When I think of heavy metal artwork, I think of brutal imagery like the electric chair from Metallica's Ride the Lightning album or Slayers demon collage on Reign in Blood. So when I had the chance to visit an actual record store last weekend for the first time in years (San Diego's Record City), I forgot just how truly bad some of the album covers from yesteryears metal bands really are. Here's my pick of the top three worst album covers of all time.
#3 Steel Panther "Balls Out"
Sure this 2013 release by the modern purveyors of hair metal Steel Panther provides lots of fun, beer drinking, pussy chasing music ala the 3 W's (Whitesnake, White Lion, and Winger), but the album cover makes us shake our head... what the f*ck were they thinking?
#2 W.A.S.P. "Animal - F*uck Like a Beast (live)"
W.A.S.P. and their hit 'Wild Child' was one of my favorite 80's metal songs growing up. It fit so well in between Motley Crue's 'Shout at the Devil' and Judas Priest's 'Turbo Lover', but this song (and the album cover that accompanies it) was just straight up perverted, sexist, and degrading. Tacky is one thing, but this...?
#1 Scorpions "Virgin Killer"
Really? This 1977 album by the Scorpions was supposably their managers idea at the time, and was a European release only. Can you imagine this thing being released today? For God's Sake...*smh
Honorable Mentions...Any metal album that shows someone getting drilled in the face!
