Murderfolk

Violence, Decay, and Social Grime

Album Cover
Front
(fig. 1)

Project Description

This design research explores the development of the album cover art for Murderfolk, a metal noise album by the musician Veive. Known for its raw, confrontational soundscape, Veive’s music captures a visceral quality that embodies themes of violence, decay, and societal grime. The design goal was to visually encapsulate the filth and intensity in a cover that communicates the grotesque.

Research and Visual Concept

The research phase began with an immersion into the sonic textures of Veive’s music, which juxtaposes distorted industrial noise with guttural, violent undertones. To translate these elements visually, I explored imagery connected to decay, rot, and urban desolation. Influences from the unfiltered imagery of decay, which served as a metaphor for the harsh and relentless quality of the musician's sound. This informed the development of a visual language that mirrored the unpolished, gritty, and disquieting feel of Murderfolk.

Album Cover
Back
(fig. 2)

Illustrations

To underscore the album’s confrontational tone, the color palette is anchored in a tense, almost sarcastic contrast between black and baby pink. Illustrative details highlight both tension and violence, from flying teeth to spitting blood. The back cover illustration is especially provocative, featuring a figure flipping the middle finger—despite an amputated finger tip, creating a strikingly ironic, defiant image that mirrors an unsettling, confrontational tone.

Typography

The typography embraces a gothic style that feels darkly ceremonial yet raw, resonating with the album’s themes of decay and rebellion. Heavy blackletter fonts are scratched and distressed to further emphasize the album’s rough-edged, unapologetic sound. The title works in tandem with Veive's signature, wearing a haunting vibe.

Hand-drawn Sketch
‍Baper
(fig. 3)