A subjective list of my current favorites. No H.R. Giger album covers appear here because they'd just be the top ten if they did, so they're in no ranked order over here.
10- Black Sunday by Cypress Hill
I dunno what to say this is just fuckin' awesome.
9- Creeping Death by Metallica
Why did they not call the album this and use this art? Was it too amazing and epic? Instead we a got a chair.
8- Power of Lard by Lard
When Jello Biafra asked permission to use a photo of my penis on his latest album, how could I say no? Anyhow, this picture is a lamprey.
7- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden
I think I literally painted something like this not knowing what must have inspired it, then saw the album and realized I must have seen it somewhere and it tainted my brain toward this kind of art.
6- The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
This is the imagery I always associated with Nine Inch Nails, way over their later digital stuff. Beauty in rot and decay.
5- Gateways of Annihilation by Morbid Angel
See caption for #10
4- Melissa by Mercyful Fate
See caption for #5.
3- The King of Limbs by Radiohead
Sadly, their best artwork is on their worst album.
2- In Utero by Nirvana
The visible angel concept is amazing and had my mind racing in a hundred directions. The best Hipgnosis art not made by Hipgnosis.
1- Mob Rules by Black Sabbath
“Dream 1: Crucifiers” by Greg Hildebrandt with a bit of graffiti. Absolutely amazing. Mystery and horror and beauty. Great album too.
As for honorable mentions, well:
Taake's self titled album
Safety Second, Body Last and New Erections by The Locust
Stormblåst and Spiritual Black Dimensions by Dimmu Borgir
Through Times of War by Keep of Kalessin
The Age of Nero by Satyricon
Mechanical Animals by Marilyn Manson
Orgasmatron by Motörhead
Black Seeds of Vengeance by Nile
Rosenrot by Rammstein
Lateralus and Undertow by Tool
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem
The Last Supper by Belphegor
Butchered at Birth and Worm Infested by Cannibal Corpse
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by Black Sabbath
Blasphemy Made Flesh by Cryptopsy
Total Death (greyscale mountains version) by Darkthrone
Forever Underground by Vital Remains (though the sculpture by Paul Komoda was used without credit)
Follow the Leader by Korn
Come Heavy Sleep by Die Verbannten Kinder Evas
What are your top 5 favourite platonic relationships in fiction?
Hi friend!!! Thank you for this ask! I'm so excited for this!!!!!! I had to do some errands earlier so I couldn't answer until now, and then when I had time I got so excited I just had to make myself a cup of tea first! So I shall sip my tea as I answer. Prepare for a Ramble. LOL. As usual, I will be listing this from Fifth to First, with my Top Favourite being last. Also, this list is gonna be HIGHLY subjective. :D Warning for potential spoilers ahead!
5th: Bokuto and Hinata, from Haikyuu!! What I like about this relationship is their dynamic. Hinata is enthusiastic and easily excited and Very Energetic. He's like a mini-Bokuto. And Bokuto loves that. Hinata looks up to him and even decides to become his 'disciple'. I love that Hinata continuously cheers for his senpai, and that Bokuto immediately is like "hell yeah! That's my disciple!!" It's very endearing. It's a very wholesome relationship. The reason it is lower on my list is that while I really love it, I also really really really enjoy the (non-canon) potential darker side of this platonic relationship...I have so far written and posted one fanfic where Bokuto kidnaps Shouyou in a bit of a platonic yandere way, and I really really can't let go of that idea to be honest. It's like an itch in my brain. So, if I get back to feeling like writing and posting more for Haikyuu, I may post more Bokuto tormenting Shouyou. :D
4th: Milly and Meryl from Trigun (1998). I absolutely love these two ladies. They kick ass, support each other, and bring me so much joy. Meryl and Milly work for an insurance company, chasing after Vash the Stampede because of the immense damages he caused in a past fight. They are both strong women, in different ways, and they work so well together. Meryl is the one in charge, but she's very high-strung and sometimes loses sight of things outside of work. Milly comes across as airheaded, and she is physically very strong (her gun is 98kg). She's kind and positive and makes a lot of jokes. Where Meryl gives the orders and keeps them on the right track, Milly is the one who reminds Meryl to stop and smell the flowers once in a while. They're amazing girls and they work very hard. I just really love how they encourage each other, listen to each other, and work together so well.
3rd: In third place is Rin Okumura and Izumo Kamiki, from Blue Exorcist. I actually am fond of most platonic relationships involving Izumo because she is such a tsundere and it's really fun and cute to watch her go through trying to act all prickly when she has become actually fond of her fellow exwires. I chose her and Rin, though, because I think this was one of the bigger turning points for Rin. (Spoilers for Kyoto Arc ahead! If you're caught up on the anime, then no worries!)
On the way to Kyoto, Izumo is the only one who approaches and sits next to Rin. And when he asks if she was afraid, as they now know he is the son of Satan, she responds that shouldn't matter. Sure, he's related to a demon, but Izumo points out that lots of Exorcists are. He just happens to be related to Satan. It's the way she is the first one to treat him as a normal classmate after the reveal...the way she also calls out their other classmates for being cowardly when they found out...it screams Friendship. She may pretend she's aloof most of the time, but she really does care, and this is one of my absolute favourite interactions that shows it. In return, Rin is a very caring and eager person. He definitely appreciates Izumo's actions, and it really shows in parts of the manga (of which I will not speak more since I don't want to spoil things for you!).
2nd: Swindler and Courier from Akudama Drive take the second spot! I think their relationship is really interesting. In my opinion, Courier has a bit of an older brother vibe, which immediately makes me very happy. In the show, I think the scene that cemented their relationship in my eyes was the part where they're trapped in the same scenario replaying over and over in their heads. They're trapped in the same scenario: back at the Takoyaki stand. To me, that emphasizes how much they really impacted each other. I also think by the end of the show they have a lot of trust and loyalty to each other. Swindler and Courier had to know. They Had to know that they weren't making it out alive if they tried to save Brother and Sister. There was no storyline where they would get out of that situation safe and sound. But they still did it, and they did it together. That loyalty and devotion doesn't just happen between everyone. I truly believe they had a special connection and friendship by the end, even if they didn't get to enjoy it for long.
1st: My top favourite is: Natsume and Nyanko-sensei from Natsume Yuujinchou (Natsume's Book of Friends). I just really adore the friendship between these two. Nyanko-sensei, aka Madara, comes across at first as a prickly tsundere with a very proud attitude. He's also a yokai. Natsume is a lonely orphan human who is able to see Yokai. At the start, their relationship is built on a mutually beneficial agreement: Natsume has a Book of Friends from his deceased grandmother which holds the names of yokai she defeated in fights. With their names, he can control them. Madara wants to get his paws on that book. The book makes Natsume a target for yokai who want their names back, or who want to control other yokai, as well as humans who would use the book to control all the yokai in it. Basically, they start as Madara agreeing to be Natsume's body-guard and in exchange Natsume will leave the book to Madara when he passes. But, as Natsume spends more and more time around Madara, they both grow attached. This is how we get lovely lines like "Don't eat my prey" from Madara when rescuing Natsume from other yokai, or situations where Madara is wailing like a child as Natsume returns names from the book to yokai, but actually doing nothing to stop Natsume. I adore them so much, because as Madara softens up, Natsume also opens up and learns how to make and have friends and family. They grow together. It's a really beautiful relationship.
There you have it! My current Top Five Favourite platonic relationships in media! (this is subject to change, of course, as I continue to consume new media, lol). Hope you enjoyed these answers, friend! I had fun writing this for you :D
Tell us about your top five favourite video games! ❤️
Oh thank you so much for this ask, friend! I'm super excited to answer :D I will list them from fifth to first!
5th: This spot goes to Mario Party 8! I have a lot of fond memories of this game. Where I grew up, it was a very popular one for families to have for the Wii, and it was something we could play in large groups. It's silly and funny and there's not a lot you have to do to understand what's going on. The reason this isn't higher on my list is just simply because, in my opinion, it's only really fun when you play with others. Playing alone or just vs the computer is not really fun at all.
4th: Sims 4 is in fourth place. I really enjoy this game because it's pretty versatile in terms of how you can play it. You can use it simply to build homes (which is mostly what I'm doing right now; building and decorating is so much fun!), play out storylines that come with the base game and/or expansion packs (apparently there's quite a bit of actual lore, which is something I only learned a few months ago!) or even make your own crazy story-lines (currently: I have a family of vampires with one human member who desperately wants to be turned, an Elder vampire who just wants to raise a good vampire family, a young adult vampire who thrives being a vampire and is trying to seduce Vladislaus Straud, and a third young adult vampire who is desperate to be as human as possible and loves all things about humanity...and then I have another "family" where one woman was jealous of another's beauty so she tricked her into staying in a tower and I'm currently playing through as her, only able to befriend the people her captor invites over, and trying to convince one of them to "join" the family so she can get them to free her and run away with her and start a new family in a cozy magic cottage somewhere...). Possibilities are really endless, and that's what I love about it. But, the game is rough on my PC, and it sometimes lags or has issues where it doesn't load properly, or something doesn't register right, so sometimes I have to exit out and restart or try again a different day. It also can't seem to decide if it wants me to use keyboard controls or mouse controls. Some days right clicking rotates objects. Some days right clicking moves my screen. It is a Frustration.
3rd: Third place goes to Danganronpa! I really enjoy this series. As of now, I have played the first two games and part of Ultra Despair Girls. The mysteries are very fun, the storyline is interesting, and I think all the character designs are so unique and dynamic! I have a few favourite characters who won my heart fairly instantly, and I really love replaying chapters where they are more present in the story-line. I love all the art fandom has made for it, and I love the fanfics too! Free time events give more information and insight about the characters and the storyline even after the gameplay is finished, and that makes me really happy. After all, I am a sucker for character development and backstory.
2nd: Skyrim is in second place!! I used to play this game a bit more faithfully when I lived with my parents and had access to my brother's xbox. And a tv. I do not currently have a tv, as you know, friend, and I do all my gaming at the current time on my laptop and/or my phone. Anyway; Skyrim. It makes me really really happy. I love the fact that I can become a Vampire Lord, or a Werewolf, I can be the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, I can learn to be a bard, I can join the Theives' Guild, I can join the Dark Brotherhood, I choose which side I'm on in a civil war, I can adopt children, and have many houses...and those are all Side Quests (except the civil war, which can be done as a side quest or as part of the main story depending on how you play, if I recall correctly). Like, those aren't even the main quest. I never finished the main quest because I was too busy off doing side quests for rewards so I could buy pretty clothes and fun toys for my two children and then I would spend time with them and play tag and hide and seek like a good dad (I played as a male Dunmer). I genuinely miss this game, and trust me it will be the first one I purchase when I have a TV and Xbox of my own.
1st: First place goes to....Twisted Wonderland! Right now, that is the game I play the most, and it is the one I'm most focused on. I love the story and the characters. There's an interesting plot going on, and I am eager to know what happens next. The events and side stories are very entertaining (though I haven't been able to play as many events as I would've liked because I had a rough past year) and provide a deeper look at a lot of characters! I love Character Development!!!!!!! And I enjoy how different characters end up interacting with each other in the events, it fleshes out the world a bit and keeps the houses/dorms from feeling too divided or closed off. Like, it helps provide that sense of over-arching storytelling, rather than allowing each dorm's story to feel disjointed and not connected to the others. I really enjoy that. On top of all of that, there are fun rhythm games and minigames, battles you can fight daily, and other little cool features that I really enjoy and that allow me to "play" the game daily without feeling like I have to devote a whole bunch of time to it if I have a busier day ahead of me. I also really love the official art; it's all so pretty and wonderful. They really did a great job with the character art and the art for the different cards.
Thanks again for the ask, friend! It was fun to answer!
Ultra-subjective and only from albums I know and enjoy hearing at least one song from. It's hard to loathe an album I never have to look at, or of course, don't know of.
10- The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails
I'm not a fan of most of their artwork, save for the albums and singles with art by Russell Mills (Downward Spiral, Etc). Fragile is just sort of a horrible color scheme (to my deuteranopic eyes) that offers nothing good or interesting to me in its image.
9- Hours by David Bowie
This is my favorite of his albums, but the light blue and weird orange muck barcode stuff and fonts make its icon a disaster. If it were just two Bowies in a hall it would at least be average.
8- Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails
To be clear, these are near the bottom of the list as they're not really horrible, just sort of ugh or eh. Year Zero seems to be part of the extended game linked to the music, but like. Photo from a car with a blob? That's the album cover? The thermochrome paint on the actual CD however was amazing.
7- Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Presumably a "War Pig" from the album's original title and best known song, the triple image is... Costume design is...... The color scheme is.............. Just not a neat image to me.
6-The Golden Age Of Grotesque by Marilyn Manson
Gottfried Helnwein can do some cool stuff. This is not it. After several classic album covers from Manson, this is an absolute low point. The Mickey Mouse Nazi stuff inside didn't do much for me either.
5- Pablo Honey by Radiohead
Not their worst album cover by any means but it sure doesn't make me want to listen to it, or eat candy ever again. Not as disgusting an image as their other appearance on this list.
4- Theli by Therion
This is one of the best symphonic metal albums of all time, with several of the best songs of all time, to me, across all genres. I have a signed copy of it on 45 vinyl. I love this album. Sadly the pixelation on this is also on the real thing and not a jpeg problem. The low res texture on the blurry body, the dog face Set concept of mythology turned into whatever this is, the colors. This is a hideous friggin album cover. But the album is one of the best ever. In some ways, that makes it all the more frustrating than the top three.
3- The Bends by Radiohead
Why. Just why. It's one of the best albums of all time, why is this its cover? Why? How could anyone have thought it was a good idea?
2- Tubthumper by Chumbawamba
At least this one is trying to be hideous. I think. It is a symphony of awful. I am not too fond of babies and this album captures why, though, preventing it from making the top spot. That and it's still not as horrible for me to behold as:
1- Mask by Bauhaus
This is the only album I have ever actually avoided because of its artwork. Maybe it's the drawing style, maybe it's the face, much of it is definitely the panda bear looking thing. Apologies to the artist but this is my absolute most hated album artwork of all time.
