CD Cover Assigment

What I wanted to accomplish with this Against Me! CD cover was to create a cover to a live album that would stand out if I were to come across it in a record store. Many album covers these days are very complex with lots of Fireworks and Photoshop work done on them. Sometimes, the simplest album cover can leave the biggest impact. The cover for Against Me!’s latest album, New Wave (image provided on this disc), was very simple, however it had a huge impact on the music scene. The cover features an outline of a panther growling on top of a black background, leaving an impression of epic proportions. This image sums up the album in one image. After all, what could be stronger than a panther growling in your face? I drew inspiration from this album cover, as I decided to make their live album go with the theme of
“a little can be a lot”.
The main image is a picture I took of lead singer Tom Gabel in his signature “rock star” pose. Originally, the background was filled with colour, like Mr. Gabel is in the picture. However, I realized it would be more effective if the background was black and white, as it would make Tom appear larger and more important. I then blurred Tom’s head and strumming arm to emphasize the singer playing his music as hard as he can.
Next to Tom’s head is the band’s name in bold “punk” letters with a yellow glow. The purpose of the yellow was to keep the New Wave theme apparent in their live album, as black and yellow are the main colours featured in the album art. Since Against Me! is a punk band, the idea of this type of font in big letters reflects the intensity of their music. At the bottom, in a basic yet futuristic font, the words “Live In Toronto” lay faintly across the bottom. The reason for this is that the listener should realize this is a live album before ever listening to it due to the live image of Mr. Gabel.
Essentially, I wanted to design a simple and effective cover that I would be proud to see if it were laying in my record collection. I am very happy with the way the CD cover turned out and am proud of the way I turned an ordinary image into something more interesting. This cover would appeal to Against Me!’s demographic, which is usually males and females between the ages of 16 and 24. It captures the intensity of an Against Me! show, as the band’s name on the cover is rather “in your face”. Anyone who’s experiences Against Me! in a live setting will not hesitate to describe the experience. I feel I have captured the essense of an Against Me! show in this one image, just like their New Wave album cover inspired me to do.