The story behind the covers
Now when the band’s third album has been out for some time, it’s time to unfold the stories behind the covers of all the albums they’ve released.
In the beginning—sometime in the early 80s—the band had a dream of releasing their first album. They skipped over the idea of tape trading, which, in hindsight, might not have been the best decision, as tape trading was a great way to gain fans worldwide back then.
During that time, Row was sketching and drawing constantly. He poured his ideas onto paper, hoping to convince the rest of the band to incorporate them in one way or another.
Among his sketches, one piece stood out as “the one that got color.” Another sketch, showing Neptune with his arms crossed, was eventually used as a poster for a few concerts and was created by the drummer’s sister. The album name they had in mind back then was “Join the Battle,” though it wasn’t released at the time. However, demos from that era were later released on cassette and Bandcamp box 40 years later.
LAND OF NORTHERN
Starting with the band’s first physical album, Land of Northern, they originally planned to release it in the 80s, though it didn’t quite make it to the finish line.
Row Alex recalls:
“I remember how close we were to landing a record deal with a major label—it was just a few signatures away. It was an incredible feeling with a lot on my mind at the time. We had plenty of songs ready and were aiming to record in one of Sweden’s best studios, complete with a top-notch sound engineer.
“After recording, it was time for me to create the album cover. I started sketching as I had before, but this time, the stakes were higher; we wanted the album cover to be as impressive as those from other bands of the era. Our goal was for it to look intense, with Neptune portrayed as powerful and terrifying. I began with the basics on a canvas and, with some help from a friend—who was studying at art school at the time—I managed to create an oil painting we were all happy with.
The band kept the painting for over 30 years, and though it suffered some damage over the years in storage, they eventually restored it digitally in Photoshop, added a frame and the cover was finally done to be released.
NORTHERN STEEL
Moving on to Northern Steel. For this album, Row wrote some of the songs early on, tailoring them for his brother, Ray Alex, including “Ruler of the Sea” and “Run for Your Life.” Tragically, Ray passed away before the recordings began, and Row took over the vocals duties after his brother in the band.
“Ruler of the Sea” was initially intended as the title track because of its homage to Neptune, but Row later wrote “Northern Steel,” which the band felt was a better title for the album. Interestingly, another band had released an album called *British Steel* 40 years earlier—a fact that inspired an “ill-concealed appreciation” for one of metal’s legendary bands.
Just as he did in the 80s for Land of Northern, Row began sketching concepts for the Northern Steel cover.
This time, however, he didn’t need to create a large oil painting. Instead, he collaborated with guitarist and photographer Anders Olsson. Here, you can see the first sketch, the original unedited photo, and the final result. The improvement from sketch to final cover was immense. Notably, it was Mr. Tosh who braved the cold water for the photo, while Anders stayed dry on the shore with his camera.
Even though the vinyl was a gatefold and the CD included a 12-page booklet, the band wanted to offer even more in a subtle way. They decided to add a slightly hidden QR code in the booklet. Scanning the QR code led fans to a VIP page with additional liner notes and exclusive information.
END OF TIME
To wrap up, here’s the story behind the third album cover, End of Time. Anders played a major role in this one, as the creative process shifted to Photoshop and other digital programs.
For the End of Time cover, the band had several concepts in mind. Since the album’s story centers around Harald Hardrada—the last Viking—and his final battle, they first envisioned a cover featuring a Viking ship resting on the seafloor after the last lost battle. However, they decided against it, as the image looked more like an aquarium with a plastic boat, lacking the power they were aiming for. Instead, they opted to depict Neptune wearing a Viking helmet and seated in the sea, which fit well with the themes of their previous covers.
For the back cover, the band wanted a more majestic look. Rather than using a traditional band photo, they worked extensively with graphic programs to create what they hoped would be a more commanding image. They chose not to label themselves under the figures on the back, aiming to be seen as part of Harald’s Viking warriors—a subtle detail hinted at in the album’s final track. Nonetheless, the presence of five figures resembling the band members may not be entirely coincidental.
Not everything can be revealed, though; some details are meant to be discovered by fans. For instance, you might find yourself wondering who signed the bottom right-hand corner of the front cover. Another meaningful detail is the raven that appears on both the Northern Steel and End of Time covers. If you’re familiar with the band’s history, you’ll know that their friend and bandmate Ray Alex used “Rafven” as a nickname—this raven on the album covers is a tribute to him.
Finally, credit must be given to their dear friend Jan Adsjö at Spoil Design, who brought all of the band’s wild ideas to life and transformed them into striking album covers. His behind-the-scenes work has been crucial in making these visions a reality and could never happened without him
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