Emerson Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery (1973, Manticore) (Front Cover/Inner Sleeve/Logo)
(Design: H.R. Giger)
Known for his surrealistic style of combining the human form with machines, which he labeled “biomechanical”, and airbrush as his tool of choice, Giger’s design work is truly singular. Giger gained notoriety as a poster designer in his early career for a Swiss publishing house. He also created large canvases in his home studio and produced short films during this time. What would become the artwork for ELP’s self-label debut is the painting “Work 216: Landscape XIX”, which Giger created under the influence of the band’s earlier music. Emerson selected the triptych as the cover and inner sleeve art for the gate-fold LP. His first of many, Giger would go on to create some of the most striking and influential album covers of all time, including designs for the Dead Kennedys and Celtic Frost.
DEAD KENNEDYS - LIFE SENTENCE (1989, Alternative Tentacles) (B-Side Label)
(Design: H.R. Giger)