Informal Reader Poll: What Album Cover Is The Biggest Lie?

A few years back, I was interviewing Brandon Geist, then-Editor in Chief of Revolver. We were talking about the CD Music Clubs from back in the day, like BMG and Columbia House (for our younger readers, you used to get these inserts in metal magazines where you could check off ten CDs listed thereon, send it in, and get those CDs for a flat price, like Spotify on a Liliputian scale). We discussed how he often used to buy albums based on their cover alone, and sometimes discovered that the album art was better than the music. The example he used was Molly Hatchet’s self-titled debut, which has Frank Frazetta’ Death Dealer on its cover, but is actually just another half-baked classic rock record.

I’ve definitely had this problem before. I’m a huge sucker for album art, and I’ll absolutely listen to a band’s latest release if I see its cover and think, Fuck yes (I mention this at great length in my review of the last Lightning Swords Of Death joint). This has screwed me in the past, as many mediocre bands have been lucky enough to snag an awesome album cover. Similarly, I’ve repeatedly had to go back and listen to albums with crappy covers because a friend has recommended them, only to discover that they rule despite the art they are promoted with.

So you tell us: which album cover do you consider the biggest lie? Which record has the most amazing cover and the worst music? Or vice verse — which terrible-looking album is in fact a winner, though its cover sucks?

Let us know in the Comments section.