The REZ cover art discussion thread

We all know REZ's cover art is really wild... now it's time to interpret it.

Let's start with Silence Screams- what's going on here ? I can pretty much decipher meaning behind most of it, but what has me stumped is the woman and child pushing a door ?? is that a church ?? what are they doing ?

On the cassette you can see the full painting which has a blindfolded woman with the cross - false doctrine ? And what looks like a man from China bleeding ?


Interpretation time !

I was reading an article written at the time of this album's release and they talked about the evils of the music label/industry... so my thought is, the guy in the chair is a musician and the shark and wolf are the music label mucky mucks.

This is an odd cover for sure...

The article i read in an '88 interview talked about how the band had not released an album for a while and people said there seemed to be a "silence" from them... yet in reality the band had been very busy in ministry, thus the idea behind the name "Silence Screams". They also talked about the "evils" of the music industry, which is why I interpret the shark and wolf to be industry business money-men, and they've "taken the shirt off the back" of the "artist"... What I still don't understand is the man with the bloody mouth or the woman and child opening a door.

The skeleton dude could be "gaining the world, but losing your soul" ? He's so money-minded, yet he's really dead inside...

idk - interpretations ??

I have no clue personally....but it's one freaky looking album cover.

The woman and child outside probably represent the starving family not being supported by the musician being ripped off by the label.

alldatndensum wrote:

The woman and child outside probably represent the starving family not being supported by the musician being ripped off by the label.

Now THAT's a good interpretation !! Very good !



Now what about the China man with the bloody lip and the blind woman holding a cross ??? Verrrry strange !

women and children left out in the cold...

greed keeps Christ's word at bay (bottom scene)

I always thought it represented songs on the album. The shark and the wolf represent the landlord in "Waitin' on Sundown" while the man is the father of the family in the next room. The money guy at the bottom represents victims of greed in that song and the fire below him also represents the victims of wars (Someone Sleeps).

Well that just makes all the sense in the world now doesn't it ??

Leave it to me to not even compare the art to the lyrics on the album... duh.

ishmael81 I think you've cleared up the confusion 100%. In light of the album's lyrics, the cover art makes perfect sense !

OK, next album... the comical "Ampendectomy"

Prolly doesn't need much interpreting, but what's your take on the cover art ?

Did they go acoustic/soft on that album?

it was basically an "unplugged" album yes.. so that would explain the cover.

Yep, that was an easy one.

Howabout Rainbow's End ? Think they were trying to reach the New Agers at the time ? I see a darkness and light at battle in the background, but what's the woman rep ?

I love the little amp in the jar on Ampendectomy...

Awaiting Your Reply - I've always wondered how much control they had over the art. It's kinda out there but if you think about other hard rock/metal releases from 77,78 and 79 it fits right in.

That's true, Awaiting Your Reply and Rainbow's End both resemble the cover art of the time. A lot of bands had the whole New Age, psychedelia type stuff that I think REZ was going for at the time - only with a Biblical slant.



Kinda looks like a woman washing her hair in the sink, then she looks up to see herself in the mirror...

That's another weird one. I agree it looks like twin sisters washing their hair at the same time.

On rainbows end I think the woman represents heaven and maybe and angel.

On awaiting your reply I think the women are waiting on Gods reply to them...possibly one is waiting on the lords reply and the lord is waiting on the others reply. just a thought. I agree that the style of art would have been considered cutting edge at the time of release.