Behind The Artworks: Hans & Valter - The Legend Of The Oakensource (2025)

People know what a power metal album should look like. Bold colors, mighty kings, powerful dragons, majestic castles, and so forth. However, very few take inspiration from cinema.

Hans & Valter is a musical universe, with the closest relative being cinematic universes. Thus, we wanted the artwork to resemble a classic movie poster while still conveying that the music is power metal.

The result is the titular protagonists Hans (on the left) and Valter (on the right) taking up massive space in the background, striking their most heroic poses. In front of them we see the antagonist - Dark Lord Renius. We needed him to portray his sinister intentions. Thus, making his eyes glow and having him casting fire magic was the only sensible answer.

In the foreground, we find the mysterious character “The Stranger”, striking an iconic T-pose. By taking a closer look, we can see a feline demon on his shoulder.

Listeners of the album will understand why this interaction was important to include in the artwork.

With all main- and side characters on the album, the background visualises “the Oakensource”. An enchanting scene which is at the centre of the story. By only looking at the artwork, listeners have all the information they need to start understanding the greater story being told.