Ok, it's time to explain myself.

As a lover of experimenting with artist's album covers, I had a strong desire to combine Bathory's two album covers together: "Blood Fire Death" and "Hammerheart" (Cause I freaking love these albums and I know they're intended to be thematically connected), but with the assistance of AI. I know how we love to hate AI for its sloppy methods of image creatons..., so I decided to take a different approach.

How I created this abomination:

A) I asked GPT to blend two paintings with each other, from which the original album covers come from (2nd and 3rd image).

B) After saving the blended version, I started to edit this image with filters in this particular order on my phone (4th image):

1. Oxygen

2. Tango

3. Blues

4. Zenith

5. Mint

C) After finishing the editing, I downloaded the original "Blood Fire Death" album cover and asked AI to edit the artist's and albums name from it on the edited photo by me (5th and 6th image)

D) After saving that work as well, I gave it a final edit using "Bud" Filter.

That's how I created this concept album cover.

Now my opinion about things you're going to hate my idea for:

1. I'm not ashamed of using AI 'properly' as an 'instrument' for experimentation and creativity. The real shame of exploitation AI is when you force it to 'create an image by its own', making it to look like a real slop instead of trying by yourself something innovative.

2. "Bathory would never combine these albums together or use your concept for real".

I don't think so.

First of all, there are many artists, who combine 2 or 3 albums together like it's intended in that way, either making "compilation" albums or full discography runthrough. Examples:

Opeth - "Candlelight Years" and "Deliverance/Damnation (Remixed/Remastered)"

Burzum - "Burzum/Aske"

F\*v\* F\*ng\*r D\*\*th P\*nch - Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Part 1 and 2

Guns 'N' Roses - Use your Illusion

Big Black - The Hammer Party (They combined Bulldozer, Lungs and Racer-X EPs into one collection and gave it a unique album cover)

Darkthrone - The Unholy Trinity (Its albums aren't combined, but they are officialy regarded as the parts of this trilogy)

Radiohead - KID A MNESIA

Death Grips - The Power That B

S.O.A.D - Mesmerize and Hypnotize (Similar case to TUT)

Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage – and ect.

Secondly, if you think, that my concept album cover is too bright, shiny or unfitting, I'm gonna surprise you: Sunbather, Slaughtersun and The Heart Of The Ages have non-black metal album covers for literally black metal albums.

And thirdly, if they wouldn't use my concept directly, they would've used the IDEA and imagination of my concept, obviously.

Final sum: Do I deserve up-votes? No. Do I deserve controversy and hate? Yes, but the only thing I ask is to understand me, ok? I'm not saying that I'm proud of my work. Just wanted to share the 'idea' behind my concept.

Your thoughts?

Album cover idea for Bathory's "Blood Fire Death + Hammerheart" (If Bathory combined them)