To me, the shift in the design of metal albums came in the mid-90s when nu (or new, take your pick) metal emerged. Beginning with this new generation of bands, the usual imagery associated with the subject matter of the genre was eschewed in favor of bolder and more graphic based elements.

This seems to have taken a another step with what is perhaps one of the year’s most anticipated metal releases, Cavalera Conspiracy’s Inflikted, even if only because it marks a reunion of sorts between brothers Max and Igor Cavalera. The former left Sepultura under what some believe to be circumstances that arose from his wife’s management of the band. No doubt parallels were drawn with that of Yoko Ono’s role in the demise of the Beatles.

Cavalera Conspiracy stays true to the Cavaleras’ musical roots but the design vocabulary of the album brings to mind the premise of Stranger In A Strange Land. After all metal albums aren’t usually heavy with Helvetica (liner notes, song titles and lyrics). Is there a fan of Helvetica in Cavalera Conspiracy? Throw in the liberal use of white and white space paired with the equally sparse and bold compositions of the photography, Inflikted has probably broken new ground in album design.

The firm behind this is Surface to Air which also directed the video for Sanctuary. See the slide show of the artwork for Inflikted here. There is a picture of Igor Cavalera wearing this tee. Perhaps he’s the Helvetica fan.