
Although James did not sacrifice any detail on the head of this undead Heavy Metal rocker. A lot of our past album covers have had busier backgrounds, so we narrowed down the focal point for this one. Ryan says the group "wanted the entire piece to feature one bold, iconic image that would be unmistakable from a distance.

In reality, the guitar is actually pointy enough to puncture someone." I sent the artist detailed reference shots of the guitar which was built by Rob Gray at RIP Custom Guitars. The band suggested we use my signature custom guitar, the MW-AX, which is similar to a flying V, but in the shape of the M in our logo. I had the initial idea of a guitar stabbing through someone’s head and the electric currents charging into their skull, lighting up their brain and eye sockets. "Even though it was our first time working together, we clicked immediately, bonding over classic Heavy Metal album covers and horror films.

See more of Don Yatomi's work at Discover more stories about Metal album covers in the " And Justice For Art " books, available at “It was a pleasure collaborating with James Bousema," reveals guitarist, Ryan Waste, to And Justice For Art. I think we did a good job finalizing the image." 'The Crystal Witch' image initially felt cliché and an easy visual, but when we started collaborating and exchanging ideas, that’s when the art grew and became something deeper and more complicated. What helps me be motivated is their music and their stories, I love the mascots and the ideas behind them. The lighters at the bottom were 100% Don’s idea and it’s our favorite part of the entire piece."ĭon Yatomi adds: “When Jym called me about a new art cover, of course, I jumped at the chance to do more art for Emissary! I love them. The figure of smoke inside the crystal ball (which is a meth pipe) represents not only an 8-ball, but also infinity, so there’s kind of a lot to unpack there. "Don Yatomi turned our mascot (Rodney Dangerface aka Rod) into a mad scientist/warlock with stars and stripes on his hat to mimic the Uncle Sam character from the first album. It’s really all about the sorcery of addiction," vocalist Jym Harris comments.
