The Book of Souls Album Cover...

[Caveman Ninja]

This was posted on Kevin Shirley's Facebook page today:

Thoughts?
Note that Eddie is the one being stalked this time...

I like this one much better.

 

[Caveman Ninja]

It colours or accompanies your perception, I think. Dark. No frills, just music.

It's been 5 years. Give me some frills!

 

[Forostar]

The black cover with an ugly 'eddie' incarnation which is just pasted on doesn't grab me. It's so bland, an easy photoshop paste job on a black background. Like Srogyy pointed out. The comments about 'eddie' staring from the shadows doesn't work for me since there is no trace of him actually standing in the dark. If he had shades of shadow on him and was standing a bit more back this could have worked.
And another gripe is the way 'eddie' is posing facing forward, all zoomed in and motionless, as if he's taking a picture for his driver's license.

Notice I keep putting 'eddie' in quotes because from my perspective I don't count him as a real eddie. Last real eddie was the one on the AMOLAD cover. The Final Frontier 'eddie' was bad ass well. They feel more like fan art visualisations of how eddie can look like.

Weird to read how someone is so critical about the latest Eddie (not even counting it as a real Eddie!) which has so much detail and depth in its expression and then continues to speak with respect(!) about the one on the AMOLAD cover. Which Eddie even? That tiny detail-lacking muppet, with simplistic Eddie drawing stuck on his head?

You said:
"If he had shades of shadow on him and was standing a bit more back this could have worked."
check
He has shadows on him. It's not even difficult to see this. For us, on the left side: his right shoulder, part of neck and chest as well. I can see him coming out of a temple, just leaving the dark inside of the building , he's at the doorstep, so to speak.

Or else: Still inside the building, he just pops up around a corner facing a flashlight, his right side still a bit in the shadows created by something/someone in between the light and himself.

 

[Brigantium]

You don't like muppets, do you, Foro?

 

[Srogyy]

Maybe he took Eddie from AMoLaD singles into account? They were quite 'normal.'

 

[Forostar]

I love the Muppets.

 

[Shadow]

I'm liking the new cover more and more. The Eddie is one of the most well-painted yet, and the lack of background clutter is a welcome change. I'd take it over most of the Riggs covers.

 

[The Nomad]

Weird to read how someone is so critical about the latest Eddie (not even counting it as a real Eddie!) which has so much detail and depth in its expression and then continues to speak with respect(!) about the one on the AMOLAD cover. Which Eddie even? That tiny detail-lacking muppet, with simplistic Eddie drawing stuck on his head?

Yes that tiny one. It took me a while to appreciate it but when I look at it I see Eddie. That arrogant smirk, he radiates a personality. As if he is the only one actually alive inbetween the soldiers who are merely skeletons.

He has shadows on him. It's not even difficult to see this. For us, on the left side: his right shoulder, part of neck and chest as well. I can see him coming out of a temple, just leaving the dark inside of the building , he's at the doorstep, so to speak.

Or else: Still inside the building, he just pops up around a corner facing a flashlight, his right side still a bit in the shadows created by something/someone in between the light and himself.

You are right, Eddie is in a shade, I didn't see it correctly. However his face is lit up to the point where it stands out the most, hence why I assumed there were no shadows. It still feels like a paste job. This wouldn't feel so if there was some resemblance of an actual place he was standing in. A bit of smoke, or dust, or faint light, anything.
And again, the too zoomed in picture, facing the camera motionlessly. It really doesn't work for me.

 

[desultory]

I'm liking the new cover more and more. The Eddie is one of the most well-painted yet, and the lack of background clutter is a welcome change. I'd take it over most of the Riggs covers.

I liked the first part of your post, but then you went into Riggs territory. That's hallowed ground for me, so I can't do the "like"-business.

 

[Forostar]

Lol, same here.

 

[SixesAlltheway]

I like the cover. But it's the image inside the book that is the real winner here....Best Eddie image since uhm..Fear of The Dark maybe.

Spoiler

 

[Maiden10_0]

This was posted on Kevin Shirley's Facebook page today:

Thoughts?
Note that Eddie is the one being stalked this time...

I have a feeling that this may be the future cover of a live concert DVD/bluray or at best a possible backdrop to the stage show this coming tour. I love it!

 

[Gk1]

I think the original cover is just fine. I'd go as far as to say that the overall artwork of the booklet is pretty damn good.