Behind The Artworks: Declared Dead - Necrodeist (2024)

The cover art used for "Necrodeist" was originally titled "Tyrant" by the artist who created it (Georgi at Moon Ring Design). This idea fits well with the concept of the album in the sense that tyrannical forces are portrayed in some of the lyrics. The imagery of the cover for "Necrodeist" has an allusion to symmetry but with casual pondering, it is noticed that the "right hand path" and the "left hand path" are not interchangeable. A few questions are garnered - which "doorway" to choose? Where does each one lead to? Do they lead to the same place, ultimately? And an even deeper question might be - which is the true left and true right? Another variation of thought could be that the artwork aligns with the concept of Janus ("the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings"). A Janus-faced entity could also convey "looking forward and backward" at the same time, as well as being a depiction of "deceitful nature". The decaying roots that are quite prominent in the piece begs the question - are they roots that strangle with plight or are they withering from lack of legitimate sustenance? There's an intense yet subtle pleading look of regret on the face of the main figure (with piercing "root chakra" blood red eyes fixed in a strained meditative glare). Beads of sweat drip down the right side of its temple (is it because of extreme difficulty to keep the illusion of control alive or the dread of being revealed powerless?). The Moon acts as a beacon in an archway of a mysterious type of hall (a hall which gives the impression of a pontifical mitre that is said to be in homage of the Mesopotamian/Babylonian god Dagon). Some have said the Moon is part of a matrix that traps souls after death to be reincarnated ad infinitum, though - a full moon cannot exist without the Sun's allowance - hence, a balance of duality continues intact (where free will and confusion are synonymous). One last hard to notice, at first, element of the artwork is on either side of the "horns/hat/hallway ("888-Lion's Gate"?) there are the slightest showings of sky blue (as if to entail "reality lies just beyond"). The "dream" even looks to be "fracturing while fractalizing" in various regions, as well. To tie it all together - the Declared Dead logo has a galactic ambiance to it, symbolizing "higher consciousness".