The Artists Behind Metal’s Most Iconic Horror Album Covers

Metal album covers are more than just artwork—they’re windows into dark worlds, nightmares turned visual. Some artists have mastered the craft of making metal look as terrifying as it sounds, bringing horror, gore, and the macabre to life in stunning detail. Let’s dive into the twisted minds behind some of the most iconic horror-inspired metal album covers.

1. Ed Repka – The Master of Thrash Horror

Notable Works:

• Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (1986)
• Death – Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
• Municipal Waste – The Art of Partying (2007)

Ed Repka’s signature style is instantly recognizable—bold colors, grotesque figures, and a comic book-meets-horror aesthetic. His cover for Scream Bloody Gore perfectly captures early death metal’s obsession with splatter films, while Peace Sells… gave Megadeth’s Vic Rattlehead a menacing, apocalyptic presence. If thrash had a horror movie poster, Repka would be the guy designing it.

2. Dan Seagrave – Architect of Death Metal Nightmares

Notable Works:

• Entombed – Left Hand Path (1990)
• Morbid Angel – Altars of Madness (1989)
• Gorguts – Considered Dead (1991)

Dan Seagrave’s album covers feel like stepping into a haunted realm—labyrinthine landscapes, decayed corpses, and an overwhelming sense of doom. His work for Left Hand Path is legendary, featuring a dark, eerie graveyard scene with a glowing, otherworldly archway. If you love Lovecraftian horror mixed with death metal, Seagrave is your guy.

3. Vincent Locke – The Butcher of Death Metal

Notable Works:

• Cannibal Corpse – Butchered at Birth (1991)
• Cannibal Corpse – Tomb of the Mutilated (1992)
• Cannibal Corpse – The Wretched Spawn (2004)

When it comes to sheer brutality, no one tops Vincent Locke. His grotesque, hyper-violent artwork for Cannibal Corpse was so extreme it got albums banned in multiple countries. Inspired by grindhouse horror and body horror films, Locke’s work is the visual equivalent of a splatter film—disturbing, gory, and unforgettable.

4. Derek Riggs – The Man Behind Eddie

Notable Works:

• Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (1982)
• Iron Maiden – Powerslave (1984)
• Iron Maiden – Killers (1981)

Iron Maiden’s Eddie is one of the most recognizable mascots in metal, and we have Derek Riggs to thank. His artwork took Maiden’s music to another level, making each album feel like an epic horror adventure. Whether Eddie was a slasher killer (Killers), a devilish puppet master (Number of the Beast), or an undead pharaoh (Powerslave), Riggs made sure he was always terrifying.

5. Kristian Wåhlin (Necrolord) – The Painter of Darkness

Notable Works:

• Dissection – Storm of the Light’s Bane (1995)
• Emperor – In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)
• At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul (1995)

Kristian Wåhlin, also known as Necrolord, blends fantasy horror with metal in a way that’s both haunting and beautiful. His artwork is drenched in icy blues and deep shadows, giving albums like In the Nightside Eclipse an ethereal, nightmare-fantasy quality. If gothic horror and black metal had a shared painter, it would be Necrolord.

Honorable Mentions

• H.R. Giger (Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion) – The biomechanical horror genius behind Alien brought his surreal, unsettling vision to metal.
• Pushead (Metallica – St. Anger, Zorlac Skateboards) – His decayed, horror-punk style made Metallica’s merch as iconic as their music.
• Mark Riddick (Underground Death Metal Covers) – A modern-day master of black-and-white, grotesque, horror-metal art.

The Lasting Impact of Horror Art in Metal

These artists didn’t just create album covers—they built entire worlds for metal fans to get lost in. Their art defined the aesthetics of thrash, death, and black metal, making the music feel even darker, more intense, and unforgettable.

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