SCARTOWN has unveiled the cover artwork for their second full-length album, the follow-up to "Legendy Bolshogo Goroda" ("Legends of the Big City," 2006) and the EP "Vertikalniy Predel" ("Vertical Limit," 2007). As previously announced, this modern metal/metalcore album is titled "Krik Myortvoy Svobody" ("Cry of Dead Freedom") and will be released in late autumn on the Irond label.
In connection with the cover reveal, the band members posted the following statement on their website:
"At last we can present to you the cover of our third release! As previously announced, the artwork was done by Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsak (also known for his work with ANNIHILATOR, DESTRUCTION, GRAVE DIGGER, and many others), who once again resolved all our questions about the design of the next album.
The title 'Krik Myortvoy Svobody' ('Cry of Dead Freedom') addresses the theme of the individual versus society, which is central to the band. It's an idea close to the work of Chuck Palahniuk. Society establishes certain rules of the game, erecting barriers and boundaries in every person's path. We are no exception. For each of us in SCARTOWN, this is our own 'fight club.' Here we can fully express ourselves, release negative emotions, let out adrenaline. Here there are no limitations or rules. SCARTOWN is what we set against the impenetrable stupidity and grayness of this world. And 'Cry of Dead Freedom' is a call to action, a message to our listeners.
After discussing this idea with Gyula, he proposed visualizing it through the image of a wolf caught in a trap but unwilling to accept its fate. To break free from captivity, the wolf gnaws off its own paw. It was very important to us that the cover fully corresponded to the album's concept and told a story -- that a listener, upon looking at it, would see the development of a certain narrative, understand that 'something is happening here,' and be compelled to think.
As for the technical execution, we wanted the cover to resemble something between a photograph and a painting. It is precisely this ability to combine various photos with hand-drawn elements that we have always admired in Gyula's work. To bring the idea to life, he had to not only rummage through his vast photo archive but also visit the Budapest Zoo, where several shots were taken. Subsequently, with a considerable amount of hand-drawn detail, the image of the wolf was created from these photos. The level of detail is simply stunning -- upon closer examination, many nuances emerge that are not immediately obvious. We are very pleased with the work of our Hungarian friend. One can only regret that the era of vinyl records with their large-format sleeves has become a thing of the past."
As a reminder, the album's production, mixing, and mastering are being handled by Swedish producer Jonas Kjellgren (SONIC SYNDICATE, SCAR SYMMETRY).