Please crit this album cover I've made (approx. 1 mb picture file)

He-Man · Tue 25/09/2007 07:45:32

Yo yo
It has been quite a while since I last posted in the Critics Lounge. I've been really busy.
Well, I've just finished the cover for an EP I'm doing. The music on it pretty crazy combined with spoken words in Danish.

Any comments on it before I sent it to print?

The cover - front and back

The print on the cd...

I hope none of this is too offensive for anyone...
Cheers!

InCreator · Tue 25/09/2007 09:08:27

I'm sorry, but I don't really like it. Looks too much like a cover for a reallyy cheap disc released by really cheap band...

All the detail on main image looks really cool, but it's a bit too colorful and disturbing. Especially dog nose and ugly mouth.
On song list part, the font and background doesn't fit one bit. First that ugly body, do you really need this? And the font belongs to a classical music compilation, not something crazy. Either a punk or hiphop band, the font should be something different. To match better with main cover and whole thing.

The image on disc itself is cool and fine in my opinion. Maybe a bit too colorful for my taste, but I like it anyway.

He-Man · Tue 25/09/2007 12:21:23

Thanks for the answer. I'm glad you find it disturbing!
I think I'll remove the ugly body on the back side.
Actually "crazy" might have been the wrong word to use about the music - it's more of an really avant-garde art thing. (Neither punk or hip hop)

Cheers.

BTW this cover IS for a reallyy cheap disc released by really cheap band...

Nacho · Tue 25/09/2007 12:48:13

I don' t really like to see the image of an event who killed 2,500 people, really...

zabnat · Tue 25/09/2007 13:31:20

Quote from: Nacho on Tue 25/09/2007 12:48:13
I don' t really like to see the image of an event who killed 2,500 people, really...

I'm not entirely sure, since it is so small, but I might see something in the picture that killed over 200 000 people.

Dr Fred Rubacant Edison · Tue 25/09/2007 14:41:40

What is hanging off his shirt where the lizard face is? Is that what i think it is?

Andail · Tue 25/09/2007 15:59:47

Quote from: Nacho on Tue 25/09/2007 12:48:13
I don' t really like to see the image of an event who killed 2,500 people, really...

Why?

radiowaves · Tue 25/09/2007 16:08:49

Is the sharp edges sign intentional or is this due to some kind of regulations?

Oliwerko · Tue 25/09/2007 16:19:33

I like the picture, but I wouldnt like it on a CD though. I wouldnt probably buy a CD looking like this....

Phemar · Tue 25/09/2007 22:42:46

I like it but I think it would be better suited for the inside cover.

Something more simplistic might work better as a cover.

(btw, is that a penis on his shirt?)

voh · Tue 25/09/2007 23:53:25

This "cover" spells chaos to me. I would skip over it if I encountered it at a store, or even on a website. It doesn't appeal to me and the images you used to create the image are... Sketchy, at best.

A lot of the things I see on it make me go "well, isn't that unnecessary?"

Also, I have no idea what Nacho is referring to, so I can't say it's bothering me. What IS bothering me is the 'slave' on his forehead. It reeks of mild racialism.

boojiboy · Wed 26/09/2007 02:54:15

I disagree with almost everyone. Having 9/11 in the image or slave on the forehead is not a promotion of any kind.
To be so sensitive that to even see that image offends someone is pretty sad really.
I think that it maybe looks a bit too busy, but otherwise I think your asking the wrong audience.
Also, how is saying slave racial? The fact that you jumped to that conclusion says something about that word and the effect that it has in this image.

Buckethead · Wed 26/09/2007 08:00:29

The only really disturbing thing imo is the thick penis on the guys chest, that also seem to carry a blister or something $:-\$

Nikolas · Wed 26/09/2007 09:50:36

I'm sorry, but I just find it of awful taste. I can see why some are bothered, I'm not personally, but I simply can't get over the simple chaos in the whole image, plus the bad technique that seems to be made with.

Sorry.

Illustrious · Wed 26/09/2007 10:15:24

Besides this being a forum where mainly adventure gamers reside, I can only make out a mish-mash of cut & paste.
I'm struggling to realise any purpose behind most (all) of the images you have chosen.
I find the use of 9/11 totally unnecessary, although it's not insulting or offending one bit, just why use such an image on an album cover?
The penis on the shirt... the upside down head... the thing with the apple... the leg... the list basically spans all the objects in the image.
For me it just looks terrible even though I can see you have put time into it getting all the photoshoppery done.

Your album cover doesn't affect me in any single way, maybe you want to captivate your audience and get them to have a closer look at an image which actually means something.

Just my opinion...

Nacho · Wed 26/09/2007 10:18:02

Quote from: Andail on Tue 25/09/2007 15:59:47
Quote from: Nacho on Tue 25/09/2007 12:48:13
I don' t really like to see the image of an event who killed 2,500 people, really...

Why?

Eeer... well, It was a sad event for me... I wouldn' t accept an image of iraqui babies blowed by an american bomb, either... I would think as those image just as a cheap trick to make the cover more "intellectual" creating controversy, but for me it only looks like that, like a silly cheap marketing trick.

Nightfable · Wed 26/09/2007 17:18:16

I agree with everyone else... Your cover is way too overburdened with tiny useless images crammed in there and the few images that are large enough to examine are grotesquely vulgar. If you want something that will shock people with your music album cover, why not go with something simpler that express what you are trying to say?

You can always browse DeviantArt for ideas, here's the Macabre/horror section: http://search.deviantart.com/searchcraft/?q=earth+in:digitalart/photomanip/macabre&section=browse&qh=boost:popular%20age_sigma:24h%20age_scale:5

Evil · Wed 26/09/2007 17:58:17

It's interesting. I don't hate it, but I think the concept would make a better music video. I say try it with just the guy and the baby, with just the ground and the sky. Unless it's a time thing.

It reminds me of this Barenaked Ladies cover.

He-Man · Thu 27/09/2007 08:27:27

Thanks for all the replies.
The reason why some the images are a little hard to figure out is because I've scaled down the image to fit the forum.
Too bad that most of you don't like the image because it's too weird or chaotic. Actuallly I thought that it should have more chaos. I wanted it to look as f**ked up as possible...
Maybe I'm just aiming at the wrong audience here or maybe I just have bad taste.

ManicMatt · Thu 27/09/2007 11:56:58

Sorry but I dont like it either!

Why IS there a penis monster on the t-shirt anyway?

That manis hideous in a bad way, and why is he groping that baby like that?

You clearly are competent at photoshop, but I too don't like the design..

This image is a combination of different things, but they're all relevent to the theme of the album.