Roadrunner worldwide staff have voted for their favourite covers in “Ten Greatest Album Covers in Roadrunner History”.

Since 1910 musicians have associated visual arts with their sonic output in the form of the almighty album cover. And since 1987, Roadrunner Records has been a source of some visually stunning and visually disturbing images in the wide world of album art, nevertheless honoring the tradition. Whether using an image to set the tone for what’s to follow on your speakers, or as a means of branding in forever associating a picture with a title, there is no question as to the power of the album cover — which is why the label took a look at every album released on Roadrunner Records U.S. to find the greatest covers in its celebrated history.

Voted on by the Roadrunner worldwide staff, showcasing the iconic vs. the blasphemous, the painted vs. the photographed, as well as the found art vs. the commissioned art, we give you the “Ten Greatest Album Covers in Roadrunner History” — one at a time.

Feast your eyes on #4 below, and check back at RoadrunnerRecords.com every day as the label counts down to number one.

#10: KING DIAMOND – “Abigail”
#9: MACHINE HEAD – “The Blackening”
#8: TYPE O NEGATIVE – “Slow, Deep And Hard”
#7: SEPULTURA – “Chaos A.D.”
#6: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – “The End Of Heartache”
#5: NAILBOMB – “Point Blank”
#4: FEAR FACTORY – “Demanufacture”

#3: SEPULTURA – “Roots”

Brazilian death metal contingent SEPULTURA’s last album with frontman Max Cavalera on the mic, “Roots”, came out in 1996 just as the metal landscape really began to change in a “nu” direction. In line with the downtuned sounds of the times and honoring SEPULTURA’s experimental traditions, “Roots” basically boasted the band’s return to their Brazilian heritage. Accented by the affluent tribal tones fully realized in the form of thick, layered percussives — even featuring Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown playing traditional instruments on tracks like “Ratamahatta”, the title was fitting for the sonic offering.

Read the whole piece at Blabbermouth