The "Controversial Cover Art" thread

[Doogz]

So where does this outrage fit in with the long string of crime scene photos used for metal album covers?

Simple. I never saw a real dead kid on an album cover before. It struck a nerve because I have kids myself.

However, what has made it linger with me is the bands pretentious attempts at rationalising it... if they simply held their hands up and stated "yeah, we're just going for shock value", I'd have probably just shook my head and moved on.

I have never seen anyone even slightly propose the cover of Dawn of the Black Hearts is... anything, really. People don't fucking talk about it.

Probably because there's was never any pretention about it. From when Euronymous took that picture, is was always a "huh-huh, this looks cool and fits our image" Beavis and Butthead mentallity. Mayhem never pretended it was anything else (well, using "Beavis and Butthead" is dumbing down a little, but the ideology remains).