OBJECTIVE:
What is old is new again, and vinyl records are experiencing a global resurgence. The commercial and independent recording industries are releasing vinyl albums, and a majority of new and established musicians, bands, and performance groups from all varieties of style are producing vinyl releases or rereleases. Audiophiles, persons enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction - Wikipedia, believe the sound quality of vinyl records is superior to recordings produced for CD or MP3, and as a result of the resurrection of vinyl pressing. Sales of CDs and digital music downloads are in significant decline, while vinyl record sales are experiencing a resurgence. The "artwork" for every type of packaged music is expected to persuade consumers of the desirability of the music recorded and to purchase it. Album artwork is its own culture, and all covers are not only designed to be visually appealing, but they also have a story behind them. Album covers are a visual representation of the music and can give an album an overall theme, influence someone's purchase decision, or send subliminal messaging.
DESIGN BRIEF:
The visual design for Linkin Park’s 2003 album, Meteora, is instantly recognizable, serving as an iconic emblem for the band's nu-metal and alternative rock era. Its visual fame stems directly from its authentic incorporation of street art and graffiti aesthetics, which perfectly mirrors the album’s themes of internal conflict and raw urban angst.
The artwork’s foundation is a distinctive trippy, blurred background of deep purples, blues, and greens with a distressed pattern overlayed. This psychedelic, chaotic color wash represents the mental confusion and turmoil explored in the album’s lyrics. The silhouetted artist holding a spray can is the definitive piece of imagery, grounding the chaos in a visceral, urban form of expression.
This particular imagery is now famously tied to the Meteora Album. It signaled a visual shift for the band to a more organic, textured, and street-centric style. The duality of the chaotic background and the fixed stencil cemented the album's place as a major visual statement of the 2000s rock scene.