The document provides analysis of three CD covers from different metal bands: 1) The first cover features a dark image of a prisoner with words like "love" and "fear" carved in the ground, and a bright spirit reaching towards light, representing the album's theme of bringing light. 2) The second cover depicts a dark holographic universe with circular blue and white shapes, representing the album's title of "Holographic Universe". 3) The third cover shows an imaginative dark theme park with a rollercoaster track, alluding to one of the album's songs and drawing the viewer in to explore the connection between cover and music.

1. CD Design Project - Research
Shannon Janes

3. Damnation Angels – Bringer of Light.
The text used for this album’s name is almost like handwriting. It is small and it makes whoever
is looking at it, have to look again to see the name. The writing is elegant which is a contrast to
how the band’s name is written on there. The band’s name has sharp edges and corners, being
completely in capital letters. Both sets of text are white in colour, contrasting with the cover
which is mostly dark.
The image used on this CD cover is a photograph of a prisoner. There are words carved into the
ground in front of him such as “love”, “fear” and “vengeance”. These words are the sorts of
things that would be likely to run through the mind of a prisoner at some point. Above the
kneeling prisoner seems to be some sort of spirit reaching towards the light which fits with the
album’s name “Bringer of Light” because the spirit’s hands are reaching towards the light as if
summoning it. The spirit is also the brightest thing in the image. The image is rather dark in
terms of colours with only the words, spirit and ray of light being bright. The rest of the picture
is dark, possible to symbolise the dullness of being a prisoner.
The genre of this music is symphonic power metal and the cover fits well with this as it is dark.
The words inscribed on the floor in the picture are also very much like the genre and are used in
some of the songs on this album.

5. Scar Symmetry – Holographic Universe.
The text used on the name of this album is small and rather hard to see, however, it is just
underneath the name of the band which stands out against the dark background. The text for
the album’s name is in capitals and there isn’t any sharp edges.
The image used on this CD cover looks like a holographic universe which fits with the name of
the album. It is clearly something that has been drawn with a computer. Most of the picture is
dark which makes the blue and white circular shapes stand out very clearly. The colours used are
a mixture of blues along with white and black. The way that the colours and patterns and shapes
are used suggest that the whole image seems to be a hologram which fits with the title of the
album.
The genre of this music is melodic death metal and the cover goes well with this style of music
as it is dark and mysterious.

7. Nightwish – Imaginaerum.
The text used for the band’s name seems like handwriting, as if it has been written in silver pen.
It is elegant and flowing which emphasises that their main singer is female. The text used for the
name of the album is in capitals and looks like an entrance sign.
The image used on this CD cover is of a theme park. However it is clearly not a real one, seeming
to be something out of a story book. There is a track going through an archway, and under the
album title, the fact that the track carries on past the bottom of the cover makes it seem as if
whoever is looking at the album is on a rollercoaster. The cover is dark with a few bright patches
from the lights on the image. The darkness makes the band’s name stand out against the
background. The theme park image sets the scene for the album in which one of the songs is
entitled “Last Ride of the Day”.
The genre of this music is symphonic metal. The cover fits well with this type of music because
there is some kind of dark allure, the person looking at this will be drawn in to see if the music
has anything to do with the theme park as the cover suggests it does.