ANTIMATTER: EXPLAIN COVER ART CONTROVERSY FOR "THE JUDAS TABLE"

UK melancholic rock band ANTIMATTER (featuring a former member of ANATHEMA) have explained the "controversy" over the just revelaed art work for the bands anticipated new release "THE JUDAS TABLE", due to be unleashed soon 10/9/2015 via PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS. 









ANTIMATTER released "Fear Of a Unique Identity", 11/23/2012 via PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS.









FROM AEGIS ILLUSTRATION:
Just for the record, as the author of the cover and also as a deep fan of Antimatter's music. I just want to say that I'm aware its aesthetics doesn't match usual Antimatter cover artworks - but the idea behind it, I think it really has a deep connection with the kind of themes and moods we can find in the music, or at least, that's what I thought when Mick told me about the idea for the cover. So, regardless of controversy here, which is even fun at times, keep in mind that this was designed by someone who has been following the band since Saviour and loves it.
What I don't get is people complaining about the cover not being similar to old ones - Aren't we open to changes and experimentation in the way artists or musicians present their work and evolve with it?

FROM ANTIMATTER:
 it seems that quite a few people are reading that way into the cover. Although the concept behind the cover is not about same-sex love. I specifically asked Aegis Illustration to have the subjects genderless as the concept is not about specifically male/male male/female or female/female relationships, but more about human relationships, and I didnt want the interpretation to get sidetracked into any kind of pointing the finger at any specific gender, as both males and females are capable of damaging each other. Mick.
 Toxic relationships is certainly getting closer to one of the themes for the album. Antimatter art, or the selection of art, has always been based purely on representing the lyrical concept as closely as possible and not any particular style of music. So I would say it is purely an accident if any specific gender of music is suggested.
 The straightjackets are used to convey the idea of instability. I have no idea what is overused or underused ... our subjects here are certainly not in place to elicit any kind of grotesque reference to gothic shock art, more a direct visual representation of how I feel about the last few decades of my life dealing with other people.
What a wonderfully controversial response to the new album art!! Every Antimatter album to date has had artwork that perfectly summarizes the title or concept, and this is no exception.
Congratulations to facebook.com/aegis.illustration for bringing the idea to life.
Out of the many responses (it has split antimatter fans directly down the middle!!!) what is noticeable is the lack of explanations behind opinions.... why its either good or bad? any questions about the concept of the album? any comments on what message/idea is conveyed, or attempted to be conveyed, by the image itself ..... ???? (Congratulations to the few people who have). Does anybody relate to it?? What do you see when you look at this image??

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Oct 9 - ’De Verlichte Geest’, Roeselare, BE
Oct 10 - ‘Panic Room’, Essen, DE
Oct 13 – ‘Ebrietas’, Zurich, Switzerland
Oct 14 - 'Das Bett', Frankfurt, DE
Oct 16 - ‘UnterRock/Geyserhaus’, Leipzig, DE
Oct 17 - ‘Rotunda Centrum Kultury’, Krakow, PL
Oct 18 - ‘Progresja’, Warsaw, PL
Oct 19 - 'Protokultura', Gdansk, PL
Oct 20 - ‘U Bazyla’, Poznan, PL
Oct 21 - ‘K17’, Berlin, DE
Oct 22 - ‘Rock Café St Pauli’, Hamburg, DE
Oct 23 - ‘W2’, Den Bosch, NL
Oct 24 - ‘Boerderij’, Zoetermeer, NL
www.antimatteronline.com


Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-