i'll give you all the nails you need

Before it became what you all know, Impera started out as a whole different beast. When I began working on the cover art, I was still very much oriented towards dark and unsettling vibes set by Mgła and Imperial Triumphant cover artworks I did not long before. In my work I always strived to balance elusive feeling of unease and some kind of monumentalism, as I believe that’s what makes art great. It’s not easy and it relies on nuance if anything. So naturally I wanted to convey such grim vibes on Impera, pushing it toward Giger vibes present on To Mega Therion cover as it resonated very well with the Crowley theme. Albeit less literal and more abstract with emphasis on unholy geometry of heptagrams and new grucifix. In the meantime we decided to bring out the cathedral interior and as you can see from last images, I redrew all the architecture retaining basic geometry along the cityscape on back cover. I also mirrored the centerfigures face and hands for I believe much better visual balance. So, there you go - everything good is born in throes of painful process. And all that for the better in the end. Enjoy.