Behind The Artworks: SIDEWINDER - MARCH OF THE ETERNAL HERETIC (2025)

All Artwork was created by Drummer (and Tattoo Artist) Gareth

Two Zero One (Single)

I was never truly content with the first Sidewinder name logo. I liked the ‘S’ but the rest didn’t seem as strong. Damo joined the band on Vocals, and it was the perfect excuse to make a better version. This, and a more detailed depiction of the ‘John Bomb’ character, seemed destined for a self-satisfying long-sleeved t-shirt design.

I recall Damo talking about "Starship Troopers", and his fondness for those giant Bugs. I’m listening to him and plotting, taking in what he’s telling me whilst trying to drown out the internal monologue telling me “Skulls”, “road warrior shoulder spikes” and “make it look like a comic book from ’84.”

So along came John Bomb, poised on top of a throne of rubble and death. Chaos, spikes, barbed wire and post-apocalyptic crumbling buildings in the background. John is shooting his weaponry with the same bombastic approach as Duke Nukem, whilst fending himself from Monsters that have a purely coincidental resemblance to the bugs in Starship Troopers. Other sci-fi titles are available.

March of the Eternal Heretic (EP)

This artwork came with a point to prove.

Chaos: the beautiful, sweet chaos that has kept me such familiar company over the years, ramped up a couple of degrees past manageable over the last few months. To claw it all back I was determined to deliver a f*** you piece of work. Paper and pen wouldn’t suffice, and an iPad drawing certainly wouldn’t. It was time to blow the post-lockdown dust off some acrylic paint.

Now, lyrically, the other members of Sidewinder know these films and the computer games far better than I do. Although these games have evaded me, I still fondly remember Fallout 3. The memory of playing that adventure, 15 years ago, hung around in my head. Between the 5 heads, we came up with fantastic suggestions and this piece was a labour of love of multiple ideas trying to get everyone’s voice heard.

The main character front centre suggests he’s the Heretic mentioned in the lyrics. He reminded me of the main protagonist in Fallout 3. Masked and armoured up like that, I’m unsure, are they a hero or are they a villain? Is he winning or is he always one swipe from a critical hit and substantial limb damage. The Skeleton army and hazard-suited survivors tear it up in the background as the chaos illuminates them from all angles. Are they on our side like Lord of the Rings, or do they need defeating like Terminator?

The sky circles as the reckoning draws ever nearer. Flames engulf what remains of the baron infrastructure. The man in black reporting back, the king of the hill, the figure that outlasted everyone, the Eternal Heretic.