My latest album cover artwork (above), titled Gravity, is one of six designs that I have illustrated for melodic heavy rock band Praying Mantis. My relationship with the Troy brothers (Tino and Chris) began in 1980, when I was asked to illustrate their album Time Tells No Lies (below). As I am well into insects, you can imagine how pleased I have been to illustrate their covers, all of which have featured a mantis.
The Time Tells No Lies design originally included a warrior seated upon the mantis. Somehow, this character was elbowed out of the scene. Next up, was a couple of 7" vinyl covers for the 1980 single titled, strangely enough, Praying Mantis:
and the 1981 EP titled Cheated:
Unfortunately, the original artworks of those two images "disappeared" during the proceedings. Around this time I was asked to do some other works for Praying Mantis that included an album centre label:
which was also printed on a beer mat:
a logo:
(some alternative logos):
and a design to be used on an enamel badge:
Ten years passed before my next Mantis cover - Predator in Disguise - a symbolic take on the New World Order and the Bible prophecy for the last days:
At this time, I also designed a new Praying Mantis logo:
Further time passed before the next album commission in 2015, a time in which Tino Troy appeared to lose his hair - presumably associated with the trials and tribulations of running a rock band! It was back to the wizard and mantis theme for this one, with another planetary skull and plenty of fire and brimstone. Here's the pencil sketch:
and here is the finished colour artwork:
For those that are interested, here is an alternative Legacy pencil sketch that was shown to the band:
Sarah and I had a great time at the Legacy album launch gig, held at The Borderline in London. Here I am with the band (a photo kindly taken by a fan):
You may have noticed that the mantises have increased in size over the 38 years that I have been associated with the band. Gravity features a mantis machine in the process of destroying planet Earth. Simultaneously, a rogue planet of Jupiter-proportions, with immense mass and gravitational pull is dragging everything (including the mantis, Earth and myriad space stations) to its surface - all good, cheerful stuff! I'm not sure I can go further with that theme, I may have to revert to a macro shot depicting a scene where the viewer is is taken into the small, but dangerous world of insects! The band are still going strong after all these years - anything could yet happen! Click here to get your copy now on CD or Vinyl. I will leave you with a video of the first track Keep it Alive from the new album:
