of albums and some gorgeous cover art: "Beyond the whispers of common men / Where the flowers grant you wishes / There lingers one who's long forgotten / Her name is Black Narcissus." The eponymous character is portrayed here as a kind of wood nymph that's resistant to leave her sanctuary of flowery beauty—similar to Auri and the "Underthing" in the Kingkiller Chronicle. It's an impressive overarching concept for instrumental music and goes to show that words aren't always necessary to tell a story. (Artist: Vincent Christiaens)

2025 — A visual marvel of the pulpiest quality that's hard not to love. It looks like one of those B-movies where a bunch of testosterone-fueled, disposable characters trudge off to face an alien entity that's well beyond their means, carrying big ass guns that never serve any use. This time, though, it's reversed: Aliens have landed, they've taken some gillyweed, and now they're going off to fight some supernatural menace on the Earth's seafloor. I love all the little eyes following their journey, and the color palette is outstanding. (Artist: Dmitry Rogatnev)

2025 — Let’s see here... vivid, mostly monochromatic scheme.... lush flora and fauna... half-naked woman... Will the real John Dyer Baizley please stand up? Impressive how this band has adapted a niche style to their own, improving upon their first effort, "Impulse to Soar," in almost every way. Plus, we could all use more butterfly tits in our lives. (Artists: Maria and Manthos Stergiou)

2025 — Call it a guilty pleasure, perhaps, but the idea that a piano and drum set ate the band is pretty damn funny. There are no guitars on the album either, so maybe the piano ate them, too. Playfulness is definitely appreciated when the art is this gory. (Artist: Charred Vulture)

2025 — For those who are familiar with Philip Pullman's fantasy universe, this looks like someone is stepping between worlds with their dæmon in tow. It's exactly how I'd expect a crease in the multiverse to appear: crinkly and elaborately beautiful. I also think hair salons should start offering whatever flow that is. (Artist: Arie Fasant)

2025 — How chilling would it be to be served an empty plate as a child? By the Grim Reaper, no less! As if to say, "Hey kid, emptiness is all you'll ever have." The cold and isolated cabin is perfect for this scene, and I give bonus points for the child being modeled after the vocalist Grànt in his youth. My pick for AAOTY in 2025. (Artist: Benjamin König)

2025 — An absolutely menacing depiction of a "terror bird," which were (mostly) flightless apex predators in South America that appeared after the dinosaurs and existed for nearly 43 million years. Eventually, terror birds succumbed to increased competition after the Isthmus of Panama formed, thus reflecting the theme of solastalgia (i.e. emotional distress from changes to one's home environment). When they were alive, though, the largest species could reach a whopping 10 feet tall and 750 pounds; imagine seeing that around your bird feeder! (Artist: Rudolf Hima)

2025 — "Dave" over at Progressive Subway has an amazing write-up on this cover, so I'll quote part of it: "As great as it is to pontificate on the semiotics of an art piece and dive deep into its context, it’s equally as fun to look at something and just talk about how f**king sick it is... The stark contrast between the skeletal giant, the smoke wafting off the 'teocalli,' and the starry night sky? Sick. The intricate linework of the subject’s melting body? Sick. The fact that the subject is holding the god damn Sun? SICK." He also talks about the element of greed that is suggested by the Mesoamerican chieftain reaching for the Sun and melting in an "Icarian blaze of glory," which is probably my favorite part. (Artist: Brvyja XIII)

2025 — A man walks through the vortex of life with his baton at the ready to conduct something masterful. He is clean and confidently dressed, and his score is swirling and colorfully composed. If inspiration were to strike, ink is still on his quill. He is a maestro... Could this be describing you? (Artist: Kim Stenberg)

2025 — One-man band and graphic artist Niklas Sundin has several swirly and enchanting pieces (see: Withering Surface, Green Carnation, etc.), but this one manages to stand out. It's like the landscape of Jasmine and Aladdin's magic carpet ride hundreds of years in the future in an AI-dominated universe. (Artist: Niklas Sundin)

2025 — This cover gives me the feeling that I've time-warped back to my elementary years to play a sick new fantasy game on my Game Boy Advance. It's not Castlevania, Super Mario Bros., or Golden Sun, but it's got hints of all of them. The music, too, seems to come from an earlier era. (Artist: Jean deMers)

2025 — Angels are ambiguous beings. Are they haloed flying humanoids? Virtuous individuals? A bad baseball team? Well, the Bible gives descriptions of many types of angels, some that are human, but also an entire hierarchy that are non-human, leading to depictions of angels that are “biblically accurate.” This terrifying creature seems to be a composite of two biblical classes: the many-eyed Ophanim and the many-winged Seraph. So, while it’s not completely “accurate,” per se, it’s certainly got a presence befitting the Gates of Heaven. (Artist: Dan Seagrave)

2025 — Thirty-eight years after his debut, gas-masked mascot Knarrenheinz has never looked better. Equipped with a downright diabolical M16 flamethrower, he towers over an evocative scene that's clearly meant as a callback to the band's 1989 classic, "Agent Orange." Like on that album, the weapon is not meant to be admired; "Knarre" is a derogatory German slang word for gun, after all. (Artist: Zbigniew Bielak)

2025 — Well, it's not the best eagle in metal (see: Judas Priest), but it might be the best realistic eagle in metal. Complemented by a lovely brown and beige color palette, the eagle could either be making a flashy landing or not be alive at all. This is actually quite analogous to the ‘70s-inspired sounds this band plays: alive and well, or just wall décor? Depends on who you ask. (Artist: Hickory Mertsching)

2025 (Artist: Paschalis Zervas)

2025 — Imagine a child watching an episode of Pokémon, with Rocket Power "blasting off again," while later that day, they're introduced to track and field... We could be looking at a 6th grader's doodle of a superhuman reaching warp speed by pole vaulting into the stars! (Artists: Bruno Augusto Ribeiro, Caio Lemos)

2025 — Sometimes, size matters. Smaller than a notecard, this cover is too busy to appreciate, but blown up full size, an entire world of Swedish folklore bursts forth. Each subsection has its own personality, and the sheer number of funny and/or cute faces and creatures is astounding. The sad worm and peekaboo mouse are my favorites. Find them if you can! (Artist: Chris Williams)

2025 — For a castle metal band, "Far from the Light of Heaven" could refer to a medieval warrior in the throes of death on a battlefield, comforted only by a vision of his wife smelling roses in a garden. This is also just a gorgeous painting. So rich in fragility and color. If it wasn't from 1908, I'd say it was modeled after Jessica Chastain. (Artist: John William Waterhouse)

2024 — A very pleasing re-imagining of Sydney Long's classic painting "Spirit of the Plains" from 1897. I would love to be in attendance while this woman plays the flute. Or would the storks drown out the sound? (Artist: Yoann Lossel)

2024 — Could this be Adam Burke's grandest cover? There's nothing more immense than the universe's astral darkness and nothing heavier than venturing into it. Those four humans must be on a very important mission. Whatever it is, I wish them luck. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2024. (Artist: Adam Burke)

2024 — This project has given me a newfound appreciation for 19th century paintings; they work really, really well in metal. The original painting for this one is called "Anguish," from 1878, and could not be more properly titled. I mean, the human emotion is just palpable. The crows huddling around also adds a sinister feel... but hey, maybe they're just attending the wake. (Artist: August Friedrich Schenck)

2024 — One of my favorite abstract covers in all of music. The color really pops, and maybe when deities laugh it produces radiation that looks something like this. It also reminds me of someone’s fingers interlocked together. (Artist: Al Lane)

2024 — This one appears to be a dark, beastly interpretation of the cosmic web, as if the universe was the product of a one-eyed, spindly-limbed spider creature. I used an interpretation of the cosmic web in my Master's thesis, but, safe to say they look very different. It would take a beckoning on the level of the Sirens to get me to walk into that wormhole. (Artist: Zbigniew Bielak)

2024 — A piece of many impressive components, including the best meadow in metal, bar none. Then, the contrast of life and death really fulfills the promise of the album's theme. There's also a strong sense of movement, even though the skeletons don't have any limbs. It seems like they're moving in a pack... or they could just be leftover human scarecrows. Ick. (Artist: WelderWings)

2024 — This cover strongly reminds me of the Love, Death & Robots episode "Swarm," which is about a self-sustaining alien nest full of parasites and symbiotes. The brain of the female character "Mirny" is similarly hijacked via roots through the skull, while insectoid creatures mosey all around. (Artist: Infested Art)

2024 — What if, for some people, such as those considering suicide, we could induce a coma and give them a little break from life? Would that be therapeutic? Allow them to turn inward and get away—from the city, from the stressors of other people, etc.—and just flush things out. Start anew. It's an idea! And before you say it's not feasible, the artist created this entire piece after months of using only a ballpoint pen, so, where there's a will there's certianly a way. (Artist: Nathan Lorenzana)

2024 — In 2019, the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris suffered major damage in a great fire, including the loss of its wooden spire. Maybe there were demonic forces at play? Can the holy warrior smite all those snakes and put an end to the flames? (Artist: Dávid Glomba)

2024 — I'm not always a fan of maximalist art, but this is another level. Fantastical use of color, majesty, and strangeness. Seems like it could be the setting of a fascinating video game, like a more psychedelic version of "Mass Effect." (Artist: Hervé Scott Flament)

2024 — Emperor, Summoning, and Blind Guardian soak up all the accolades for Tolkien-inspired covers, but these guys deserve some props, too. If Hollywood ever makes a film on the backstory of the Ringwraiths, they should consider using this as a model for the movie poster. It's got serious cinematic flair. (Artist: James Bousema)

2024 — Disaster alert. Aliens have landed and the dawn of a new era has come. Your loved one has been selected. Will you follow them into the sky, or stay and resist? Ayeeee, what to do?? Everything is happening so fast! It's so nerve-wracking. Maybe you'll just, you know... the bed is so comfy, maybe just... stay... Humpf. You wake up for real and realize it was just a fever dream. Whew! But now you know you chose a few extra hours sleep over saving your boo. So where does that leave you? (Artist: Nicolas Spearman)

2024 — Can you imagine hugging a skeleton? I can, but only out of curiosity or in jest, not because of sadness or grief. Even if I had the skeletons of my parents, I would not hug them. Maybe if they were somehow de-fleshed in front of me by a bolt of lightning, I would feel overcome with emotion and feel the need to hug what was left. Maybe? But I doubt it. Anyway, it's good art. (Artist: David D’Andrea)

2024 — This one's a good one to marinate on for a bit. The city in the sky seems to have once been connected to the ground, and the old, broken pathway is now overgrown, with a tree standing where the city broke off. The break might've happened long ago, and people might not even be aware things used to be different (i.e. the sky is "primordial" to them). It can therefore be difficult to change the situation if people cannot first imagine that such change is possible. Big change, like bringing a city down from the sky, requires a lot of damn imagining... Oh, and also, the soft pink is pleasing. (Artist: John Harris)

2024 — Death, dismemberment, and roadkill can be this beautiful? Woah, I didn't know! Make no mistake, though, this is a tragedy of man-made exhaust. And it's nauseatingly common; in fact, I recently saw several dead birds on a Santa Barbara beach with huge oil tankers visible from shore. I'm sure if we zoomed in far enough, we'd find micro-plastics in the bird's bosom, too. (Artist: Caroline Harrison)

2024 — So slimy, so intricate, and so alien! The more I look, the more I see, including an unexpected iguana-like creature and an orange rind, though I'm not sure if either are actually there. I imagine if a bacterial society were somehow to develop inside of a passion fruit, this would be it. (Artist: Brad Moore)

2024 — If I had a special guilty pleasure category called guilty purple, this would be in it. The blend of hues (and blues) is beautifully done. I also enjoy the ambiguity of whether the figure is emerging or dissolving, and bonus points are given for band member art. Co-selected with Steven Wilson's stylistically similar "Hand. Cannot. Erase." (Artist: Vasilis Georgiou)

2024 — Another big baddie from Adam Burke. This one reminds me of the giant worm that sinks cities in “Gears of War 2.” Listen to me, people! Your attacks from the outside are futile! You need to get swallowed up and then hack at it from the inside! (Artist: Adam Burke)

2024 — A surprisingly evocative Aztec scene featuring a Jaguar Warrior raising his wooden, obsidian-studded "macuahuitl" club in front of a temple skull rack. The reddish landscape also perfectly accentuates both the bloody nature of the situation and the oppressive heat of Central Mexico during the summertime. (Artist: Adam Burke)

2024 — The skeleton and snakes take center stage in this piece (as they should), but what's most interesting, perhaps, is what's suggested by the warrior's sword and chainmail and what is foreboded by the turbulent sky. Certainly there's been a death and possibly even a grand failure, but I also get the feeling that the skeleton is somehow alive, and that it will simply stand up and walk away when the storm arrives. (Artist: Dylan Humphries)

2024 — The second of back-to-back vividly colorful masterpieces from Kyrre Bjurling and Vokonis. Pink and blue are the colors of the transgender pride flag and reflect the band's lead singer coming out as trans. The dragon transitioning out of the clouds, then, is self-explanatory, and overall, I think the message is to be at ease with yourself so that you can soar. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2024. (Artist: Kyrre Bjurling)

2024 — Something threatening is occurring in the sky that is causing people to grab their guns and run. Inside, though, our hero stoically looks on, with more resignation than panic. The book on the table titled “Suffer Existence” makes me think he’s well-prepared for any misery on the way. Technically, it’s also brilliant, with several layers of depth and several sources of light. (Artist: SoloMacello)

2023 — This underwater scene looks like a funeral procession for "Big Daddy" in Bioshock. The whole ocean really turned out, including coral crosses atop burial mounds, hammerheads patrolling the perimeter, sting ray escorts, a creeping crab, and a solitary squid. Quite a lovely contrast of light and dark as well. (Artist: Sebastian Jerke)

2023 — Inject this purple palette directly into my veins... But, um, if grieving is the goal, the distorted arctic shore superimposed on a background of flowers makes for an effective metaphor. I also love how the album title plays into the art, as if the letters themselves are weeping. (Artist: Andy Meyer)

2023 — One of my least "favorite" album covers on the list because I just hate looking at it. It creeps me out. But I've heard I'm not the only one who feels this way, and that's why it's good art. It's also got a certain level of humor that makes for an effective GIF. (Artist: Wes Benscoter)

2023 — Hard truths are discomforting to hear. They're a clash of good and bad, like a giant fire (bad!) that's on a ship at sea (good?). But let's be real, this selection isn't because of symbolism, it's because of those fabulous oranges and reds. The artistic mastery on display makes me proud to be human. Originally titled "Ocean at Night with a Burning Ship," from 1862. (Artist: Marcus Larson)

2023 — Life can be really hard sometimes. I know someone recently who was dealing with divorce, drug addiction, and cancer all at the same time. But it’s necessary to keep a shred of hope alive, to dip your roots into the water, so that one day, you’ll pull through and flowers will bloom again. (Artist: Paul Romano)

2023 — Spotlights are usually a good time. They focus the eye and accentuate a thing for all its glory, even if that thing is generally not glorious. Here we have a weed or fungus highlighted in red and set against a dark, devastated backdrop. The red could symbolize blood that's been shed, but what I see most is hope. Oh, ye' glorious hope. (Artist: Polygon1993)

2023 — How's this for a theory: The band, after years of waiting for the final novel in the Kingkiller Chronicles, finally took matters into their own hands by delivering a sneak peak of Kvothe surfing some dunes in a new, enchanted land. If there's anyone who could conquer those breaks while uncovering the mystery of the marching figures in the process, it would be him. Fun comic style. (Artists: Christi du Toit, Jo Riou)

2023 — Let's list the things to love about this piece. First, the color is gorgeous. Second, the refraction of the water, the blurriness of the kelp, and the bubbles from the panda's mouth are all superb. It gives the feeling that you're actually on the seafloor. Third, anglerfish are sneaky little buttholes who lay traps on unassuming prey. The panda is swimming toward the light with an exuberant, naive grin, so that is also true here, but it looks like the anglerfish is actually the one in trouble. The panda is much too big of a fish to fry, and it's funny. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2023. (Artist: William Hay)

2023 — Beyond the obvious appeal of a chimpanzee looking dapper in a Victorian study bursting with color, it's also a great opportunity to play "I Spy." By my count, 16 different fauna are represented, or 17 if you count the reptilian skin in the bottom right corner. Can you spot the eagle, horse, spider, wolf, butterfly, and fly? (Artist: Dan Goldsworthy)

2023 — I think it's fair to say that everyone is served a daily dose of suffering. For effect, let's imagine it's received in a mushroom cloud with everyone piled on top of each other. For some, the suffering is too much to bear and they fall off. Others stay strong. Not everyone receives the same degree of suffering, to be fair, but at some level it comes down to strength of will. Hang on, if you can! (Artist: Corran Brownlee)

2023 — When I was little, I loved Pokémon, and I remember thinking that the Pokémon world was more exciting than our world, and it would be really cool if it were real. Well, I wish this cover was real, and I wish I was that person sitting on the hill. At least for a little while. Then I'd come back. (Artist: Patrick Quirke)

2023 — Swooping spirits in the sky is a bit of a signature for artist Benjamin König (see: Trist, Lustre), and he's perfected it here. An idyllic town lies peacefully below a misty sky as the dark starry night swoops across. How quaint. The color scheme is sublime and I love how the eye of night's "face" is a star like any of the others. Co-selected with the spookier companion piece, "Nocturne," released in 2025. (Artist: Benjamin König)

2023 — This dragon scene is so glassy it makes the dragon from Oskoreien's "Hollow Fangs" feel insufficient; it's so iced out it makes rapper Dan Sur feel jealous; it's so stoner it makes the family of Harry Anslinger want to hit the bong. And that mustache? Somewhere, Rollie Fingers, Fu Manchu, and Salvador Dalí are all smiling in appreciation. (Artist: Susan Davies)

2023 — The best Jesterhead yet! Massive, faceless, and in charge of lost time as human silhouettes trudge onward like cogs in a great machine. The artist and the band are reported to have a highly collaborative relationship, and I would say it shows. Topping one's aesthetic output after 14 installments and 29 years is quite an accomplishment. (Artist: Blake Armstrong)

2023 — What exactly is a Heavener? Is it someone with the conviction that they will be saved? Or, could it be someone who has passed and is already there? Yeah, that's probably it... Then again, it could be someone who simply lives a spiritual, "heavenly" life. It could even be a non-believer who nevertheless longs for a transcendent end... What possibilities! And what art. (Artist: Hayden Clay Williams)

2023 — After nine albums, three of them titled "Swamplord," "Swampsong," and "Seventh Swamphony," Kalmah's self-titled finally delivers what the people want: a fabulous swamp. Pudasjärvi, where the band is from, can rest easy now that its famous swamps have a worthy autumnal interpretation. The crucifixion scene is just a pleasing sideshow. (Artist: Niklas Sundin)

2023 — Hideous!! Ew... But also, I can't look away. Cordyceps from "The Last of Us" has clearly claimed another victim. Just wait 'till it turns into a Bloater. (Artist: Dan Peacock)

2023 — A game of Twister, anyone? It'd be a foregone conclusion, because nobody's beating this guy. It’s like he's not human, but a plant, sprouting limbs all over the place and contorting and orienting himself toward the sun. If the sun dips any further, he might just break off a limb to keep following it. (Artist: Jeanne Comateuse)

2023 — First of all, a hot air balloon spun being by a giant spider is a marvelous, terrifying idea, particularly for anyone who's been in one. Then, "amensalism" refers to a biological relationship in which one organism does harm to another, but without any cost or benefit to itself (eg. cows trampling on grass). It's a kind of amoral or indifferent violence and feels like the opposite of symbiosis. Perhaps this is a metaphor for the way "the system" sometimes churns individuals like milk without an intention to do evil, or without anyone specific to blame. (Artist: Bramhastra)

2023 — Tigers are nocturnal stealth predators with elite night vision. To match that kind of menace, you need night vision goggles, which turn everything green. This is a clever double entendre for an album dealing with dark themes. Black and green are also the primary colors of my high school (shout out to Kentwood!) and I've always thought they look sharp. (Artist: Martin Wittfooth)

2023 — Both this painting and the painting inside this painting could be in a museum. My interpretation is that someone was so desperate to escape their bleak environment, they created a Lion, Witch and Wardrobe-type portal, simply through the power of their imagination. The woman has since wandered into the room, seen the painting, and picked up the paint brush in awe. Maybe she will follow. Or maybe she is simply daydreaming what we see and nothing's been painted yet. (Artist: Alex O’Dowd)

2023 — If it wasn't already obvious, the vengeance being championed on this cover is of a feminist nature. In fact, these ladies are so pissed off at misogyny and rape and sexual assault, one of them may have sliced off part of the Moon. Let's just hope the billowy green cape doesn't cause trouble for our leftmost heroine, because Edna Mode would like a word. (Artist: Michael Whelan)

2023 — At first, I thought this was a "Look to the East" moment like Gandalf at Helm's Deep, but I'm not sure there's a war going on. Something is certainly burning, and maybe it's a triumph or a takeover, but it could also be a protest, or even an unruly, destructive fire like Nero. Either way, the dove is a Christian symbol of salvation and the Holy Spirit, so it does seem like a heavenly kind of hope or "revealing" (trans: "Αποκάλυψις") has arrived. It's hard not to feel uplifted from the striking steams of light.

2023 — Just... look at... that... uh... I'm sorry, it's just so easy to be frozen in wonder by this piece. And by that I'm referring to the full version, which includes the other album released by Ulthar in 2023, "Helionomicon," since the artwork was simply cut down the middle. What incredible intricacy. (Artist: Ian Miller)

2023 — In the South Park episode “Freemium Isn’t Free,” Satan gets angry at the Canadian Devil for the lack of nuance in his evil schemes. In today’s world, perhaps there is enough blatant ugliness and ignorance to drive even the Dark Lord to alcoholism and depression. Certainly in the US in 2026, I know of a person who could have that effect... (Artist: Izabela Carlucci)

2023 — What do you think this guy's expression says: accumulation, or deterioration? I lean towards the latter, since the rhino beetle also has material coming from it. Maybe the beetle put some kind of suicidal curse on him, like a bee’s final act of revenge. The title suggests accumulation, though, and he does look like a more skeletal version of Aldrich Killian in "Iron Man 3." I like what I see, even if I lack for answers. (Artist: Adam Burke)

2023 — Now that’s a party I’d like to join! They're having so much fun dancing and picnicking under the magnificent acacia tree. The band members are clearly proud of their roots, which is awesome to see. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a “Sinners” situation. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2023. (Artist: Savannah Imani Wade)

2022 — The best depiction of the Fall of Constantinople in metal, edging out Bolt Thrower’s “The IVth Crusade.” Fun fact: The viewer's eye is nicely framed by the symmetrical stone towers, flag bearers, and cannons, but there was actually only one cannon (the "Basilic"), and it was a kind of early, super cannon constructed for the Ottomans by a Hungarian named Orban. It required more than 60 oxen to carry it and could only shoot about 7x/day, though historians say it indeed played a decisive role in the conflict. (Artist: Khaos Diktator)

2022 — A lesson in perspective: Assume the vehicle moves left-right and everything seems busy and confusing, but imagine the vehicle moves "in," and... voila! The cover comes alive. A rocky desert with a hulking colossus screeching to a halt right before the sand ends and everything starts to glitch. To my brain, the vehicle looks partly like an old piece of audio equipment and partly like an old printer. (Artist: Zlatko Mitev)

2022 — Despite the ubiquity of monsters and hulking figures in metal, elephants are pretty rare, which is odd since they can clearly be so imposing. This one's presence is boosted by most of its enormity being hidden in shadow. There's likely a connection to the Hindu god Ganesh, as the band is from India, but I actually get more of a "Prince of Persia" vibe, as if the kid is about to leap across some platforms in a dungeon. Be brave, kid! You've got a protector (trans: "Rakshak") behind you. (Artist: Anirudh Singh)

2022 — If I had to nominate an animal to rule the world, it would be the octopus. It’s got nine brains, three hearts, and can camouflage itself at will. You just don’t see that kind of talent very often. On the other hand, maybe I should be careful what I wish for; maybe power corrupts all species and we’d be accosted by whatever this swirl of cephalopodic evil might be. (Artist: Maciej Kamuda)

2022 — A simple yet nevertheless excellent throwback to the style of the late-60s and early-70s. The best part is that if you scroll up and down quickly, the image seems to vibrate, as if air is pulsing through the soundbox of a guitar. (Artist: Peter Mulders)

2022 — In 1994, astronomers got their first look at an extraterrestrial collision, now called the "Shoemaker-Levy Impact." A comet caught in Jupiter's orbit plunged at the planet at 60 km/sec, broke into 25 pieces, left a chain of dark scars, and generally affected an area larger than Earth. It also created a momentary hole in the atmosphere which caused a number of air burst events with plumes of material shooting upward. Could you imagine if an object the size of Saturn crashed into Jupiter, with its epicenter at the Great Red Spot? It might just tear a hole in space! (Artist: Richey Beckett)

2022 — I was first drawn to this piece by its otherworldly vibe, particularly the mushroom-shaped glacier. I remember visiting a similar-looking rock at the Salt Flats of Uyuni in Bolivia. I then noticed the fossils in the foreground and realized they're connected to the "missing link" between fish and four-legged animals (i.e. "Tiktaalik"). It wasn't until I started typing this blurb that I finally noticed the skull on top of the glacier. Wow! Hard to unsee it now. (Artist: Dan Goldsworthy)

2022 — What we have here, obviously, is a depiction of an underwater volcano, mid-eruption, while orca whales circle around the reflection of the Moon overhead. I say this with a robust 7% certainty, but you know, it’s quite fitting to have no idea what’s going on with a grindcore album. (Artist: Jacob Van Loon)

2022 — Fantastic Mr. Fox, fresh from his tail being shot off and his home destroyed by the farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, starts digging tunnels into their compound to enact revenge. He and his friend Badger make headway until they accidentally stumble into the living space of four small and exquisitely-dressed animals that look back at them in surprise. Mr. Fox and Badger mumble some apologies, when they then see the chopped-up limbs and implements of destruction. "Uhh, well... It's been nice to, uh, meet you. We're just gonna... go." And they resume their mission. (Artist: Lucy Marshall)

2022 — What a lovely domicile. So green, and suburban, and safe. Picturesque, most would say. Nice family, too. A girl and a boy. Cute dog. No way anything spooky is hiding inside, right? Nah. Totally safe, just like your house. (Artist: Mitchell Nolte)

2022 — This one really seems LOTR-inspired: A person gazes across an ominous expanse at a towering, fire-filled destination with a mysterious, likely sinister figure hovering above it whose most discernible characteristic is an eye. Seen it before? It's not a bad thing, though. For one, the person gazing is a woman, and the mysterious figure seems to be a machine or an alien. I would definitely pay to see this version play out on screen. (Artist: Reza Afshar)

2022 — This album title has 22 letters. The most common 22-letter word in English is "overintellectualization," which describes this entire list. Coincidence? I think not, but we push on! The title is a German idiom for dog-eat-dog world, where everyone uses their elbows (trans: "elbow society"). This royal swine may not have elbows, exactly, but you can just tell he's scheming; I think I even see a grin. Pretty impressive for a do-it-all-yourself, one-man project. (Artist: Lukas Gosch)

2022 — If the art in this thumbnail is just a taste, the fuller version is like a tres leches cake. What's pictured is a metallic, dragon-like beast gliding through an alien world like a majestic whale. The sun, meanwhile, produces a glow that reflects like oil in water across the atmosphere. Truly stunning. I just wish I knew more about what it means. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2022. (Artist: Saprophial)

2022 — An interesting take on skull island with a brilliant reflection of the sun to boot. Safe passage is assured as long as the path is lit, but once the sun sets... look out. The kryll are coming. (Artist: Adam Burke)

2022 — I'm not a fisherman, but I figure with enough time in a boat, I'd start seeing apparitions in the water like they're oases in a desert. Speaking of which, what a trippy horizon! Plumes of clouds rise to the heavens like chimney smoke, leading to surreal reflections on the water's edge. It tickles your mind in the prettiest way possible. (Artist: Marie Cherniy)

2022 — For an album about an aging man on his deathbed struggling with dementia, this cover really hits the nail on the head. Sorrow and resignation seem to drip from the man's beard, while the wispy blurriness really pairs well with the theme of liminality between life and death. Unfortunately, the MS thumbnail includes a white border which should not be there. It looks much better in black. (Artist: Faith Veloro)

2022 — In the 530s, several volcanic eruptions led to a worldwide period of darkness in which bluish sunshine appeared through the clouds like a "moon fog" (trans: "Kuusumu"). In Christian doctrine, light triumphs over dark when God emerges from nothingness, which is the inspiration behind this blazing gold painting, "The Light Shineth in the Darkness and the Darkness Comprehended It Not," from 1906. Quite a stunning thematic match. (Artist: Evelyn De Morgan)

2022 — You would be forgiven if, at first glance, "Suicide" felt like a better title than "Misanthropy." The clues, however, say otherwise. First is the overwhelming use of red, which is the color of anger. Then there's the expression of utmost content on the self-immolator's face, suggesting they are so misanthropic, they hate even themselves. Sure enough, it looks (vaguely) like a collection of skulls smoking off the body, as if their immolation is on behalf of the entire human race. Pretty wild. (Artist: Paolo Girardi)

2022 — Skillful execution of fractals, particularly aquatic fractals, always impresses me. It makes the horror of this scene feel all the more real. Being stuck underwater in a pool suddenly encased in glass would be a horrible way to go. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2022. (Artist: Eliran Kantor)

2022 — This one's in the running for best homemade cover art on the list. It's like a minion of Hell has become so disenchanted with their 9-to-5 grind of prisoner torture that all the steam and smoke of their morning refreshments billow out their own mouth instead. Funny, yeah? Big fan of the dark red as well. (Artist: Eric Livingston)

2022 — "Weemoedsklanken" means "melancholic sounds" in Dutch, and this cover is a good reflection of that. The colorless palette, the total disrepair, the man's infirmity, the understanding that the child must grow up in such a world... it's melancholic, and affecting. Then there's the teddy bear, which is the only element the artist left as a lined husk. Quite a loss of innocence that'll hit you right in the feels. It's all very reminiscent of Henry and Sam in "The Last of Us." (Artist: Maya Kurhuli)

2022 — Wow, the crystal blue on this cover really pops, even as a thumbnail on the page. Someone sure is struggling to reach the stone platform. Perhaps they were fed up with their stasis in life and decided the crystals could somehow change it, either by granting them access to the celestial gate/portal or something else. I have a few friends who believe in the power of crystals like this. (Artist: Visual Amnesia)

2022 — A "phototroph" is an organism who uses light as its primary energy source (eg. plants). Humans aren't phototrophs, but sunlight gives us a serotonin boost and we also need it to produce Vitamin D. Thus, I imagine this cover represents someone's journey out of a depression-induced hidey-hole that they'd found themselves in. Pulling at the roots may even represent cutting. Just stellar artistic execution. (Artist: Caroline Harrison)

2022 — If all excavations were like this, I might have pursued archaeology. The first thing to notice is obviously the missing face, but beyond that, other oddities such as the elongated skull and chainsaw earring also deserve attention. Was the earring used to cut out the front of the skull? How does she still have hair? And a shirt? Creepy and highly memorable. (Artist: Vladimir Chebakov)

2022 — At every Seattle Mariners baseball game, near the home plate entrance, there’s a man yelling into a megaphone that all who don’t repent and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ will burn in hellfire for all eternity. It’s all quite boring and unimaginative, but maybe if he had the ability to make hellfire seem this intense and alive he would get more people to listen. The flames feel like they’re practically licking your insides. (Artist: Marald Van Haasteren)

2022 — Every so often, a cover will strike me not just with its beauty, but also its foreignness, as if it comes from an inspired place that I know very little about. This is one of those times. It so goes that eight "dragon kings" from Indian mythology made their way to Japan by way of China and Korea. This snarling character, known as Sāgara in Mahayana Buddhism, became Ryūjin in Japan, lord of the ocean. In his claws is a magical jewel from which he can control the tides. (Artist: Tomiyuki Kaneko)

2022 — All of Olhava's releases feature forest imagery, and this is the best of them. The theme of this cover is rebirth, because, well... The trees have no leaves; rebirth! The woods witch has no head; rebirth! The crescent moon is a symbol of new beginnings; rebirth! The crescent moon is framed by "goal"-posts; rebirth! And, oh yeah, the title of the album; rebirth! (Artist: MarGoat)

2022 — If you can think of something more miserable-looking than this polar bear assailed by melting ice and loss of habitat, my hat goes off to you. Mouths just aren't supposed to sit slack-jawed like that. It reminds me of Randy Marsh in South Park after his beloved Blockbuster goes belly up. Co-selected with "Coming Up To Consciousness" from 2024, which features a similarly miserable-looking dog in a silvery pool of water. (Artist: Jill Tegan Doherty)

2022 — Occasionally, horror and destruction on metal covers are not just for shock value, or cool factor, or an aesthetic, but something more personal. In this case, it's the Indonesian Genocide of 1965-66. Publicly, there has been great reluctance within Indonesia to confront this period of its history, so it's important when voices are willing to speak out. I suggest the documentaries "The Act of Killing" and "The Look of Silence" for anyone interested further in the subject. (Artist: Aghy Purakusuma)

2022 — An arguably sharper and more macabre version of Morbid Angel's "Altars of Madness.” The trickle of blood is brilliant and made even better by being started by the razor-sharp letter "T." Who doesn't love an interactive band logo? It's also an example of a skull that isn't tired and a border that isn't dumb. Don't be swayed by the brutal thumbnail, this is class. (Artist: Ibay Arifin)

2022 — If you feel cover art is best when it matches the music within, this is the cover for you. Badass, Western-inspired, country-death is what you see and what you get. Founding member Stu Folsom also likes it this way: "I used to f**king hate when I'd buy a book and it would have this badass cover like a demon or some cool sci-fi thing, and then you're reading the book and you're like, 'Where the f**k is this nasty ass snake dude with three heads?'" (Artist: James Bousema)

2022 — Chasing ghosts is unwise, we can all agree, but if it's done as magnificently as this artwork, the journey may well be worth the (lack of) destination. A kiss on those red lips certainly wouldn't be so bad. Singles "Ghost" and "I Am Nothing" also contain the same eye-catching visual themes, so check those out, too. (Artist: David Seidman)

2022 — Wow, this cover is… uhm… well... gosh, what was I going to say? I hate when this happens. Sometimes my mind just goes in the clouds and on a journey of its own… This is gonna sound weird, but my body feels kind of sore, like someone's poked it all over… And I can’t remember why either! It’s like a chunk of time is just, gone… (Artist: Andrew Saltmarsh)

2022 — Lewandowski strikes again, and likely for the last time, as he sadly passed away in July of this year. A soul ready for the afterlife (Lewandowski himself?) awaits the Grim Reaper as a giant gateway of bodies opens up, reminiscent of the Parting of the Red Sea. The lighter tones and reaching of the arm suggest it's a joyous occasion. Then again, if the reward is to become part of the sea of bodies, I'm not sure I would call that nirvana. There are also bodies floating in the sea, so maybe there's a hierarchy to the afterlife. (Artist: Mariusz Lewandowski)

2022 — What I love about this piece is how subtly the strange and supernatural are hidden within. The deer doesn't quite have fur, it has feathers. The antlers seem normal, yet are tangled to a wild degree. Leaves are not stuck in the antlers, they're actually growing from them like a tree. The flecks of gold are like flecks of animalian nobility. Truly a visual marvel. (Artist: Tom Roberts)

2022 — May I never find myself in this situation. It looks like there's a kind of mass slaughter or Holocaust occurring, and in the mayhem, the bottom person passed out in terror and the top person quickly played dead. We then see the moment the bottom person is stimulated back to consciousness, with the top person making sure the bottom person doesn't let out an abrupt sound that would give away their position. (Artist: Eliran Kantor)

2022 — The soul... it is real? In this moment, I will say that it is. I will say that there is more to me than blood, guts, and nerve endings, and that my singular existence and perspective is special in the world and will live on... But how? And what does it mean to say "my" soul? Does it not belong to those that crafted it, to my loved ones, to the world? I think it takes others, at burial, to say, here soul, you are released. Go out and be. Co-selected with their previous effort, "As The Stars." (Artist: Lucas Ruggieri)

2022 — Is this a photograph? No? How is this not a photograph. It just feels so alive. We can really decipher the woman's murderous intentions with a stunning clarity... Kill Bill: Volume 3 anyone? (Artists: Alyssa Tawin, Jon Chan, Ryan Chang)

2021 — Nothing surprising here, but it’s executed well. Seems like a spiritual complement to the horror depicted in the German version of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which came out a year later. Most war films sanitize the horror of war at least a little bit... but not that one. (Artist: Vladimir Chebakov)

2021 — One of the most visibly striking selections on the list. Just absolutely pops. Plus, I think warthogs are cute. I even compared my lady friend to a warthog, once. (Artist: Niklas Sundin)

2021 — Ah, the Professor Quirrell conundrum. Happens all the time. I have a firm no-sharing-my-head policy myself. It looks like either Venom or Alien fried their host into hardened lava but then they themselves got got by a horde of tiny golden pixies. (Artist: Eliran Kantor)

2021 — There's not enough cartoonish cover art in metal, so I'm glad this one is carrying the torch. My favorite section is the guy palming the stomach of the pregnant male next to him in the top left, though the wacked out Easter Island statue comes close. All-around bizarre but in the best way. (Artist: Harry Jenkins)

2021 — Brie Larson stars in the new sci-fi film, "Nothing is Real and This Is A Simulation," which is an interpretation of a book I read as a kid called "A City of Gold and Lead." Alien "Tripod" masters have enslaved humans with mind-controlling head caps, and it's up to Brie to save the day. First order of business is to trick the droid into classifying her as a male, because they kill the females. (Artist: Boris Vallejo)

2021 — An adaptation of the painting "Pluto and Charon" from 1972. It's interesting that Pluto maintains a level of intrigue in our collective imagination despite being de-classified as a planet and despite being a rather run-of-the-mill, rocky body of ice. In any case, the Plutonian cave view of the very distant Sun and Pluto's largest moon creates a superb sense of wonder, I must admit. (Artist: David A. Hardy)

2021 — This cover feels like an artsy version of a Tarantino movie poster. A hitman in a cowboy hat is contracted to do a hit, but he's double crossed and ambushed in an alley by a rabid owl belonging to an anonymous third party (perhaps). The sense of shadow or back alley is impressive considering there's more turquoise than black. Also, just look at the owl's eyes... those furious red eyes... (Artist: Ariel Zucker-Brull)

2021 — It could just be me, but I feel like this reflects the headspace of a dog at a moment the dog's owner catches the dog doing something it's not supposed to. I can't imagine this is close to the artistic intention, so, I'll also say that it just looks cool. Very dreamy. (Artist: Matthew Jaffe)

2021 — A pretty sharp anti-establishment piece that reflects the anger and anxiety many (Americans) felt during the socio-political turmoil of the COVID era. It’s nearly as relevant today. And although most authorities aren't devils and most gunslinging vigilantes aren't heroes, from the standpoint of base emotion, I empathize. I am angry, too. (Artist: Stewart Easton)

2021 — Oh baby. The best comp I can think of for an end-of-the-world type waterfall of such immense size and beauty is Niagara Falls. Maybe, many moons ago, in a scuffle between tribes in the Eastern Woodlands, someone was chased toward the falls and got lost, where they then carved something into stone as a parting gift to the world. I doubt it was a beauty in a white dress, but hey, sex sells. (Artist: Caelan Stokkermans)

2021 — I’ll claim guilty pleasure for this one, since the art quality is mid but the content is personal and top notch. "La Bestia" (trans: "The Beast") is a network of freight trains in Mexico that are often hitched by migrants trying to get to the United States. It is not only illegal but also inherently very dangerous due to unforgiving terrain and cartel activity. I worked as a social worker with undocumented boys from the Northern Triangle for a few years, so I’m happy to include it. (Artist: Alcides Burn)

2021 — An utterly gorgeous landscape that reminds me of hiking trails in the Pacific Northwest (minus the skeleton in the brush, of course). The songs lead one on an epic journey through the ancient, rugged, windy, and frosty North, so this checks out. (Artist: Hellish Razor)

2021 — The second major WW1-themed artwork in 2021, and this one is as badass as it gets. Taken from a Hungarian anti-war propaganda poster in 1918, hordes of souls are shoveled like coal into a cannon by a grinning, uniformed personification of Death. Quite a playful yet sincere portrayal of the insanity of that war. Something tells me I would have been friends with the artist. (Artist: Mihály Biró)

2021 — If I had 3000 butterflies, I would train them to fly in choreographed swells around my lady friend and I while we danced like there’s no other soul in the world... Arranging them in a mosaic like a Persian rug is pretty rad, too. (Artist: Jason Galea)

2021 — Loudness had so many awful album covers in a row, this one really came out of nowhere. It's busy as hell, but also majestic, and I would recommend checking out the larger version. A skeletal samurai seems to have posed as a peasant in a small wooden rowboat before leaping out to face a dragon inside the barrel of a Kanagawa wave. (Artist: Iwata Keiichi)

2021 — What a perfect cover for a stoner album. If you notice, the only things that have continuity across frames are the man and the mushrooms. The message is clear: Psychedelic curiosity has always existed and will continue to exist in the future. Very unique, and sure to play with your mind, stoned or otherwise. (Artist: Mihai Manescu aka Obsidian Nibs)

2021 — In the subcategory of giant outlines of human heads (see: Green Carnation, Chaos Divine), this cover takes the cake. It's got an emotional aspect that's no surprise; the Earth and Moon have been in a romance for ~4.46 billion years, after all! I can just imagine Khal Drogo calling Khaleesi "Moon of my life," then Khaleesi responding with "My Earth and stars," err, well... you get the idea. (Artist: Ahmed Emad Eldin)

2021 — Pretty superb scene that deserves a movie or video game to flesh out the full story. The mini revolution from the city's downtrodden gives off major "Fight Club" vibes, so I wonder why they are so very, very pissed off. And look, the tower arsonist seems to be emerging from a manhole, so they're not a man down yet. Maybe they can pull it off! (Artist: Alexey Tompson)

2021 — Now THAT is a tortured soul. Spikes protruding from their back, chicken wire clamping their neck, flames splashing all around their face... Just how bad are the sins that they need absolved? The book is also intriguing. Could it be their path to salvation, like something Biblical or Quranic? I've never seen another cover like this. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2021. (Artist: Gabor Toth)

2021 — They say a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, but roses in any other frame may not feel as darkly romantic. I sense they could represent lust, love, or blood, or all of the above. A few of the roses also appear blurry, suggesting things might not be as rosy as they seem. (Artist: Paul Romano)

2021 — On the full version of this piece, a nebulous blob approaches a veiled woman wielding two swords, a Japanese shinai, and an offering bowl via multiple, blue-fingered hands that are detached from her body. Make of that what you will (the first track is called "Defeat The Object"), but the layering here is outstanding: In one spot, the Moon is behind a tree, that is behind a hand, that is behind a sword, that is behind the hilt of a different sword, that is ultimately behind a sageo cloth, and none of it feels cluttered. (Artist: Ryan Lesser)

2021 — Like many fantasy covers, this scene is gorgeously executed, but what really sets it apart is the green light in the tallest tower of the castle. What kind of sorcery could be afoot? Could it be related to the flashes across the sky? Has our traveler come from far and wide to put a stop to it all? It's an invitation to listen and find out. (Artist: Les Edwards)

2021 — Currently the lowest rated album on the list, this proves that cover art can shine even if the music does not. A truly impressive sunset and purple sandwich, and I love that the young lady is bursting through it, upside-down, with an expression that shows no recognition of anything unusual. Impressive integration of the band name and album title as well. (Artist: Francesca Ludikar)

2021 — Pointillism always impresses me when it's done well. I wonder how many points led to this spooky, somewhat alien image of a split psyche. Also, if you look at the album upside-down, a horned, devilish figure appears. How dope is that? (Artist: Jillian Savage)

2021 — Man, art can be powerful sometimes. This cover is so colorful I can literally feel my brain lighting up. Kudos to you, Mr. Bjurling. Please make more covers for more bands now that Vokonis has broken up. (Artist: Kyrre Bjurling)

2021 — Thank you, ZAÄAR, for bringing this untitled painting from 1954 to wider attention. It definitely deserves it! There's so much strangeness going on that it's easy to overlook the lion, who is the only normal looking animal in the frame. My interpretation is that the lion took some crazy psychedelics and we're seeing the rest of the scene from its altered perspective. Even the look on its face seems to say that it's tripping balls. My co-pick for AAOTY in 2021. (Artist: Peter Kľúčik)