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Editorials

ALBUM ART FOR MEGADETH’S ENDGAME IS A HEAD-SCRATCHER

 Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 10:30am by

I’ve of two minds with regards to the just-released album art for Megadeth’s Endgame. On the one hand, it looks pretty cool. I on the other hand, I have no idea what the fuck I’m looking at. It appears to be a bunch of dudes… with mohawks… in prison jumpsuits… walking amongst rows of books… surrounded by flowers… in outer space. If you told me that Dave Mustaine was about to ask us all to drink some very special Kool Aid, I’d believe you.

No matter. Endgame is a very good album, and I’m all for anything that isn’t the cover to United Abominations. Yech!

Endgame

Endgame comes out September 15 on Roadrunner.

-AR

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  • metalguy

    the people look pretty shitty too, graphically
    maybe it means that all of everyon-trying-to-look-like-each-other is like a prison, and outside of that prison we can read and be gay?

    • Edika

      First of all these aren’t books they are big blocks/bricks of the wall of the prison/corridor. Second if you are equating reading wih gayness then you are the gayest of gays hahaha!

      • adam

        there not bricks they are FEMA coffins meant for three to four people after the NWO is established watch alex jones endgame

  • groverXIII

    “Endgame is a very good album”

    So wait, you’ve heard it? I’m jealous. Hopefully this means there will be a leak soon.

    And yeah, it’s much better than the cover to United Abominations. That’s what you get for asking the denizens of DevianArt to create your album cover, I guess.

    • groverXIII

      Alos, those appears to be flies around the outside, not flowers.

      • http://www.metalsucks.net Axl Rosenberg

        Good call dude. My bad.

        • timmah

          still doesn’t shed any light on this mystery…

          • Jus-Ten

            the black “walls” are stacks of FEMA coffins…the prisoners also appear to have the FEMA logo on their prison uniforms…
            …guess they’re getting hauled off to the “detention camps”.
            oh yeah, and not flies “locusts”

        • Bizarrodrake

          I think those are bar codes on their heads but then they could be really short mohawks.

  • poopsmcgee

    yea, those are flies. and i dont think that those are books either. not really sure what they are, but definitely not books.

    • Peter

      They look like coffins to me.

    • Deaner

      They kind of look like a VHS archive of somekind – government possibly?

      • adam

        they are coffins .. FEMA coffins… research fema camps

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Campagna/40702766 Tom Campagna

    pretty sweet. but where’s vic rattlehead?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Gavin/1396340262 Mark Gavin

      Dude, I can’t believe I didn’t notice Rattlehead wasn’t on there. This album art just got 100% less cool.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sara-Petrocelli/519197405 Sara Petrocelli

        No shit! Bring back Vic! RATTLE YOUR GODDAMN HEAD!

        • Erek

          I imagine Vic will be on the back or the inner-sleeve. Kind of like how they did Countdown To Extinction.

          Just a guess.

    • adam

      vic rattlehead is in the album booklet

  • JRTME

    Questionable. That is a really bad album cover/photoshop design or whatever you want to call it.

    http://www.cyrusghahremani.com/misc/endgamexmas.jpg This is better

    • http://myspace.com/whitearmsofathena Josh

      hahahahahahah respect

    • Shiggy Shack

      dude, hilarious

      • Fufkin

        Nice work!

    • Nickmeister

      Hilarious.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Gunderson/558802108 Josh Gunderson

      That’s awesome! I’ll wait for that Limited Edition Xmas version; the bonus disc has Megadeth renditions of your favorite holiday songs. :D

    • Gossamer Axe

      Fantastic job, mind if I print it, frame it and hang it up for christmas? It would so go with my xmas decor! :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Logan-Holloway/1100588308 Logan Holloway

    not to mention the bugs framing the whole thing

    • adam

      thr LOCUSTS

  • Shiggy Shack

    Being a graphic designer, I can tell you that “lens flare” equals “retarded”. Its also used for every lame “middle aged hard rock” bands logo. And while Megadeth may be middle aged, they are still the kings of metal. Not enough effort on this one. Eh oh well

    • groverXIII

      Holy shit, how did I miss the lens flare? My opinion of this album cover just went down… but it’s still better than United Abominations.

  • Pat

    Whaddya expect for an album by a reborn Christian? Good guitarist, terrible person.

    • Biff Tannen

      Good point. Although being a pompous asshole and being a Christian go hand in hand.
      “I am in possession of a Magic Book that tells all the secrets of the world, and holds the answers to lifes biggest question. But if you don’t believe its magic, due to lack of objective evidence, you will burn for all eternity”

      • groverXIII

        “Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time!

        But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money!”

        /R.I.P., George.

        • Biff Tannen

          Hey, He created the universe, but he just can’t balance a check book!

          Well, hopefully Joe Pesci had something nice in store for George when he died!

          • Shiggy Shack

            Contrary to popular belief, Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship. Religion is based on what you do, and Christianity is based on the the acceptance of a free gift. I guess we’ll all find out when we die

  • tom

    Looks like a screenshot from on old video game intro movie

  • bbbbllllllaaaaaahhhhhh

    looks like a shitty CGI album cover from mid nineties

  • tom

    smells like bigfoot’s dick

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mathew-James-Saunders/1153389571 Mathew James Saunders

      hahaha, did you have a camping trip last weekend that went all too well?

    • Jenna

      Smells like a diaper filled with Indian food.

  • http://www.myspace.com/northwestroyale Blake

    The “books” on the sides are actually coffins I’ve seen in conspiracy theory videos regarding Endgame. If you believe what they say, those are the coffins American citizens are supposed to be placed in after they’ve died in concentration camps. The vids I saw were on YouTube.

    (Disclaimer: I have no idea how legit that theory is, if at all.)

    • tim

      Eh, even if it’s totally false, it still sounds pretty cool.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Logan-Holloway/1100588308 Logan Holloway

    looking at it again i cant help but think of christmas

  • http://www.crescentshield.com Dan

    The flies are probably some biblical plagues bullshit.

  • crank

    Damn internet, I see Goatse everywhere I go now.

    • groverXIII

      You fucker… you’ve ruined it for me!

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Gunderson/558802108 Josh Gunderson

        Goddammit! You’re right!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-He/749730660 Richard He

    It’s clearly convicts walking down the trench of the Death Star.

    • groverXIII

      “Lock s-foils in attack position!”

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Gavin/1396340262 Mark Gavin

    The more I look at it the more it looks like an addition to the “Album Artwork That Looks Like PC Game Cover Art From The Early 90′s” list. Also see: Helloween’s “Gambling With The Devil”, Iron Maiden’s “Dance of Death”, and Dragonforce’s “Ultra Beatdown”.

    • tom

      yeh thats what i was getting at, the old microsoft games intro video

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-J-Harrison/1095943638 David J Harrison

    Aww….it’s humans in the end of the world walking to judgement. Those are books on the side of them that show thier deeds. Are thier names written in the book of life? Not that God would need anything written down now would he? Hes God…..

  • Nancy Botwin

    It looks like a Christmas album. lol

  • Dying Season

    It looks boring. Suiting, since it’s the cover of a Megaboring album.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mathew-James-Saunders/1153389571 Mathew James Saunders

      Wow, so for 20+ years theyve just been making boring music for the hundreds of thousands of fans theyve accomplished to create?? Damn, thats ironic….

    • Dying Seahorse

      “Megaboring”? That’s the best you can do? That’s pathetic. Come on. How about “Megadull?” “Megadirth”? “Dave Mundane”? You’re boring. Megadave is a better person than you.

      • Biff Tannen

        I love (old) Megadeth, but Dave Mundane is GREAT. I pronounce it the most whimsical gag of the summer! Consider it stolen.

  • Dying Seahorse

    “ENDGAME” is a documentary by American film maker and fringe talk show host Alex Jones. Jones is a right-wing Christian constitutionalist who maintains that America has been taken over by foreign powers: powers widely known as the Illuminati or the Global Conspiracy, constituted of secretive organisations such as the Freemasons, Bohemian Grove and the Bilderbergers. You can find out more by watching any of Alex Jones’ documentaries, available free online or from his site, http://www.infowars.com / http://www.prisonplanet.com

    I got into this guy a few years back, and so did Dave Mustaine as it turns out. Jones is a fan and he had Mustaine on his radio show via phone, discussing the politics behind songs like United Abominations. Mustaine is very much a believer in the fringe constitutionalism Jones stands for, and so it’s my belief, based on what I’ve heard of the album Endgame, that Mustaine has named it after the documentary. The cover art depicts the Illuminati’s dark vision of the future, where all humanity is enslaved in service to their masters: note how the path forms a pyramid filled with people, capped by the letter “G”, glowing. The pyramid is symbolic of the totalitarian power structure, the “G” is symbolic of Freemasonry, and the light behind it is Lucifer (His name meaning “light-bringer”). Do a Google Image Search for “Freemason imagery” to learn more.

    Dunno what’s up with the flies though.

    • Glenn

      Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.

    • Biff Tannen

      In an interview I read with Mustaine, he didn’t mention Jones’ film “Endgame”, but he said the album was inspired by his reading of the actual “Endgame” document signed by George W. Bush. Look it up, its good reading.
      Also, Jones is not “right wing”. He is neither far left, nor far right. He takes stands on each issue objectively, not based along any party lines or ideology (which is the way any thinking person should base their political beliefs). He is strongly anti-socialist, but equally anti-imperialist…..

  • Spaceman_Jones

    For some reason it reminds me of slave new world.

  • http://fuckinsuckit Ken M

    actually if you look really closely vic is on the back of each of prison uniforms.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Gavin/1396340262 Mark Gavin

      I know Vic has had several reincarnations, but I will never get used to the new one. :(

  • Brian

    I agree with most of you that this cover is definitely better than UA. Vic isn’t on the front of this album, but that dosen’t mean he isn’t on the back. Think back to Countdown and Youthanasia in which he wasn’t on the front, but he was on the back. Until i see the back of the album i’m not going to jump to conclusions that Vic isn’t on it, nor should any of you.

  • pro_crip

    kick the christ habit and start snorting coke again dave. please

  • Joseph K.

    The painting looks good, I just think it would look better without the dead flies as frame…

    The concept is reminiscent of other metal album covers as it was pointed here: http://crushermouth.wordpress.com/category/megadeth/

    I don’t think the UA cover is that bad even though the old vic looked way better than the new one…

  • Jinzo

    I’ve got to believe that this is somewhat like a throwback to The System Has Failed, where a lot of thought went into it and it’s supposed to convey a deep message. This probably isn’t as strong as The System Has Failed in terms of message, but it’s fun none-the-less to see the thought that went behind this new album cover.

    I think the coffin comment is a good one. Notice the nice breaks in between those blocks on the wall near the album title and also notice the gaps in the rows of these coffins where you can see the sides of them… I think they somewhat resemble the FEMA coffins(Google image that)… but it doesn’t really make sense because some of those things are sort of tilted and there’s no breaks between big stretches of the design on the wall.

    If no one’s pointed it out yet, the title track “Endgame” is about a bill that ex-President George W. Bush signed into law that gave him the power to put American citizens in detention centers in the United States. That’s why you have those guys in jumpsuits. I take it as a criticism to this bill, saying that US citizens are basically as low as flies if they can be stripped of their rights at will(hence the fly framing?). This also makes the FEMA coffin idea an attractive one because FEMA has over 800 detainment camps across the US.

    I’m just throwing out ideas here but we’ll probably know more once the album comes out and some interviews are done.

  • michael Leblanc

    i think that the album is a bunch of people walking down a corridor to hell and trapped, it’s not flowers around it, it’s flies, beelzebub means; lord of the flies in hebrew.

  • michael Leblanc

    that’s what the flies are for, for everyone wonderring, beelzebub or satan is the lord of the flies,

  • Travis C

    Okay… This is largely aimed at the dimwit who made the first post. Watch Alex Jones’ Endgame & you’ll perhaps get the point. The apparent ‘mowhawks’ are in fact barcode tattoos. This is a representation of the FEMA camps that await the sheeple. Read up, wake up & quit sucking your thums. It’s upon all you, fool.

  • adam

    this picture is the NWO(new world order) where all of the citizens( the dudes in the jumpsuits) are being led to fema camps. The “BOOKS” what think they are, they are actually FEMA coffins meant for for about three or four people. ENDGAME Lyrics say i woke up in a black fema box watch the alex jones documentary endgame which this album is based on it will explain everything> also watch follow up by alex jones the fall of the republic

  • dave

    actaully the sides are flies, the books arent books, there coffins, and the mohawks are actually barcodes. look up dave mustaine interview and learn up on end game,