Sundecay The Blood Lives Again
A doom metal album package designed as a mysterious artifact, extending the mythology of the music beyond sound.
Building a Visual Mythology
Inspired by Codex Seraphinianus, we developed a visual language that mirrored the atmosphere of the album. Archival engravings were deconstructed and recombined with original illustrations, gothic ornamentation, symbolic imagery, and fragmented narratives to create a world that felt familiar, but impossible to fully decode.
Rather than creating literal interpretations of the music, the artwork was designed to reward exploration, allowing listeners to uncover new details with each interaction.
DESIGNING BEYOND THE SLEEVE
COLLABORATION
The project emerged through a unique collaboration between the band, our studio, and Flash Reproductions. In addition to fronting Sundecay, Rich Paupit owns Flash, where another member of the band also works. With artists, designers, and print specialists contributing throughout the process, production became an active part of the creative conversation rather than a final step
Printing techniques informed visual decisions. Structural concepts influenced illustration. Music, artwork, and production evolved together, allowing the physical format to become an extension of the album itself.
The final package unfolds from a traditional vinyl sleeve into a large cross-shaped format filled with illustration, typography, and hidden details. Six inks were used throughout production, including a dedicated glow-in-the-dark layer that reveals additional imagery under changing light conditions.
Every aspect of the package was designed to support the experience of discovery.
An Object Worth Exploring
In a music industry increasingly dominated by streaming, physical releases need to offer something audiences can’t experience digitally.
The finished package transformed The Blood Lives Again into more than an album release. It became a collectible artifact—one that extended the atmosphere of the music into a physical form.
Following its release, fans and reviewers began dissecting the artwork, uncovering recurring symbols, hidden details, and connections throughout the package. The response reinforced what the project set out to achieve from the beginning: creating an object that invites curiosity long after the record stops spinning.